Rugby World Cup 2015

Marler ruled out for rest of season

Harlequins’ director of rugby Conor O’Shea confirmed Joe Marler will not play again this season after his team had been forced to hold on desperately for victory, with surgery on a minor shoulder injury he picked up in the Six Nations the only option.

O’Shea described the injury as a “Six Nations hangover” and added: “It’s a minor one and it’s not one that is going to have an impact on him for the World Cup.”

Marler, who had seen a specialist in Manchester, was a ‘water boy’ as Quins swept aside Sale in the opening 50 minutes to build a lead of 25-6.

Sale paid for a high number of turnovers though Quins were at their sharpest, spurred on by Charlie Walker.

Every time Quins attacked they gained points through another try, first Walker and then Chris Robshaw; strikes from Marland Yarde and Danny Care followed.

When Nick Evans, who had only converted one of the four tries, added a penalty three minutes after the break, Quins looked comfortable at 25-6 up.

However, Sale, shaken up by the arrival of four substitutes, suddenly found their usual upbeat momentum at this ground and dominated the final 30 minutes.

Tom Arscott, one of the four substitutes, caught Danny Cipriani’s football-style pass to launch Sale’s comeback which grew in intensity when the wing grabbed a second in the 72nd minute.

Victory leaves Quins a point behind Sale who remain seventh and still hope to finish in the top six which would bring an automatic place in next season’s European Champions Cup.

Steve Diamond, Sale’s director of rugby, had no reason why his team had played so dismally in the first half.

“Overall, it was a fair result and we got a bonus point,” he said.

Wood: Keep the ban on overseas players

“I would not like us to back-pedal on our position as it is what we have built our team around,” Wood said. “As an England team, we have set our stall out quite early and made things clear. We have put our hat on it and we should stick to it. It could undermine some of the togetherness we have built.“Obviously I am biased in that one of the biggest candidates we are ­talking about [Steffon Armitage] plays in a similar position. Make of that what you will. But I am even more biased in that we have a guy like [back-row forward] Calum Clark here at Northampton and if he were to miss out on a World Cup training camp, it would be tough to take. Never mind me and my personal ambition, it could have an effect on the team.”Tom Youngs was the first player to voice his concerns about the possible presence of Top 14 players in the 45‑man training squad, which is due to be named next month. The Leicester hooker felt that whatever value they might bring as players would be offset by the potential divisiveness. Youngs spoke of “being pretty gutted” if “someone came in from France and took your spot”.• England must resist siren calls for Steffon Armitage • Australia relax overseas player rule ahead of Rugby World Cup“I don’t disagree with what Tom said,” Wood said. “It would be a shame and you would feel for the guys around you. It is a team game and if people start to lose faith or don’t believe in what we are doing, then people aren’t pulling in the same direction. We have got a set of ground rules that are there for a reason, and they will be undermined if we look for loopholes.”Wood admits that it is a complex issue and says that he will wholly abide by whatever decision is reached by the England management. “I am not ­saying that there is a right or wrong answer and I am sure that whatever Stuart [Lancaster] decides, we would all get on with it and make the best of it. It is our home World Cup and we would not do anything to jeopardise it.”Wood’s Northampton team-mate, Dylan Hartley, was courted by Montpellier early in the season but the hooker did not take up the offer. Wood himself has never looked into the possibility of moving to France, although he did break the mould as a young player by taking himself out of the Worcester academy to spend a year playing in New Zealand.