DEFIANT Saracens ruined Harlequins’ record-breaking Christmas party and ended their unbeaten start to the Aviva Premiership season with a ferocious defensive performance at sold-out Twickenham.

London Irish 19 Edinburgh 20

Toby Flood will start at inside centre alongside fly-half Jonny Wilkinson in England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France.

TOBY FLOOD has urged his England teammates to start taking responsibility for their actions off the field and pull together on it to strengthen their bid for World Cup glory.

ANGRY Martin Johnson blasted England for being “sloppy” and warned they will be dumped out of the Rugby World Cup early unless there is an immediate improvement.

England 41 Georgia 10

Lewis Moody has returned from injury to captain an England team featuring nine changes for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup clash with Georgia.

Lewis Moody has returned from injury to captain an England team featuring nine changes for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup appointment against Georgia.

Will Greenwood has backed England’s under-pressure centres to answer their critics at the Rugby World Cup.

IRELAND have had to absorb painful lessons over the course of the last four weeks and it remains to be seen if recent events will sharpen their World Cup appetite for battle or kill their enthusiasm for the fight.

WILL GREENWOOD yesterday questioned the balance of England’s midfield as Michael Lynagh called for Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood to play 10 and 12 at the World Cup.

Wales 19 England 9

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody will be given every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup after suffering a mild ligament strain in his right knee. Moody’s leadership is seen by the England management as “vital” and they have not ruled out naming him in their final 30-man squad on August 22, even if he is not 100% fit.

Matt Stevens’ return from the ignominy of a drugs ban continued today when he was confirmed in England’s 45-man Rugby World Cup training squad.

WITH Alan Quinlan, one of the great modern characters and indeed one of the most influential players of the professional era, set to retire from rugby next month it is interesting to take stock of a new trend in the international game and one that is a cause for concern.

Ireland 17 England 3

GORDON D’ARCY has vowed he won’t be beaten in a one-on-one defensive scenario for the remainder of his rugby career, as he consigns the painful memories of the French defeat to the past.

IT’s become a YouTube classic, with over 350,000 hits, but England’s Martin Johnson has never explained his version of the notorious red carpet ‘snub’ to President, Mary McAleese at Lansdowne Road eight years ago.

IF ENGLAND wanted to dampen expectations that they will claim their first Grand Slam in eight years in Dublin next weekend then they did rather a good job of it at Twickenham yesterday.

England 17 France 9

Mark Cueto has warned Chris Ashton he must be prepared for life as a marked man - starting in England’s crunch showdown with RBS 6 Nations title rivals France.

England 59 Italy 13

Wales 19 England 26

Louis Deacon has been recalled to the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations as a replacement for banned Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.

IT was nail-biting stuff on Saturday as Ulster drew first blood in dispatching Bath at Ravenhill.

Ulster 22 Bath 18

Johann Muller will captain Ulster for Saturday’s Heineken Cup game with Bath at Ravenhill (kick-off 1.30pm).

England 35 Australia 18

MARTIN JOHNSON warned his players the toughest challenge was yet to come after England missed an opportunity of recording a famous victory against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday.

Former New Zealand rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams will make his All Blacks Test debut against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

ENGLAND’s defence coach Mike Ford last night dismissed the try-laden Tri-Nations as not being proper Test rugby.

Andrew Sheridan will return to the England front row after a 20-month absence for Saturday’s showdown with New Zealand after recovering from shoulder surger

Springbok Luke Watson has been immediately installed as Bath captain for their pre-season match against Heineken Cup group rivals Ulster at Ravenhill this evening (K.O. 7.30pm).

Australia 20 England 21

Bath centre Shontayne Hape will make his England Test debut in Saturday’s Cook Cup clash with Australia at the Subiaco Oval in Perth.

MARTIN JOHNSON admitted England must become smarter after suffering a second-half collapse in yesterday’s 35-26 victory over the Barbarians.

England 35 Barbarians 26

Mark Cueto has become the latest England player to be struck down with a stomach bug.

MARTIN JOHNSON is not the sort of man who indulges in mind-games, but yesterday he braced himself to face a wounded animal when Ireland head to Twickenham a week on Saturday.

England 30 Wales 17

ENGLAND have been forced into a late change ahead of their RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales today after Riki Flutey was ruled out with a dead leg.

England centre Riki Flutey has been ruled out of tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales after suffering a thigh injury in training.

Coach Steve Meehan has gone for his strongest side at home to Ulster in the final round Heineken Cup Pool on Saturday.