Hodgson injury paves way for Grayson's England comeback

Clive Woodward cannot have imagined that he would be thanking the sporting Gods for Paul Grayson, having not picked the Northampton outside-half since England last played a World Cup match – a desperate quarter-final against South Africa in Paris in the autumn of 1999. But Grayson is back in red-rose contention for next week's Calcutta Cup match with Scotland at Twickenham as a result of the serious knee injury suffered by the eternally unfortunate Charlie Hodgson during a laboured Six Nations victory over Italy on Sunday.

Grayson, currently basking in the warmest of Indian summers at 31, may even be a possibility for World Cup duty in Australia later this year. Hodgson has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and, even according to the best-case scenario, cannot expect to return to competitive rugby until mid-September. In effect, that makes him a non-starter for October, when England begin their bid for the ultimate prize with pool matches against Georgia and the Springboks in Perth.

Hodgson was his usual philosophical self last night. "I'm disappointed, but these things happen," he said. "The annoying thing is that the injury was not caused in a tackle, but by my boot getting stuck in the turf."

His coach at Sale, Jim Mallender, was much more dramatic in his response to the news. "This is devastating for Charlie," he said. "It seems pretty certain that he will be denied a trip to the World Cup, and that is cruel in the extreme."

If Grayson is not the youngest outside-half in the English Premiership, his late transformation from a kickaholic to an obsessive runner capable of rivalling Forrest Gump has been one of the joys of the current campaign. And yesterday, he ran all the way into England's 30-man training squad for the Scotland match ­ an unexpected but deserved boost to his ego and a development that gives him every chance of a seat on the bench as understudy to Jonny Wilkinson.

The world's outstanding No 10 is certain to start against the Scots, although not as captain: Martin Johnson, recalled to the squad after injury along with Jason Robinson, Ben Cohen and Neil Back, will resume the leadership duties after a one-match break. Other additions include Trevor Woodman, the Gloucester prop, the Bath lock Steve Borthwick, and the centre Jamie Noon, who plays outside Wilkinson on Tyneside.

Meanwhile, rugby's pressing regulatory problems concerning the scrum intensified when the Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by the Welsh Rugby Union in the case involving Richard Vowles, a second-team hooker from Llanharan who was paralysed following a collapsed set-piece during a game with Tondu five years ago. A High Court judge had found against the match referee, David Evans, stating that he should have ordered uncontested scrums after an injury to one of the Llanharan props, and that decision was upheld yesterday. Mr Vowles, who received a £91,000 insurance pay-out in 1998, can now seek damages against the WRU.

Lord Phillips, the Master of the Rolls, said a referee "had a duty of care to the players", adding that the court "could not take judicial notice" of the parlous state of the WRU finances.

The reaction of Glanmor Griffiths, the WRU chairman, was bleak in the extreme. "We are disappointed at the decision because we believe it will have implications not only for rugby union, but for many other sports," he said. "This is likely to lead to an increase in insurance premiums and make it even more difficult to recruit referees. While everyone connected with the game in Wales has the utmost sympathy with Richard Vowles, the union has a responsibility to consider the wider implications. That is why we are considering an appeal to the House of Lords."

Eleven days ago, the Powergen Cup semi-final between Gloucester and Leicester was shrouded in controversy precisely because the referee, Steve Lander, ordered uncontested scrums following injuries to two Gloucester props. Meanwhile, this weekend's Welsh Premier Division match between Llanelli and Pontypridd has been postponed because Ponty cannot provide the front-row cover demanded by safety regulations.