Eastmond and Farrell add to England crisis
ENGLAND’S best-laid plans for the Six Nations were in tatters last night as Owen Farrell and Kyle Eastmond joined a growing list of casualties in danger of missing the opener against Wales.
A weekend of ferocious European club matches has left head coach Stuart Lancaster with concerns about the health of several leading men. Having already been forced to accept the absence of Manu Tuilagi, Ben Morgan, Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury, there is a danger that the national team will also be without Tom Wood, Geoff Parling, Farrell and Eastmond in Cardiff on February 6.
There was a scare involving England’s first- choice fly- half, George Ford, who went off for concussion tests after suffering a heavy blow during Bath’s victory over Glasgow. He was able to return to action after passing the tests, but his condition is sure to be further assessed by the England medical staff after he reports for Test training today, along with the rest of the Red Rose squad.
The prospects for Farrell, Ford’s rival for the No 10 shirt and likely understudy at the Millennium Stadium, appear grim after he was injured playing against Clermont Auvergne yesterday. He walked off just 15 minutes into the 18-6 defeat, having fallen awkwardly as he was tackled by Julien Bardy.
The Saracens’ stand- off looks doubtful for the encounter with Wales after he was seen leaving the Stade Marcel-Michelin on crutches with his left knee in a brace.
Asked if the 23-year-old would be fit for the start of the Six Nations, Saracens’ director of rugby Mark McCall said: ‘I wouldn’t want to say right now. It’s a knee injury and we don’t know the extent of it just yet. It’s complicated with knee injuries, but we’ll get him looked after and we’ll know within the next few days.’
The injuries to Ford and Farrell could open the door for Sale’s Danny Cipriani to stake his claim to being more than fourth-choice fly-half.
Eastmond was forced off with a sore left shoulder in the sixth minute of Bath’s clash with Glasgow and the West Country club’s director of rugby, Mike Ford, suggested his centre had suffered a ‘stinger’ for the second successive weekend.
‘He came off last weekend with a shoulder ( injury) and he took another knock today but it doesn’t look too bad,’ he said. ‘He’ll go for a scan tomorrow.’
Wood, England’s first- choice blindside flanker, hobbled off early in the second half as Northampton were beaten at home by Racing Metro and his director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, said: ‘ Tom has twisted his ankle. He was certainly sore and it was sensible to bring him off.’
Parling — who was seemingly destined to start at lock in Cardiff — suffered a knee injury playing for Leicester in Belfast on Saturday and initial estimates were that he would be out for three or four weeks.
His fellow Tiger, Graham Kitchener, is destined to come into the squad while George Kruis of Saracens could start after serving a ban for a dangerous tackle earlier this month.
Northampton captain Dylan Hartley, meanwhile, has bemoaned his treatment by officials after he was harshly sin- binned for a technical offence on Saturday, having recently returned from his latest suspension.
The England hooker, who has had several disciplinary episodes during his career, said: ‘Just imagine being me. I knew the spotlight would be on me.
‘A player runs over me and I put my arms up and I tackle him. The next thing you know, I’m watching the game.
‘ Maybe I am being judged differently but that’s my own doing and I’m the one who has got to deal with it.’