Robert Kitson 

England’s injury crisis grows ahead of next month’s New Zealand tour

Stuart Lancaster is likely to take an extended England squad of 40-42 players to New Zealand next month as his injury list continues to grow
  
  

Henry-Thomas-Sale-Sharks-Aviva-Premiership
Henry Thomas of Sale Sharks could find himself in the firing line for England against New Zealand at Auckland. Photograph: Paul Thomas/Getty Images Photograph: Paul Thomas/Getty Images

England's bid to defeat the world champions New Zealand on their own patch next month is threatening to collapse even before they fly out. Tom Youngs, Tom Croft, Alex Corbisiero, Jack Nowell and Christian Wade will all miss next month's tour while Billy Twelvetrees is a major doubt for the first Test in Auckland on 7 June and may struggle to play any meaningful part in the series.

Youngs had been expected to tour but will now remain at home this summer to be with his wife, Tiffany, who is receiving treatment for an illness. The couple have a baby daughter and the Lions hooker is understandably putting his family first.

"Our thoughts are with Tom and Tiffany at this time and it is entirely right that he stays at home to support her and their daughter Maisie," said the England head coach Stuart Lancaster. "Everyone in the squad sends them our best wishes."

Further disruption to Lancaster's plans is inevitable, with the precise availability of half his squad still reliant on the outcome of next week's Aviva Premiership semi-finals. A Saracens versus Leicester final, for example, would give Lancaster a serious midfield headache. Four midfield contenders – Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Allen – would be unavailable for the first Test, in addition to Twelvetrees who has an ankle strain which may sideline him completely unless he responds swiftly to treatment in the next three weeks.

With Northampton and Bath also due to meet in the Amlin Challenge Cup final on the Friday before the first Test squad flies out, Lancaster has his fingers crossed over several positions, not least at hooker. With Youngs out and Bath's injured Rob Webber unlikely to make it either, he can only hope Dylan Hartley recovers imminently from the shoulder injury which has sidelined him since the end of March and that Saints fail to reach the Premiership final.

England's fourth-choice, David Paice, has not played a league game for London Irish for almost seven weeks. The management's other big fear is Bath reaching the Premiership final, in which case a gaping hole would open up at tighthead prop where David Wilson is supposed to be. Sale's Henry Thomas, an international novice, would suddenly find himself slap bang in the Auckland firing line.

Put it all together and scheduling the first Test just a week after the Premiership showpiece looks ever more ludicrous. It is small wonder England are delaying their intended team announcement and are planning to take an enlarged squad of 40-42 players to cover all eventualities. A skeleton training squad, some of whom will not be touring and will feature instead for a third-string England against the Barbarians at Twickenham, will be named on 15 May – Sale's Danny Cipriani may yet be on that list – but Lancaster cannot come to any firm conclusions until the Premiership finalists are known.

Even in the best-case scenario, only around two thirds of the squad will be able to fly out to Auckland in the last week of May. Left behind will be all those involved in the Premiership final who will not depart until Monday 2 June, too late to be considered for the first Test.

While Croft and Corbisiero are scheduled to feature for Leicester and Northampton respectively this weekend for the first time since recovering from their latest knee problems, Lancaster has decided there is nothing to be gained by rushing them back given their lack of recent rugby.

Wade, Nowell and Dan Cole were already confirmed absentees, opening the way for Saracens' Chris Ashton to make the trip, but England remain hopeful the New Zealand-born Hartley will be fit enough to return to the land of his birth. Four hookers will be travelling, offering potential opportunity to the likes of Harlequins's Dave Ward, who was still playing in the Championship for Cornish Pirates two years ago.

Among those who may also re-enter the frame is the Wasps flanker James Haskell, while uncapped props such as Will Collier of Harlequins, Bath's Nathan Catt and Northampton's Alex Waller and Newcastle's Kieran Brookes are also under consideration.

Lancaster has been visiting all the Premiership clubs in recent days to assess the fitness and form of the fringe candidates, aware the midweek fixture against the Canterbury Crusaders sandwiched between the second and third Tests will be a further examination of England's strength in depth.

Following the first Test at Eden Park, England will face the All Blacks in Dunedin on 14 June before rounding off a long season in Hamilton the following weekend.

 

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