Six Nations Latest

England coach Sir Clive Woodward’s plans
for the forthcoming Six Nations tournament received another blow Sunday when Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson suffered a recurrence of his knee injury.

Hodgson, ace goalkicker Jonny Wilkinson’s longtime deputy, missed
the World
Cup after suffering with knee problems for most of 2003.
His latest setback happened while playing for English Premiership
side Sale
during their 23-16 home European Cup defeat by Ireland’s Leinster.

Hodgson took a knock early in the game but kept going until the
35th minute
when he was replaced by former Springbok Braam van Straaten.

“It is the same knee,” said Sale coach Jim Mallinder.
“He actually took a
bang on it last week and it took three or four days to clear.
Unfortunately,
he got another bang on it today.
“We are going to have to have a look at it. If he is
struggling, he will go
for a scan and we’ll take it from there.”

Wilkinson is currently out with a shoulder problem and Hodgson’s
knock adds
to the list of England players who have suffered injuries since the
World Cup.

There had been speculation that Woodward would play Hodgson in the
centres
to act as a ‘minder’ for Wilkinson who is susceptible to
“stinging” shoulder
injuries when tackled or indeed delivering one of the big hits of his
own that
he so relishes.

World champions England start the defence of their Six Nations
crown away
to Italy in Rome on February 15 and Woodward could bring in
experienced
utility back Mike Catt at fly-half if Wilkinson fails to recover in
time.