Stuart Lancaster has urged his forwards to use Englands injury crisis as an opportunity to stake a claim for regular starting berth.London Wasps lock Joe Launchbury was ruled out of the November internationals on Sunday with a nerve irritation in his neck. The 23-year-old joins a spate of England forwards on the sidelines with fellow second-rower Geoff Parling, flankers Tom Croft and Tom Johnson, and front-row quartet Alex Corbisiero, Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola and Dan Cole all injured. Lancaster has attributed Englands injuries to nothing more than bad luck and has called on the likes of George Kruis and Graham Kitchener to seize their chance in Saturdays meeting with world champions New Zealand at Twickenham. Were bitterly disappointed with that news [Launchburys injury] but George Kruis and Graham Kitchener have been excellent, he said. They have the chance to impress this week. He added on Sky Sports: The Premiership is a tough competition that the players play in. It is strange that the injuries have all come in similar positions, but they are all slightly different in nature so I dont think there is any pattern. But the positives are that injuries open up the doors for others to impress. After New Zealand, England will also play South Africa, Samoa and Australia on home soil.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:45:03 +0000
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