Ashton hails ‘incredibly fit’ Ward-Smith, but time running out for Tindall

ENGLAND boss Brian Ashton has hailed Dan Ward-Smith as “an incredibly fit athlete” after the uncapped Bristol forward thrust himself into World Cup contention.

The New Zealand-born number eight has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury six months ago.

He could not play a full part during England’s World Cup training camp in Portugal earlier this month, but his recovery process has now hit the accelerator. And Ashton also believes the time Ward-Smith spent working with renowned knee injuries expert Bill Knowles in America is a significant contributory factor.