Joe Launchbury has handed England a timely boost as he returns to captain Wasps against Toulouse on Saturday in the Champions Cup.
Launchbury was considered a doubt for England's Six Nations opener due to the calf injury sustained at the end of December but he has returned ahead of schedule.
The news will come as a welcome boost for England who are waiting on news of George Kruis' recovery from a cheekbone injury while Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Billy Vunipola and Chris Robshaw are all set to miss their first match against France on Feb. 4.
Launchbury is now in the box seat to start against Les Bleus and his availability could allow Eddie Jones to shift Maro Itoje to blindside as they look to fill the void left by the injured Robshaw.
But there is no place in the Wasps team for James Haskell who is recovering from the head knock he sustained against Leicester last Sunday.
"These are the big games players dream of competing in," Wasps boss Dai Young said. "A must-win clash against the four-time European Champions, in front of a big home crowd, with a place in the European Quarter Finals on the line.
"We have enjoyed our run in the Aviva Premiership, but that will count for nothing as we return to Europe, in what is ultimately a Cup Final for us, with three teams tied on 13 points in Pool 2.
"Toulouse are one of the true giants in European Rugby. Nothing short of an 80-minute performance will be good enough against a team full of internationals. We were pleased with the draw in Toulouse but we need to back that up with a home win on Saturday. It's a fantastic challenge and one that we are all relishing."
Launchbury returns for Wasps ahead of Toulouse
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire