Time is running out for Jonny Wilkinson to prove his fitness for the Lions. The England outside-half, who has not played for more than six months after suffering a dislocated kneecap, will not be involved in Newcastle's Guinness Premiership match at Wasps tomorrow with the Falcons refusing to put a date on his comeback.
The Lions name their squad for South Africa on 21 April and have said only fit players will be taken. Wilkinson, who has a maximum of only two matches to aim at before then, had hoped to be back in action last month but suffered a setback in training. "Our medical team continues to assess Jonny on a daily basis and when we get the green light from them we will consider him for selection," said Newcastle's director of rugby, Steve Bates. The Falcons face Saracens in the European Challenge Cup on 12 April with Bath travelling to Kingston Park a week later.
There is also concern about the fitness of another England 2003 World Cup winner, Mike Tindall. The centre suffered a knee injury playing for Gloucester against Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final last weekend and his club said yesterday that although the problem had been diagnosed as medial-ligament damage, it has not been determined when he will return to action. The 30-year-old misses today's clash at Northampton.
Dean Richards, the Harlequins director of rugby, believes the presence of his side at the top of the Premiership will have little impact on the Lions selection because of the presence of two Wasps, Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards, on the tourists' management team.
"I'd like to think my players will get called up but, in Ian and Shaun, you've got two Wasps boys," Richard said. "I would imagine there will be quite a few Wasps players going and that they won't be looking at Quins."
The Gloucester centre Anthony Allen is close to finalising a move to Leicester. The 22-year old is out of contract at Kingsholm at the end of the season.
Andy Robinson, England's former coach who is now in charge of Edinburgh, has emerged as the favourite to succeed Frank Hadden, who stepped down as Scotland's head coach on Thursday. However, there are some north of the border uncomfortable at the thought of an Englishman running their national side.
They include the former Scotland and Lions coach, Jim Telfer, who said: "Robinson is a coach who has performed at a higher level but he did lose the England job [in 2006] because he was not successful. Coaching the Scotland side is not like coaching an English team and I would look around. I'm sure there are coaches abroad."
