England have released three players from their Portugal training camp to feature in next Saturday's Guinness Premiership programme. The Sale Sharks back Mathew Tait together with the London Irish pair Delon Armitage and Nick Kennedy will all be given the chance of important game time.

Sale visit Worcester on Saturday while the Exiles tackle Gloucester in a top-of-the-table clash at Kingsholm. The full-back Armitage, England's star performer during the autumn Tests, and the lock Kennedy recently recovered from injuries but are probable starters for the RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy at Twickenham on 7 February. All three players will return home tonight.

Michael Lipman, meanwhile, did not train on the Algarve today because he was undergoing assessment by England's medical team. The Bath flanker took a heavy blow to the head during the Heineken Cup clash against Toulouse two days ago and was forced off midway through the first half.