Rugby:Joe Worsley is likely to miss out on playing in his fourth Rugby World Cup after being cut from England's training squad.The 78-cap Wasps back-row forward, who made his test debut in the 1999 World Cup and was part of the victorious squad in 2003, is one of five players to have been released today by manager Martin Johnson.
The Leicester pair of hooker George Chuter and number eight Thomas Waldrom have also been released along with Saracens wing David Strettle and the versatile Gloucester back James Simpson-Daniel. Johnson has retained a 40-man squad to begin preparations for England’s forthcoming back-to-back internationals against Wales.
The decision to cut Worsley and Waldrom, who has been struggling with a calf injury, means the Harlequins captain Chris Robshaw is still pushing for World Cup selection. Chuter’s departure leaves England with three hookers in Dylan Hartley, Steve Thompson and Lee Mears — all of whom are now likely to travel to New Zealand.
Strettle and Simpson-Daniel have been overtaken in the pecking order by Gloucester bolter Charlie Sharples and Harlequins wing Ugo Monye. Johnson is yet to cut any of his seven props or his five second row players.
Matthew Rees, meanwhile, is set to miss Wales’s opening World Cup warm-up test against England because of a neck problem. Sam Warburton, who skippered Wales in their defeat to the Barbarians two months ago, is lined up to keep the job at Twickenham next Saturday.
Scarlets hooker Rees led Wales throughout last season’s international schedule, including the Six Nations Championship. But he has been suffering with a neck injury in recent weeks, and Wales coach Warren Gatland admits surgery is a possibility.
Gatland, though, hopes any operation that might be required would not take place until after Wales’ World Cup campaign, which begins against South Africa in Wellington on September 11th.
“Matthew has had a bit of a neck problem for a few weeks,” said Gatland. “He is getting injections today, and we’re hopeful he will be alright in the next week or two. An operation is a definite possibility but we are hoping it definitely won’t be before the World Cup. If he doesn’t improve, he may need something after the World Cup.
“There is a bit of nerve pressure, and we’re hopeful the injections will help. It is mainly affecting him when he is trying to sleep. Ideally, you would like him to play in the warm-ups because you don’t want him to go in cold. He is getting frustrated because he hasn’t been able to do much in the last couple of weeks.”
