E-mail Article Print-Friendly Version Contact Us

News

Vickery in All Black boost

Monday 12th May 2008

Knee-arly Back: Vickery ahead of rehab schedule

England captain Phil Vickery is winning his race to be fit in time for the two-Test summer tour to New Zealand.

Prop Vickery was not expected to be fully fit until June 2 - the day England fly to Auckland - after suffering knee ligament damage playing for Wasps four weeks ago.

But he has made promising progress on a tough strengthening programme in the gym and is understood to be ahead of schedule.

Wasps are now hopeful Vickery could be involved in the Guinness Premiership final on May 31, should they reach Twickenham with a victory over Bath next weekend.

That could be enough to see Vickery included, even tentatively, in Martin Johnson's first England squad when it is announced on Tuesday.

One of the key issues Johnson will have discussed in selection meetings with Rob Andrew, who will lead the tour to New Zealand, is the captaincy.

If Vickery is named in the squad, his lack of rugby over the last month and the form of Bath tighthead Matt Stevens would not make him a guaranteed starter.

Bath lock Steve Borthwick, who filled in against Italy during the Six Nations after Vickery was taken ill, has emerged as a late favourite ahead of Mike Tindall.

On current form both would command a place in the side for the Tests, in Auckland on June 14 and Christchurch a week later.

Tindall hurt his ankle yesterday and underwent a precautionary MRI scan today but is not thought to be seriously injured.

Paul Sackey, who Shaun Edwards described last week as "the best winger in Europe", is also expected to be named in the party despite hurting his knee in Wasps' win over Leeds.

Sackey is currently in "intensive rehab" before undergoing a scan which will determine the extent of the damage.

There is also an injury shadow hanging over Gloucester winger James Simpson-Daniel, who requires a shoulder operation, and Toby Flood - while Jonny Wilkinson is going under the knife in the summer and will definitely miss the tour.

Johnson and Andrew are set to name a squad which includes a handful of uncapped players, with Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care topping that list.

Brian Ashton had been planning to leave Harry Ellis at home to continue his rehab from the knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.

If Johnson takes the same approach then Care, who is making a strong case to go straight into the team, will probably be joined by Richard Wigglesworth and either Peter Richards or Paul Hodgson.

One other option would be for England to travel with two specialist scrum-halves plus Sale's Ben Foden as a full-back who can also provide cover at nine.

England need to decide whether to take a third fly-half - possibly Ryan Lamb - as back-up to Danny Cipriani and Charlie Hodgson or rely on Olly Barkley and Shane Geraghty to provide cover from inside centre.

Up front, Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley is primed for his first senior England call-up while London Irish lineout king Nick Kennedy has been pushing hard for international selection all season.

Bristol prop Jason Hobson, who received a late call-up to the bench for the Italy game in which Borthwick was captain, is in line for inclusion if Vickery does end up missing out.