Jonny Wilkinson's international career, so frequently punctuated by injury, was interrupted once again yesterday when the England medical team ruled him out of the autumn Test series in its entirety. Wilkinson, struggling with a fresh bout of trouble in the neck-shoulder area after picking up a knock playing for Toulon, was always a long-odds contender for the meeting with New Zealand at Twickenham a week today, but the red-rose management hoped he might be available for the subsequent matches against Australia, Samoa and South Africa, the world champions.

Martin Johnson has refused to settle for the target of two wins from England's four Investec autumn internationals that was set by Rugby Football Union chief executive John Steele.

Andy Robinson, the Scotland head coach, has named four uncapped players in his squad for the autumn Test series. Glasgow stand-off Ruaridh Jackson, Edinburgh pair Greig Laidlaw and Jim Thompson, and Northampton back Joe Ansbro are in Robinson's 34-man group. Scotland face New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa next month.

New Zealand Maori 18 England 18

New Zealand have recalled two players from the international wilderness for Saturday's Test against Samoa, with a view to playing them in the Four Nations opener against England a week later.

Stuart Fielden is finally on his way to join the rest of England's squad for the Four Nations. The Wigan prop flew to New Zealand last night, four days after the rest of the party, having stayed behind for the overdue birth of his first child. He will arrive in Auckland in time to be considered for the warm-up match against the New Zealand Maori on Saturday.

Tom Daley and Max Brick delivered gold for England in the diving on Day Nine of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Danny Cipriani has claimed Brian Ashton should never have been sacked as England coach. Ashton, 64, was relieved of his duties in April 2008, despite leading the side to a second successive World Cup final the year before. The fly-half, who was handed his first England call-up by Ashton for the Six Nations Championship in 2008, is still puzzled by his exit.

Bucuresti 9 Leeds 23

Gloucester 22 Wasps 20

Coach left in the dark after Samoan winger blames visa problems for failing to report to Edgeley Park

When David de Rothschild sailed across the Pacific this year, the voyage became a model of the media-savvy eco-adventure. But what was life like aboard the 'Plastiki', a 20ft by 60ft press office strapped to 12,000 plastic bottles? Max Jourdan and his crew mates kept the ship's blog...

Inside the science of same-sex animal pairings

England have revised their 2010 autumn international schedule and will now begin their four-match series against New Zealand on November 6.