Boss Johnson made to fret over Strettle
DAVID STRETTLE hopes to be fit to rejoin Martin Johnson’s England squad this week despite suffering a back injury in Harlequins’ 15-15 LV Cup draw with Scarlets yesterday.
The winger former part of Johnson’s original 32-man squad for the autumn internationals but was released to play for the Quins after being omitted from the 22 to face Australia on Saturday.
And he lasted just four minutes before adding to Johnson’s injury woes – jarring his back while scoring the opening try before being replaced nine minutes later.
Quins’ assistant coach Collin Osbourne said: “We’re waiting to see what the doctors and physios say. It was a bit of a late drop from a knee after he’d scored.
He’s seized up a bit but we’re hoping he’ll be fine.”
In his absence, Quins added a further try from lock George Robson and a penalty and conversion from fly-half Rory Clegg, while the Welsh side replied through tries from Gareth Maule and Andy Fenby.
Elsewhere, Ceri Sweeney kicked a last-gasp penalty to see defending champions Cardiff Blues beat Gloucester 26-25 in an entertaining clash at Kingsholm.
Tries from captain Gareth Delve looked like handing Gloucester revenge from last season’s Anglo-Welsh final defeat, but Xavier Rush and Sam Norton-Knight kept the Blues in the hunt until Sweeney held his nerve in the final minutes to take his tally to 16 points.
First-half tries from David Lemi and Mark van Gisbergen, combined with the boot of David Walder, helped Wasps to a hard-fought 24-20 victory over London Irish, who replied with a brace from Peter Hewat, while Neil Back guided a youthful Leeds side to a 28-17 victory over his former club Leicester at Headingley.
Guinness Premiership leaders Saracens beat Bath for the second time in nine days, coming from behind to win 30-22 at Vicarage Road with fly-half Glen Jackson kicking 20 points.