Moody to get every chance

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody will be given every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup after suffering a mild ligament strain in his right knee. Moody’s leadership is seen by the England management as “vital” and they have not ruled out naming him in their final 30-man squad on August 22, even if he is not 100% fit.

The Bath flanker, who is wearing a heavy-duty knee brace, was injured when 18-stone team-mate Tom Palmer fell on his leg during England’s 23-19 World Cup warm-up win against Wales last Saturday.

Moody will definitely not play in the reverse fixture at the Millennium Stadium this weekend and no target date has been set for his return to action.

England will shuffle their deck for Saturday’s game with Johnson set to run the rule over back-row options Hendre Fourie and Chris Robshaw. Andrew Sheridan is definitely out as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery, while Ben Youngs and Shontayne Hape are still not in peak condition after recent surgery.