Ashton Calls Up Wigglesworth As Cover for Injured Richards

Only seven days before the deadline for naming his World Cup squad the England coach, Brian Ashton, has thrown a new contender into the mix. The Sale scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth has been summoned to England's base in Bath and may go to France if Peter Richards' injury problems do not improve swiftly.

Wigglesworth, a farmer's son from coastal Lancashire, has never won a Test cap but concern over the acute lower-back pain which ruled Richards out of the 22 for the Wales match on Saturday has led Ashton to examine his back-up options at scrum-half. He has already lost the services of his first-choice No9, Leicester's Harry Ellis, who is recovering from a serious knee-ligament injury.

Wigglesworth, 24, is a versatile ball-player who kicks goals and has also played at fly-half and on the wing for Sale. He impressed during the Sharks' Premiership final win over Leicester at Twickenham 18 months ago and was a regular in the England Saxons side who won this summer's Churchill Cup. Having served a lengthy club apprenticeship behind Scotland's Bryan Redpath and Tonga's Sililo Martens, two vastly experienced No9s, he would be a handy replacement should Richards be ruled out.

Even so it is a headache Ashton could do without. He has already recalled Andy Gomarsall to the squad after a three-year absence and a shortage of classy English-qualified scrum-halves has become a feature of the Guinness Premiership. In 2003, when doubts arose over Kyran Bracken's back, Clive Woodward was able to consider Austin Healey and Martyn Wood as emergency cover. This time, short of dragging Matt Dawson out of retirement, there are no previously capped alternatives.

Ashton is also awaiting medical updates on Mark Cueto before today's announcement of the team to face France at Twickenham this weekend. The Sale player strained his groin in the warm-up before England's 62-5 win over Wales, forcing Mathew Tait to start at full-back at a couple of minutes' notice. England have now fielded six different full-backs in their past seven Tests.

A seventh in eight will almost certainly be required this weekend, with Wasps' Danny Cipriani and Bath's Nick Abendanon hoping to grasp a final chance to impress Ashton before he confirms his World Cup squad. It is not a task the head coach relishes. "The toughest part is leaving players out," he said. "When you watch how hard they train and their desire to be in that final 30, it's really hard."

Fitness, physical and mental, will ultimately be the determining factor as the management, from a virtual standing start, attempt to transform England into genuine contenders.

"We can't have that happening again 24 hours before a game," said Ashton, reflecting on Richards' eve-of-match withdrawal at a time when the majority of his squad are in prime shape. "They've got themselves in pretty good condition and that's not finished. We've seen some notable changes in a few of the players' body shapes, hopefully for the better, and we're going to carry on working right through to the World Cup."

Australia are putting their squad through a five-day boot camp near Brisbane. Under the guidance of former SAS commandos the players have been required to swim across a lake, at night, after a lengthy hike through the bush.

"I've had about an hour and a half of sleep and woke up with frostbite on my toes so I'm not feeling real positive about anything at the moment," said the lock Nathan Sharpe. But the Wallabies' coach, John Connolly, believes the exercise will prove beneficial amid reports of discord between members of the management team. "In Australia's rugby history there has been great spirit in our sides," he said, "and these four or five days will go a long way to building that."