Woodward won't call time on Hill

England will give their Lions flanker Richard Hill every opportunity to recover from a hamstring injury that has decimated his World Cup campaign.

The Saracens forward hasn’t played since England’s Pool C opener against Georgia in Perth on October 12.

A persistent hamstring problem ruled him out of subsequent appointments with South Africa, Samoa and Uruguay, and he will also miss Sunday’s quarter-final against Wales at Suncorp Stadium.

The injury still hasn’t healed sufficiently for Hill to run at full-speed in training sessions at Brisbane Grammar School, and it is now 26 days since he was hurt.

But England head coach Clive Woodward insists that 61-times-capped Hill will be given more time to recover.

And the arrival of lock Simon Shaw to replace broken-hand victim Danny Grewcock means he can fill the position with Lewis Moody, who wears the No 6 jersey against Wales, Joe Worsley or Martin Corry until Hill is back in business.

“With Simon Shaw arriving, and when Martin Corry is fully fit, we’ve got four fit locks and five in the back-row, so there’s no need to replace Richard Hill,” said Woodward.

“If we were to win at the weekend, we would hope he’d be available next weekend. Richard is more frustrated about this injury than anyone.

“We still think that he will be fit for next week, if we are still here. He is just about there, but not quite. It’s just one of those injuries that has dragged on.”

Hill apart, both Corry and fly-half Paul Grayson weren’t considered for the Wales clash after picking up knocks.

Shaw, who missed out on the last two World Cup campaigns, will be among the replacements, and Bath’s Mike Catt has been handed the job of providing fly-half cover for Jonny Wilkinson.

Scrum-half Matt Dawson, having pipped Kyran Bracken and Andy Gomarsall for a starting role, will be England’s back-up goalkicker to Wilkinson.

Catt was given the all-clear following a precautionary X-ray after he sustained a blow to the head in training. He came close to breaking into the team on the strength of his performances against Samoa and Uruguay.

Iain Balshaw was also declared fit after recovering from the ankle sprain that saw him stretchered off in the second-half of the Uruguay game, but couldn’t force his way into the team past five-try star Josh Lewsey.

“Catty’s done very well. He has forced his way on to the bench, and he’s clearly adding something to the squad and team,” said Woodward.

“He was outstanding on Sunday night. He’s going well, but maybe isn’t quite ready to break into the established back-line.

“Balshaw came very close to getting into the team. We’re lucky to have an outstanding bench with Bracken, Catty and Balshaw. Full-back’s a very competitive position, and we’re delighted to see him playing so well.”

Catt attended hospital after colliding awkwardly with a tackle bag in training yesterday, but was quickly given the all-clear.

“You do get injuries in training and Mike just collided with a tackle bag and went down holding his neck,” recalled Woodward.

“With a neck injury, you must take every precaution, and within two seconds the medical team were on to him.

“They didn’t want to move him, and rightly so. We cannot take any risk with neck injuries in training or in a game.

“We put him in a neck brace, put him on a stretcher and he was taken to hospital. He had it all X-rayed, and he just walked away, that was it.

“He just caught it wrongly and his neck is a bit sore, but he will be okay for the weekend.”