O’Gara writes off England hopes
RUGBY?UNION: Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara has questioned whether England have the stamina and staying power to clear the final hurdle and close out their first Grand Slam in eight years against Ireland on Saturday. “In my experience Grand Slam winners often stagger over the finishing line and we intend to make England go the full distance on Saturday,” he said. “If you cut the hype and look at it objectively, England still have plenty to do. They have an away fixture – never easy in the championship – against opponents with a very handy record against them in recent years, six wins in the last seven matches.” Red Rose skipper Mike Tindall was yesterday referred to an ankle specialist to analyse the results of an MRI scan. Tindall injured his left ankle in last Sunday’s win over Scotland and is expected to miss the weekend showdown in Dublin.