Dallaglio to make 'important announcement'

England captain Lawrence Dallaglio looks set to announce his retirement from international rugby tomorrow.

The Wasps star has called a mid-morning press conference at Twickenham, when he will make what has been described as “an important announcement”.

Dallaglio, 32, will follow fellow England World Cup winners Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Jason Leonard and Kyran Bracken if he decides to end his Test career.

But unlike his former England colleagues, Dallaglio’s decision would come as a major surprise to many.

And if confirmed, Dallaglio’s departure from the England scene will leave head coach Sir Clive Woodward needing to appoint a new captain less than three months before the autumn series of Tests against Tri-Nations champions South Africa, Australia and Canada.

Favourites for the job would appear to be fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, flanker Richard Hill and prop Phil Vickery. Gloucester forward Vickery however is currently recovering from a back operation.

Woodward could also consider a number of outsiders for the job, players like Dallaglio’s Wasps colleague Matt Dawson, Harlequins centre Will Greenwood or Northampton hooker Steve Thompson.

But Dallaglio’s anticipated absence will leave a huge void in the England ranks as the world champions look to bounce back from a miserable first half of 2004 when they lost five of their eight Tests.

Dallaglio has won 73 caps since making his England debut against South Africa in November 1995.

He is the fourth-highest capped England international of all time, behind Leonard (114), Rory Underwood (85) and Johnson (84).

And like that illustrious trio, his contribution to the England cause has been immense.

A robust, skilful back row forward, Dallaglio offered England – and the Lions - a huge back-row presence every time he took the field.

He has captained England 22 times in two distinct spells. He initially resigned the post in 1999 following newspaper allegations about his private life.

The worst chapter of Dallaglio’s career saw him charged by Twickenham top brass with bringing the game into disrepute. He pleaded guilty and was fined a five-figure sum.

But despite those problems, Dallaglio was the obvious choice to take over from legendary leader Johnson, who stepped down from the England scene in January this year, just two months after the stunning World Cup triumph against Australia in Sydney.

However, that second stint in the job now looks to have lasted just eight games.

And Dallaglio will be more disappointed than anyone that during that time England finished a lowly third in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, and were well beaten on their recent summer tour by New Zealand (twice) and Australia.

If Dallaglio does call it a day with England tomorrow, then his priorities for the season will be Wasps and the Lions.

Dallaglio led Wasps to the Heineken Cup and Zurich Premiership last term, while he is among the main contenders to captain the Lions in New Zealand next summer.

Woodward has already been appointed coach for that trip, and Dallaglio will be firmly in the frame to travel as skipper.