Surgery forces Stevens out of England tour

ENGLAND head coach Andy Robinson faces a potential front-row crisis for the summer tour of Australia following the loss of Matt Stevens.

Bath prop Stevens faces up to six months out after being forced to undergo surgery to repair his injured shoulder.

His absence adds to Robinson’s problems, Andrew Sheridan likely to miss the rest of the season with a neck problem and Phil Vickery, whose back injury forced him out of year’s 6 Nations, is still sidelined.