Healy doubt for England

Austin Healey appears to be England’s biggest injury worry for their Twickenham clash with Tri-Nations champions New Zealand next Saturday.

And while Healey’s fellow England squad members Mike Catt, Lewis Moody and Mike Tindall all either played no part or a limited role in the latest round of Zurich Premiership action, they are expected to report fit.

Leicester star Healey, capped 47 times in a variety of positions behind the scrum, is nursing an Achilles problem.

He has missed Tigers’ last two league games, and while a bench role was perhaps the best he could hope for against New Zealand, his prospects do not look good.

“Austin is in some discomfort at the moment,” said Leicester supremo Dean Richards.

“I don’t think that he will be able to train with England this week, and I would also say he is doubtful for next Saturday.”

Richards though, believes that flanker Moody should be fine after he rested a foot injury by sitting out Leicester’s 9-6 victory over Wasps yesterday.

Bath ace Catt, who is challenging for an England midfield place alongside seemingly automatic choice Will Greenwood, missed his fourth league game of the season as the struggling West Country outfit crashed 18-9 at Harlequins.

But signals from the Bath camp were infinitely more encouraging than those being made in the east midlands about Healey.

“Catty wanted to play, but we virtually had to handcuff him and take the decision out of his hands,” said Bath assistant coach Brian Smith.

“Mike was concerned that it would be misunderstood that he was saving himself for England, but our head physio was concerned that he would aggravate his hamstring injury.

“Mike wanted to play and see what happened, but he could have ended up with a worse injury that would have kept him out for three or four weeks.

“As it is, he will struggle to train early this week, but he should be fit to play for England or Bath next weekend.”

Tindall, another centre candidate, went off during the Quins encounter because of a calf niggle, but Smith insisted that it was purely a precautionary measure.

England boss Clive Woodward is scheduled to announce his starting line-up for the All Blacks clash tomorrow.

Likely debutant, wing James Simpson-Daniel, showed flashes of brilliance during Gloucester’s Premiership victory against Northampton, as did scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, who played the whole game despite having his upper left leg strapped during the first-half.

New Zealand, whose under-strength squad arrived in London yesterday, were the last team to beat England in a Test match at Twickenham.