Injury crisis hits England
England arrived in Australia tonight for the first time since they were crowned world champions with head coach Clive Woodward feeling the full effects of an injury crisis.
Props Mike Worsley and Will Green have been summoned to join the senior England squad from Churchill Cup duty in Canada as a result.
Woodward could go into next Saturday’s World Cup final rematch with the Wallabies without Richard Hill, Mike Tindall and Trevor Woodman while centre Stuart Abbott (shoulder) and prop Matt Stevens (knee ligaments) are already out of contention.
Flanker Hill (ankle), centre Tindall (hip) and prop Woodman (shoulder) are all rated as having less than a 50% chance of playing.
The situation could have got even worse, but lock Simon Shaw did not land a ban following his sending-off in the second Test against New Zealand, making him available to face Australia.
Shaw’s second-row colleague Danny Grewcock though, cited and suspended for reckless use of the boot on All Blacks centre Daniel Carter, will miss the Wallabies clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Olly Barkley is expected to replace Abbott in England’s midfield, with Mike Catt or Fraser Waters the alternatives if Tindall does not recover from his latest injury setback.
Up front, there could be a first cap for Wasps’ Tim Payne at loosehead prop, but Woodward at least has plenty of back-row cover, with Martin Corry, Michael Lipman and Chris Jones all vying for starting places.
Bath openside flanker Lipman made his England debut when he went on as a substitute yesterday, yet Woodward has strongly indicated that Corry is likely to feature in some capacity.
Harlequins loosehead Worsley and Wasps tighthead Green are expected to arrive in Australia during the next 24 hours.
And they will link up with an England squad determined to end their three-Test tour on a high.
Shaw’s dismissal effectively ended their victory hopes against New Zealand at Eden Park, but skipper Lawrence Dallaglio will demand one final big effort in a momentous season which has lasted more than 10 months.
Suncorp Stadium will be packed to capacity next Saturday, with Australia going in as favourites for revenge following their dramatic World Cup final defeat at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium last November.
However England have history on their side, reeling off five successive victories over the Wallabies, which is a sequence they will not want to end despite being badly affected by injuries and suspension.
