Uncapped Wasps flanker James Haskell has been named in Brian Ashton's 28-man England training squad for their crucial Six Nations meeting with favourites France on March 11.
Following a season-ending injury to Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan, Haskell, who has made 12 league appearances for Wasps this season and helped the England Under-21 side to their 2006 Grand Slam, will be added to the 22-man squad that faced Ireland at Croke Park last weekend along with Mark Cueto, Jason Robinson, Tim Payne, Mike Catt, Steve Borthwick and Nick Easter.
Morgan, who faces surgery on the shoulder injury he sustained in Dublin, saw a specialist today and now faces 12 weeks on the sidelines. "It is an horrendous blow for Olly, Gloucester and England," said Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan. "In the last 12 months he has really matured rapidly as a Premiership player. He has outstanding potential to be an international-quality full-back and we wish him all the very best for the operation and his recovery. We, at Gloucester, will certainly miss a player of Olly's ability, control and bravery at this crucial stage of the season and it is obviously a major blow to England."
Ashton, who will name his starting line-up to face the French on Tuesday, will also be keeping an eye on the progress of Robinson and flanker Magnus Lund. "I will be monitoring the progress [of Jason Robinson and Magnus Lund], and wish Olly Morgan ... a speedy recovery from his shoulder injury," he said.
According to Sale club doctor, Dave Jones, Robinson, who scored three tries in England's Six Nations victories over Scotland and Italy but was forced out of the fixture against Ireland with a neck injury sustained during training, should not need any corrective surgery. "With the correct rest and rehab, Jason should be back playing very soon," he explained. But Jones said that Lund, who was forced off at half-time last weekend with concussion, "will not play again until he has taken and passed the necessary tests. It is very doubtful he will play against Saracens this weekend but we are hopeful he will be fit next week."
With Morgan's Gloucester team-mate Iain Balshaw also out, Wasps full-back Josh Lewsey could feature next Sunday and Robinson will challenge for wing berths with Cueto and Harlequins' David Strettle if he is passed fit. Cueto, who has scored 13 tries in 18 Tests, has not featured since Andy Robinson's last game as head coach against South Africa more than three months ago, while Strettle replaced Robinson in the 43-13 defeat and delivered an outstanding Test debut display, scoring England's only try.
Bath captain Borthwick will put pressure on the second-row partnership of Louis Deacon and Danny Grewcock, while Ashton will also look closely at the effectiveness of centre partnership Mike Tindall and Andy Farrell for the must-win fixture against a French side England have not beaten since the World Cup glory in 2003.
England's 28-man squad: Backs: J Lewsey (Wasps), J Robinson (Sale Sharks), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), A Farrell (Saracens), M Catt (London Irish), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), T Flood (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester), S Perry (Bristol). Forwards: P Freshwater (Perpignan), P Vickery (Wasps, capt), J White (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), G Chuter (Leicester), L Mears (Bath), L Deacon (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath), T Palmer (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins), J Worsley (Wasps), J Haskell (Wasps), M Lund (Sale Sharks), T Rees (Wasps), M Corry (Leicester).
