Toby Flood insists England will emerge from the wreckage of their failed Grand Slam bid a stronger side.

You do not have to be Irish to appreciate greatness in green. When Brian O'Driscoll crossed the line for Ireland's second try he eclipsed a record established 78 years ago by Ian Smith, the "Flying Scot", for the number of tries scored in the Five or Six Nations' Championship. That O'Driscoll has taken rather longer to achieve it than Smith is neither here nor there.

Stand-in captain Nick Easter warned England will have to produce their best ever performance if they are to win the Grand Slam against Ireland tomorrow.

England captain Mike Tindall suffered a ligament strain to his left ankle in Sunday's RBS 6 Nations victory over Scotland, the Rugby Football Union have confirmed.

Mike Tindall, the stand-in captain who has led England to within 80 minutes of a first Six Nations Grand Slam since their year of years in 2003, will learn today whether he has the remotest chance of being fit for the last act in the drama, to be staged in Dublin on Saturday evening. The Gloucester centre is hardly in the best of shape, having mangled his ankle ligaments during the narrow Calcutta Cup victory over Scotland at the weekend, but the red rose selectors at least have the comfort of knowing the mountainous Matt Banahan of Bath will almost certainly be available to fill the hole in midfield.

England have delayed any official announcement on Mike Tindall's availability for Saturday's Grand Slam decider against Ireland until tomorrow.

One of the many questions surrounding England's centre partnership – the single under-performing area of the side in the attacking sense – was answered yesterday when Mike Tindall, the interim captain, committed himself to another season at Gloucester, the club he joined from Bath six years ago. That's him settled, then. Quite how soon other conclusions will be reached is anyone's guess, but when Scotland pitch up at Twickenham on Sunday to take their annual Calcutta Cup swipe at the old enemy, they can expect the usual ultra-physical assault from the red-rose midfield.

England centre Mike Tindall will spend a seventh season at Gloucester after agreeing a new one-year extension to his contract with the Aviva Premiership club.