Back faces uncertain England future

WORLD CUP warrior Neil Back is facing a fight to prolong his international career after being left out of England’s RBS Six Nations squad.

Back, together with fellow World Cup winners Kyran Bracken and Martin Corry, have been omitted from a 28-man England party to prepare for next Sunday's championship opener against Italy in Rome.

Experienced prop Graham Rowntree also misses out after England head coach Sir Clive Woodward reduced his training group by 15 players from the 43-strong contingent selected last month.

Nine players were not considered because of injury Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Stuart Abbott, Mike Catt, Charlie Hodgson, Julian White, Alex Sanderson, Lewis Moody and Andrew Sheridan. Sale Sharks prop Sheridan was not in Woodward's first post-World Cup squad, but he is rated highly by the England management.

Back, Bracken, Corry, Rowntree and Newcastle back Jamie Noon have not been selected, while Sharks hooker Andy Titterrell and Leeds lock Tom Palmer are part of an eight-man young player group invited to train with the senior squad.

Flanker Back, 35 last month, has won 66 caps and scored 16 tries for his country. He made his Test debut against Scotland almost 10 years ago to the day. However, England head coach Clive Woodward has once again underlined his renowned ruthless streak when it comes to selection: form and not reputation counts.

Wasps flanker Joe Worsley is likely to enter the back-row equation alongside Hill and captain Lawrence Dallaglio.

Saracens scrum-half Bracken, 32 and capped 51 times, misses out behind Matt Dawson and Andy Gomarsall, with Gomarsall favourite to wear the number nine jersey in Rome.

Sharks forward Chris Jones and Bath prop Matt Stevens are the only uncapped players among Woodward's 28, while all fly-half contenders (Paul Grayson, Alex King and Olly Barkley) to replace Wilkinson, remain.

England's great fly-half debate will soon be resolved, with 32-year-old Grayson favoured in many quarters to take over from World Cup hero Wilkinson, who has been ruled out of the entire Six Nations tournament.

Newcastle boss Rob Andrew, meanwhile, still expects Wilkinson to be back in a Falcons shirt before the end of this season. Wilkinson will undergo surgery on Wednesday and faces a recovery period of between six and eight weeks.

Gloucester's former rugby league star Henry Paul has also been retained, and a Test recall almost two years after he won his solitary England cap cannot be discounted.

Wing James Simpson-Daniel and hooker Steve Thompson are the latest fitness concerns ahead of next Sunday's clash, although both are still in Woodward's plans.

Gloucester try machine Simpson-Daniel, a strong candidate to make England's starting XV, is battling with a rib injury, while Northampton star Thompson has an ankle problem. Both players missed yesterday's Zurich Premiership action.

Woodward's other main selection task is in the second row, where Simon Shaw, Danny Grewcock and Steve Borthwick are the main contenders to replace Martin Johnson.

With World Cup-winning captain Johnson now retired from Test rugby, Woodward must appoint a new partner for Leicester lock Ben Kay.