Captain facing two-match ban

The captain goes on trial here today charged with an offence which carries a minimum suspension of two weeks and a guilty verdict would leave the holders no option but to change their front row and their skipper.

The latest blow will force England to draw up contingency plans for the double replacement, ironically involving native South Africans of English parentage.

Matt Stevens, an Under 21 Springbok before switching allegiance, is earmarked to take over as tighthead prop and Mike Catt will head the list of alternative captains should Jonny Wilkinson fail today's fitness test on his damaged ankle.

Vickery's case will be heard by Professor Lorne Crerar, a prominent Scottish lawyer with a recent track record of tough action on international players found guilty of violent conduct.

Under tournament rules, he will sit as judge and jury on a charge brought against the player yesterday of kicking out at American centre Paul Emerick during Saturday's match in Lens. Ominously for captain and country, the accusation has been made by the citing commissioner Steve Hines of New Zealand that the offence warranted a red card.

Vickery, who has fought through three spinal operations to save his career only to put his entire World Cup in jeopardy by tripping an opponent, will be judged as if he had been sent off for an incident missed by South African referee Jonathan Kaplan and both his touch judges.

The official description of the scything blow, which robbed the Americans of an early try, puts it into a more serious category.

Kicking an opponent carries a range of sentences, based on the circumstances of the assault, from a minimum of four weeks to a maximum of a year. Sentences can be reduced to allow for mitigating factors such as a previously good disciplinary record, but any reduction is limited to 50 per cent.

A guilty verdict and a four-week punishment would leave Vickery looking at two weeks, effectively two matches. Tripping, a lesser offence under International Board regulations, carries a minimum one-week ban. The incident is clear-cut on video evidence and Vickery has admitted making contact with Emerick. It was 'an instinctive reaction', he claims, without any malicious intent.

Vickery, who will be defended by England's barrister Richard Smith, QC, will have 48 hours to lodge an appeal against his punishment, but the procedure cannot be used as a delaying tactic. 'You are ineligible to play until your citing is resolved,' Smith said. 'The matter has to be resolved one way or another before Friday's match. It would be unfair to comment on Phil's position until I have talked it through with him.'

Smith, whom Sir Clive Woodward insisted on taking to Australia four years ago as part of his back-up team, helped England out of a tight corner during the last World Cup - the 16th man blunder during confusion over a substitution against Samoa, when they escaped with a £10,000 fine and a touchline ban for fitness coach Dave Reddin.

It was left to winger Jason Robinson to cut through the gloom yesterday with a tub-thumping rallying call. 'No disrespect to the USA, but everyone has been waiting for this game,' he said. 'Nobody expects us to win, except the guys in the England squad. Let's bring it on and get into them.'