Lewsey likely to take over from injured Morgan

ENGLAND full-back Olly Morgan has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being told he requires shoulder surgery.

Morgan damaged his right shoulder during England’s record 43-13 RBS 6 Nations Championship defeat by Ireland in Dublin last Saturday, and was forced off after just 30 minutes at Croke Park.

The 21-year-old, who has won two caps, will now undergo an operation on Monday to repair labral damage following consultation with a specialist.

He faces 12 weeks on the sidelines, and with his Gloucester and England colleague Iain Balshaw still recovering from a groin problem, Wasps wing Josh Lewsey looks likely to wear the England number 15 shirt against France on Sunday week.

In the meantime, Phil Vickery has revealed the unlikely source of his “only positive” element to emerge from dismal England’s record defeat in Dublin last Saturday – Brian O’Driscoll.

The Ireland captain offered words of encouragement to his shell-shocked opposite number as Vickery began absorbing a 43-13 Croke Park calamity, which surpassed England’s previous worst championship beating by France 35 years ago.

France are next up for England on Sunday week, with Wasps prop Vickery retained as skipper in a 28-man training squad which also includes uncapped club colleague James Haskell, 35-year-old London Irish back Mike Catt and recalled Bath lock Steve Borthwick.

Vickery said: “My only positive to come out of the weekend for me was when I was sat at the dinner afterwards. I was there with my wife, ‘Drico’ and his girlfriend.

“Brian said: ‘Are you all right?’ I was, like, ‘no,’ and he said: ‘Phil, look, I know this will sound silly, but I have been sat in your seat.

‘I know what it feels like – I have been there. All you can do is try to move forward and motivate the guys and make sure that people believe in what you are doing’.”

While O’Driscoll and company head to Edinburgh in eight days’ time and the prospect of securing a second successive Six Nations Triple Crown, Vickery’s team must somehow try to stop title favourites France in their tracks.

In France, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde believes the French Barbarians’ match against Argentina is effectively a do-or-die trial game for those fringe players hoping for starts in Les Bleus’ RBS 6 Nations Championship run-in.

Twelve players who have had no or limited playing time for France so far in the Six Nations have been released for tomorrow’s clash in Biarritz.

One of those is scrum-half Elissalde, who has not featured at all in the victories over Italy, Ireland and Wales.

The Toulouse star has seen Pierre Mignoni start all three games and steal the limelight, while Dimitri Yachvili has been the replacement number nine.

Elissalde now reckons strong displays against Argentina will be crucial if any of the squad’s peripheral figures are to earn starts for the Six Nations matches against England, on March 11, or Scotland, on March 17.

“If we want to put our name in the hat for the last two matches of the Six Nations, we must perform this weekend,” he said.

On his own selection, Elissalde, who started the Six Nations competition nursing a rib injury, said: “It is a long time since I have played, so I am happy to have been picked.

“I have been training well, but it is always better to play and it will be a difficult match, a Test match against a strong team.”

Meanwhile, two of France’s star regulars, centre Yannick Jauzion and hooker Raphael Ibanez, have been struggling with knocks.

Jauzion has been suffering pain in his right thigh, while Ibanez has been having adductor problems.

If fit, both players are sure to be picked for France’s vital Six Nations match against England at Twickenham a week on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Italy’s first-ever away win in the RBS 6 Nations has led to a rush to buy tickets, with the Azzurri’s remaining home games now sold out.

The Italians face Wales on March 10 and Ireland a week later at the Stadio Flaminio.