Gomarsall hails Wigglesworth

Ousted England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall has hailed Richard Wigglesworth's performance in the Six Nations win over France – but insisted the fight for the number nine jersey is still on.

Ousted England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall has hailed Richard Wigglesworth's performance in the Six Nations victory over France – but insisted the fight for the number nine jersey is still on.

Gomarsall was dropped from the England squad for the trip to Paris and had to watch on television as Wigglesworth marked his first Test start with the try that sealed a 24-13 victory.

“I was very impressed with him – there's a lot to build on there for him,” said Gomarsall.

“The try will give him a lot of confidence. The Stade de France is a very intimidating place to play and he came through it superbly. For a young player, that is invaluable to have under your belt.

“But all rugby players know that a week can be a long time in sport and you never know what is round the corner so I certainly haven't thrown the towel in.

“As a professional sportsman, it's always very difficult to watch a match that you think you should be playing in, but that's life sometimes. You just have to deal with it.

“I just went back to being a fan and hoping that the boys would do what I knew they were capable of. It was a difficult night for me in a way, but I was just happy to see the boys win.”

The 33-year-old not only faces intense competition for the England scrum-half berth, but he is being kept out of the Harlequins side by Danny Care.

Quins face Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester on Saturday after returning to winning ways against Worcester and Saracens.

“My back injury is fine and I'm raring to go but I won't be starting for Harlequins at the weekend,” Gomarsall said, speaking to BBC Sport.

“Danny Care has been playing fantastically well. He's a future England scrum-half, no question, so there's no need for Quins to change it at the moment because he's playing so well.

“I just have to be patient now.”