Injury blows for England

England’s injury-hit preparations for the 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship have been dealt another major double blow.

Centre Will Greenwood looks certain to miss the entire tournament after undergoing shoulder surgery while Gloucester wing James Simpson-Daniel will have an operation on his left shoulder next Wednesday.

England are already without flanker Richard Hill for the whole of this season due to a serious knee injury, while Greenwood’s World Cup centre partner Mike Tindall is struggling with a foot problem.

Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, a strong candidate for the inside-centre berth against opening Six Nations opponents Wales on February 5, has not started a game since mid-October following a bicep injury.

Elsewhere, World Cup props Trevor Woodman and Phil Vickery have hardly played this season, in addition to several players announcing their retirement from Test rugby throughout 2004.