Injured Hartley joins England squad

England co-captain Dylan Hartley has linked up with the rest of the squad, boosting hopes he will play some part in the Six Nations.

Hartley was left out of Eddie Jones’ initial squad, with a knee injury keeping him out of the opener against Ireland as England enjoyed a superb 32-20 win in Dublin.

But the hooker has now joined his team-mates as they prepare to face France at Twickenham this weekend, and defence coach John Mitchell is keen to see Hartley back in action.

“It’s good to see Dylan – he looks in great shape,” Mitchell told Sky Sports. “He is an excellent advertisement for a lot of the guys.

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“He’s been our captain and a leader, and for him to come in, in the shape that he’s in, is a credit to him. It’s a great reference to others in the group because, ultimately, that’s what we want. That’s exciting, especially when a player at the camp is in good nick.

“It’s been good to see him, good to chat with him, have an update.

“Ultimately, he gets two extra days a week in the programme so I think we should hope to see him feature at some point in the Six Nations.”

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