Injury to Danny Care puts further pressure on weakened England
An injury to scrum half Danny Care put further pressure on England after they were already forced to name a weakened team to face the All Blacks at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.
An injury to scrum half Danny Care put further pressure on England after they were already forced to name a weakened team to face the All Blacks at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.
With a slew of first-choice players unavailable because they were involved in last week's Premiership decider, there are eight changes to the starting XV that turned out for England's last fixture against Italy in the Six Nations.
The 47-test veteran Care, a central figure in England's growing preference for attacking rugby and by far the most experienced back in the side, injured a shoulder in training and will have to undergo a fitness test on Friday.
"He's 50-50 at the moment," coach Stuart Lancaster said after naming his test line-up, adding the fitness test would be decided on contact work. "To go into a test against the All Blacks with anyone who's not 100 per cent physically and mentally would be a poor decision."
To go into a test against the All Blacks with anyone who's not 100 per cent physically and mentally would be a poor decision
If Care is ruled out, Ben Youngs will be promoted off the bench with Lee Dickson, who has only just arrived in New Zealand after playing in the Premiership final, going on to the bench.