Confirmation is expected today that Lewis Moody’s hopes of playing any part in England’s RBS Six Nations Championship campaign have ended because of a knee injury.
As England prepare for the fourth leg of a potential grand slam, against Scotland on Sunday, the news will be a severe blow for the flanker, who began the year as captain but has battled in vain to overcome the problem.
Moody damaged the medial collateral ligament of his right knee against Aironi in the Heineken Cup in January. The prognosis was that he would be out for six weeks and be able to return to face France ten days ago.
However, after playing 23 minutes in his comeback for Bath last month he suffered a reaction that ruled him out of the win over France.
Martin Johnson sent Moody back to his club to get match-fit last week, but with complications keeping him out of the defeat by Gloucester on Saturday, time has run out for the 32-year-old, who must now focus on the end of the club season and being fit for England’s World Cup warm-up games in August.
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In his absence Mike Tindall has proved a worthy captain as England have racked up three wins. While Moody struggles, Johnson, the team manager, has been able to recall Courtney Lawes and Tom Croft to the training squad this week after they proved their recovery from knee and shoulder injuries respectively. Both must be under serious consideration for a place among the replacements at least.
With Simon Shaw withdrawing from the London Wasps side before kick-off against Sale Sharks on Sunday with a groin strain, Lawes’s case for a recall at lock is difficult to ignore. Riki Flutey failed to finish the game for Wasps, which may prevent Johnson tinkering with the midfield had he opted to do so. Realistically, the Calcutta Cup game is his last chance to experiment before the championship’s likely denouement in Dublin a week on Saturday.
Toby Flood missed training last week to rest his sore Achilles, but he is expected to be fit to continue at fly half against Scotland, who are reeling from three successive defeats and who do not need reminding that they have not won at Twickenham since 1983.
• The RFU has not ruled out hosting one of the Crusaders’ Super 15 matches at Twickenham because of the earthquake damage to the Kiwi side’s stadium in Christchurch. Hamish Riach, the Crusaders chief executive, said that London was “an option”.