Injured skipper Moody faces anxious World Cup wait
ENGLAND (23) vs WALES (19)
ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody will find out today whether or not his World Cup dream is over.
The Bath flanker will undergo a scan today on the injured knee which forced him to leave the field of play in the 61st minute of England’s victory over Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.
Moody, who was making his international return having missed the entire Six Nations campaign with a similar injury, initially feared his collision with team-mate Tom Palmer would scupper his chances of leading his country at next month’s tournament in New Zealand.
But yesterday he attempted to downplay the severity of the injury, saying: “It was just a tweak to the knee. I am walking fine. It is nicely strapped up.
“We will see how it is in a couple of days. By the time I got back to the dressing room I was moving normally and I realised it was not as bad as I thought.”
Moody’s injury was not the only point of concern on Saturday for manager Martin Johnson, whose side conceded two late tries to let Wales back into a contest that suggested both sides have plenty of work to do before they are ready for the sterner challenges that lie ahead.
Wales teenager George North scored the opening try of the match but the hosts soon took control due to James Haskell’s score and the boot of Jonny Wilkinson.
Manu Tuilagi increased the lead as he powered over for as try on his debut but Shane Williams sneaked over and a late spell of pressure then yielded another try for North as England were forced to hold on.
Meanwhile, England’s players will take part in an open training session at Twickenham tomorrow. Entry is free to all.
THREE KINGS | POTENTIAL CAPTAINS
Mike Tindall: Led England through their Six Nations campaign until injury ruled him out of the grand slam decider in Dublin. The emergence of Manu Tuilagi means, however, his starting place is under threat.
Nick Easter: A highly respected member of the squad who played a key role in taking England to the final of the 2007 World Cup. His only experience of captaining his country came in the crushing defeat in Dublin earlier this year.
Jonny Wilkinson: Unrivalled World Cup pedigree and became the most capped England back in history against Wales on Saturday. Despite his impressive form, it appears Toby Flood remains Martin Johnson’s preferred option at No10.