Alex Mitchell was looking to build on a breakout season when he encountered an issue on a Thursday morning this summer that most people would find incredibly troubling.
“I woke up and couldn’t really move my neck,” Mitchell, the Northampton and England scrum-half, told Mail Sport matter-of-factly.
After a campaign in which he had won the Premier League title and become his country’s first-choice No. 9, Mitchell’s complaint came out of nowhere. It forced him to miss all four England November Tests.
‘I called the club doctor and she told me to come in. The problem was I wasn’t sure I could drive because I couldn’t see over my shoulder,” Mitchell says.
‘I was in a lot of pain and sweating while driving. I was ready to stop and ask someone to come pick me up. But eventually I made it through and got treatment and painkillers. The first week was terrible. I just couldn’t move.
‘I was in trouble. I did the first four or five weeks of preparation and felt great. I got hit in training, but thought nothing of it. When I had the scan it showed a bulging disc in my neck.
Alex Mitchell was looking to build on a breakout season when he encountered an issue on a Thursday morning this summer that most people would find incredibly disturbing
“I woke up and couldn’t really move my neck,” Northampton and England scrum-half Mitchell told Mail Sport
Aside from his neck problem, this year has been pretty nice for the 27-year-old
‘I couldn’t do much. I actually thought I would be fit to play next week as I have had back problems in the past and I thought it might be something similar.
“But it just wouldn’t go away. It was frustrating. In the end it was 12 weeks. Being injured and not being able to help is one of the worst aspects of rugby. It’s always frustrating to see. I hate that part. But it’s good to be back and now I feel good.’
Aside from his neck problem, this year has been pretty nice for the 27-year-old. He was left out of England’s first-team squad for the 2023 World Cup. But after an injury to Jack van Poortvliet, he became a key figure as Steve Borthwick’s side finished third.
Mitchell continued as starting number 9 in the Six Nations and was a central figure as Saints won their first league title in a decade.
“The whole year has been fantastic,” said Mitchell, who will start tomorrow’s Saints Champions Cup opener against Castres. ‘I missed playing so much. When you have a break, you appreciate playing much more. Somehow the injury helped. It has given me the motivation to continue. There has definitely been a silver lining.”
Mitchell’s return to fitness was slow. He received the best possible care and visited specialists in London. His status as the only scrum-half on England’s 17-man roster with Enhanced Elite Playing Squad (EPS) contracts does not guarantee Test selection. But it also shows how important he is to Borthwick.
In many ways, Mitchell accomplished the near impossible this fall while cementing his reputation from the sidelines. Ben Spencer and Van Poortvliet each started two games at scrum-half, but neither put down a solid marker to take Mitchell’s shirt.
In November in England they only defeated Japan and lost to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Mitchell is likely to return as starting number 9 for the 2025 Six Nations. “It definitely gives you confidence,” Mitchell said of his EPS deal. “It shows that the coaches support you.”
After a campaign in which he had won the Premiership title and become his country’s first-choice No. 9, Mitchell’s complaint came out of nowhere.
After an injury to Jack van Poortvliet, he became a key figure as Steve Borthwick’s side finished third at the World Cup in 2023
Ben Spencer started two games at scrum-half this autumn, but did not put down a firm marker to take Mitchell’s shirt
And on his dismissal from England, he adds: ‘I get very frustrated when I look at it. I want England to do well, so if they lose by narrow margins it’s even worse. It’s so much easier to be on the field. We just have to find a way to win those close games. We can be better. I know I can do more.’
In Mitchell’s first game of the season, he appeared off the bench in Northampton’s 25-17 Premier League defeat at home to Gloucester last Saturday. After claiming last season’s title, the Saints sit in eighth place.
“We’re the team that’s being chased right now,” Mitchell said. ‘But we like that. The result in Gloucester was disappointing. We just didn’t really show up. Our energy and intention were not there. Last season, this European period gave us great momentum as we returned to the Premier League. It made us realize that we can beat very good teams both at home and away.’
Saints bucked the trend of the recent struggles English clubs have had in Europe to reach the semi-finals of last season’s Champions Cup, where they were beaten by Leinster.
Should he continue his form of the past year, Mitchell is likely to be one of the leading contenders to tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions next summer.
“When I was younger I used to go over to my friend’s house to watch the Tests and eat bacon,” says Mitchell. ‘The Lions have always been the highlight. I always found it so exciting to watch those matches.
“If you get the opportunity to go on tour and play for the Lions, it’s a huge honor. It’s always been a goal, but I just take it week by week.
‘I have to work hard to repeat the last 18 months and hopefully do even more.’