Horan ready for Saracens debut after long lay-off

It has taken long enough, but finally Tim Horan's long-awaited debut for Saracens looks to be on. The newly-retired Australian centre, who signed for the Watford-based club in the summer, has been out of action since injuring a foot in the first Test against Argentina last June.

It has taken long enough, but finally Tim Horan's long-awaited debut for Saracens looks to be on. The newly-retired Australian centre, who signed for the Watford-based club in the summer, has been out of action since injuring a foot in the first Test against Argentina last June.

Horan will step out in Saracens' colours at Bedford tomorrow in the fourth round of the Tetley's Bitter Cup at Goldington Road. He will partner Kevin Sorrell in the centre, with England's Ben Johnston dropping to the bench.

With England wing Dan Luger carrying an ankle injury, Gerald Arasa makes his first start of the season, while the captaincy passes to the No 8 Tony Diprose because Kyran Bracken has been rested, along with flanker Richard Hill.

Meanwhile, Thomas Castaignÿde, Saracens' other big-name signing, expects to be fit to face Australia in Paris tomorrow. Castaignÿde, who has been troubled by an Achilles tendon injury to his left ankle, said: "I've undergone a scan and feel reassured."

Ed Morrison will be busy this morning. At 10.30 he has to conduct an inspection of Bath's Recreation Ground pitch, which was under water three days ago, then two hours later he has to be in Bristol casting an eye over the state of the Memorial Ground, where Bristol Rovers' Worthington Cup tie against Sunderland on Tuesday did not help matters. The feeling was that any further heavy overnight rain would snuff out all hope of staging Bath's local derby against Gloucester, while Bristol's Cup tie at home to Wasps has been rated as having a 50-50 chance of going ahead.

Coincidentally, these are the only all-Premiership matches of the round, and if either or both is called off they will be put back to next Saturday, when the fifth round is scheduled to take place.

Off the field, the Club England chairman, Fran Cotton, has denied accusations by the Gloucester owner, Tom Walkinshaw, that he has been sitting on the fence in the promotion-relegation dispute. "I have held 34 meetings and travelled 6,000 miles trying to sort this out for the benefit of his clubs," said Cotton. "The positions of the two sides are so entrenched, I cannot see how they can be brought together."