Monday 26 January 2015 14:35, UK
Former England scrum-half Kyran Bracken believes veteran Harlequins No 8 Nick Easter is capable of switching to second row with Stuart Lancaster's pre-Six Nations injury crisis worsening.
Lancaster's options at lock were already limited by injuries to first choices Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes and one of the more likely deputies, Geoff Parling, limped out of Leicester's defeat at Ulster on Friday night with a knee injury.
That leaves the likes of Bath's Dave Attwood and Saracens star George Kruis pushing to start the Six Nations opener in Wales on February 6 but Bracken suggests the experience of Easter, who has not played for England since the 2011 World Cup, may earn him a surprise selection.
Bracken told Sky Sports News HQ: "Geoff Parling was the sort of player that was going to come in with the injuries to Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes. They do have strength in depth with George Kruis and who knows, maybe someone like Nick Easter might be a good person to bring in in the second row. Lancaster still has a lot of options."
They do have strength in depth with George Kruis and who knows, maybe someone like Nick Easter might be a good person to bring in in the second row. Lancaster still has a lot of options.
Parling's injury was the first of four setbacks for the England squad over another brutal weekend of Champions Cup rugby as flanker Tom Wood of Northampton, Saracens fly-half Owen Farrell and Bath centre Kyle Eastmond all trudged off early.
Opportunity
With Billy Vunipola likely to start at No 8 in the wake of incumbent Ben Morgan suffering a broken leg, Bracken feels that Wood's knee injury presents an opportunity for Lancaster to make a U-turn on his policy on players playing overseas and call up Toulon star Steffon Armitage.
Bracken said: "Billy Vunipola is probably going to come into that berth at No 8. Losing Tom Wood would be a big loss for England but there are a lot of questions as to whether Steffon Armitage can come in and maybe this is the perfect time. He was star man once again at the weekend. The public are desperate to see him in the England set-up.
"Armitage would be a massive bonus for England. He had seven or eight caps initially and he seems to be the best player, playing his best rugby. Lancaster doesn't want to send out the wrong message and say it's alright to go and play in France but now is a good opportunity with Wood injured."
On the absence of Farrell, he added: "It'll be a big blow. I think George Ford has done really well to take his position and play well in the autumn but Farrell is important to this team because his goal-kicking is so accurate and he's the sort of person you need to have at least on the bench.
"There are question marks over Ford's tackling and his goal-kicking so it's a big blow for Stuart Lancaster. Having said that, he's a tough cookie and hopefully he can get fit in time for the Six Nations.
"I don't think Farrell would be first choice - I think Ford has done enough now to get the starting berth against Wales, which promises to be a cracking match."
Europe
Looking ahead to the Champions Cup quarter-finals, which sees four English clubs in Saracens, Wasps, Northampton and Bath travel to face Racing Metro, Toulon, Clermont Auvergne and Leinster respectively - Bracken is most hopeful over Bath's prospects.
He said: "Bath have been playing some great rugby and they're starting to win up front with the scrums and the line-outs. Ford is very important to them and they'll be going to Leinster with a lot of confidence. From Leinster's point of view, I don't think they'll like Bath coming over.
"Bath will be excited to be in the quarter-final. With the other teams going away, it's going to be tough for them. Bath can move the ball around with Ford and they can also win up front. I think Leinster will be slightly worried by the way Bath are playing.
"I think Toulon are a tier above everyone else. They're champions for a reason and they're flying. They're dominating these big games quite easily and if they win their home quarter-final then they're going to get a home semi-final.
"They've got incredible players like Bryan Habana. They're obviously the team to beat. Wasps have done very well. Nobody saw last week against Harlequins coming. Wasps seem to be defying logic and they seem to be getting tries at the end of games. Dai Young will be really pleased.
"Getting the turnaround against Toulon is a massive ask but if there is one team that can do it, it's probably Wasps.
"I think Saracens will be disappointed. It's so crucial to get a home draw. Racing Metro are great at the moment with Jamie Roberts leading the way for them. It's a big ask for Saracens but they've done it before.
"Racing made a massive statement at Franklin's Gardens because Northampton have been playing so well at home. It was a turn up for the books. They're probably a team that might well go on to it - for a French club to be able to do that away from home was incredible.
"I think the final will be Clermont against Toulon. I think Toulon are a cut above everyone else and they seem to be easily winning their games. They still have players to come back from injury, too."
