Gomarsall confident of recovery

Andy Gomarsall is confident of shrugging off a thigh injury and taking his place in England's RBS 6 Nations clash against Scotland on Saturday.

England coach Clive Woodward will announce the Calcutta Cup team today, with only one enforced change likely.

Wasps flanker Joe Worsley is set to miss out because of a hamstring problem he suffered during the 50-9 victory over Italy last weekend. Sale Sharks forward Chris Jones is his probable deputy.

It would be 23-year-old Jones' first Test match start, less than a week after making a try-scoring substitute's appearance in Rome.

Bath lock Steve Borthwick's hopes of featuring on the bench though have been dashed by suspension.

Borthwick last night received a two-week ban after being found guilty of striking England captain Lawrence Dallaglio on the head with his knee at a ruck during Bath's Zurich Premiership clash against Wasps earlier this month.

He was cited by match commissioner Peter Larter and had to sit out England's win in Rome. The suspension has been back-dated to February 10, and he can play again on February 24, with Bath opting not to appeal.

The punishment was handed out by a three-man Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel following a two-hour hearing in Coventry.

Gomarsall, meanwhile, is determined to produce another commanding scrum-half display, having been selected for the Rome game on merit above Matt Dawson.

"There is always room for improvement, and you never produce the complete performance," he said.

"We have things that we didn't do well and that didn't happen for us against Italy. Generally, though, it was a good performance and I was happy with my game.

"You have to look forward every time, rather than back. I learned a lot at the World Cup, I'm enjoying what I'm doing and getting better.

"I don't want to rest on any laurels, which I might have done about eight years ago. I just want to keep on improving with the team.

"I definitely feel the Six Nations is a new start for me, and I'm really pleased with the way things are going. I'm working really hard on the basics all the time.

"The quicker I work and the quicker I make decisions, the faster my pass is. The speed of the delivery is highlighted by the need to get the ball away wider and faster," he added.

"Everyone knows about the runners we've got, and the possibilities there. I'd have probably flung out a few dodgy passes in the past under pressure."

Woodward, meanwhile, has adopted a philosophical approach to Worsley's injury, which is an addition to a long casualty list headed by Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Lewis Moody.

"Injuries are part of the game - you have got to accept them," said Woodward. "You cannot play players who are injured, and you have to use all the possible resources that you can.

"The players are all very battered and tired after the game in Rome. It was a very tough game, and it is a case of getting everyone fresh for Saturday and not over doing it.

"My job this week is just to make sure that we arrive fresh for the weekend. Six days, with all that travelling, is not the ideal time to prepare, but we have just to get it right."

Woodward expects a powerful challenge from the Scots, despite their comprehensive defeat against Wales last Saturday and a record of just one victory over England since 1990.

"Scotland play very well at Murrayfield, and playing at home is totally different, especially for the teams that are so-called underdogs," Woodward added.

"England will go into this game at the weekend again as favourites, but like all of these games, we have just got to get it right.

"If you go through their team man by man, then they have got a lot of world-class players, and they did a lot of good things against Wales.

"They seemed to just get a little bit disorganised at times defensively, which I am sure they will put right very, very quickly. We know what the England against Scotland games are like - we have been up there as red-hot favourites and lost."

England (probable): Balshaw; Lewsey, Greenwood, Robinson, Cohen; Grayson, Gomarsall; Woodman, Thompson, Vickery, Grewcock, Kay, Jones, Hill, Dallaglio (capt).