Blow for England as Hipkiss and Sackey ruled out of New Zealand tour

The wing, whom Lions coach Ian McGeechan rates as the best in the Guinness Premiership, is staying at home to cure a damaged kneecap rather than risk further harm by prolonging the most profitable season of his career.

Sackey, top scorer for club and country with 18 tries from 32 matches, joins fellow Wasps Simon Shaw and Josh Lewsey in opting out of Test combat and into a rest-and-recovery programme.

File photo dated 11/08/2007 of England's Paul Sackey. PRESS ASSOCIATION photo. Issue date: Monday June 2, 2008. Sackey and centre Hipkiss have been ruled out of England's tour of New Zealand due to injuries, the Rugby Football Union have confirmed. See PA story RUGBYU England. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA

Out: Dan Hipkiss

As England digested some of the sobering lessons from Sunday's shocker against the Barbarians, they could ill afford to lose their best finisher.

'For sheer consistency, I think Paul is right at the top of the tree,'said McGeechan, Wasps' director of rugby. 'He has upped his all-round game to a level where he now brings a tremendous amount to the team. Unfortunately he's had this knee problem for some time and we've had to manage his training. To get him 100 per cent right for the beginning of next season he needs to undergo an extensive rehab programme.'

His withdrawal opens the way for Leicester wing Tom Varndell, the Premiership's top scorer with 14 tries. He has been recalled to the England squad for the first time since a punishing night in Melbourne two years ago when Australia's Lote Tuqiri introduced him to the harsher realities of Test life.

Call-up: Dominic Waldouck

Instead of serving time in north America with the second-string Saxons at the Churchill Cup, Varndell will compete in New Zealand as one of only three specialist wings, behind David Strettle and Topsy Ojo. Sackey's withdrawal increases the likelihood of Ojo, a 22-year-old Londoner, making his debut in Auckland on Saturday week.

While England heaved a sigh of relief over Charlie Hodgson and Toby Flood being given the all-clear after their battering by the Baa-Baas, they had to replace Leicester's Danny Hipkiss - who has a broken cheekbone - only days after calling him up.

His unlucky break paved the way for Wasps' 20-year-old Dominic Waldouck to make the long haul to the other side of the world as the youngest of the seven uncapped members of the squad.

The Barbarians confirmed yesterday that they will not make a formal complaint over the tunnel incident at Twickenham on Sunday when England captain Nick Easter and Australia lock Justin Harrison had to be separated.

It's something between him and me,' said Harrison. 'I'd rather not talk about it because it's too upsetting. The player concerned needs to take a look at himself.'

John Smit is to captain South Africa for the 50th time against Wales in Bloemfontein on Saturday, the World Cup holders' first appearance since beating England in the final in Paris last October.

Llanelli, scheduled to move into their new £23million stadium later this year, have hired one of Australia's World Cup-winning coaches, John Muggleton. The 48-year-old joins the Scarlets next month as defence coach.