Strettle in fine fettle for Quins' play-off charge

The dashing Harlequin has been given the specialist's all-clear to reinforce his club's unlikely bid for the Premiership play-offs, starting with their next domestic match at Leeds on Sunday week.

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Fighting fit: Strettle hopes to be back in action for England

Barring any further mishaps, Strettle will then have enough time to play himself into England's squad for the two June Tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand.

His only previous Southern Hemisphere mission, in South Africa last year, ended in the intensive care unit of a Johannesburg hospital where he had been taken suffering from a mystery virus.

Two months later, after a full recovery, Strettle broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during non-contact training at England's World Cup camp and missed the entire competition.

Recalled for the Six Nations, with a four-inch titanium plate screwed into the broken bone, Strettle had time for one electrifying run against Wales before fracturing a different part of the same metatarsal during a collision with Wales full back Lee Byrne.

The 25-year-old wing said: 'He came in to make a tackle and stood on my foot accidentally. It was only when I stood up and tried to put my foot down that I thought: "Oh God, it's gone again". It was just one of those unlucky coincidences that it should happen to the same bone for the second time.

'Fortunately it didn't require an operation and, with one screw in place already, I don't think there was room for another one! It's been so frustrating, especially with Quins playing so well but it's reassuring to know the surgeon is happy for me to start playing again.'

Dean Richards, whose Londoners have stormed into the top three on the strength of five wins in six matches, said: 'David will be back within the next two weeks. There was a chance that he could have played against Newcastle last weekend but we decided there was no point rushing him back.

'He has to prove his worth to get back into the side. Since David's been injured, the team has done very well and, in some respects, you'd be reluctant to change a winning side.'

Quins know they must keep winning if they are to make the Premiership semi-finals for the first time. They have only one home game left, against Sale, with away fixtures at Leeds, London Irish and Leicester.

Martin Johnson's appointment as England's new supremo moved a step nearer on Monday after further talks with the RFU to thrash out the details of his proposed, all-powerful role.

A third round of negotiations with Rob Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby, is likely to result in Johnson's formal acceptance later this week, though it will take him a little longer to assemble his management-coaching team.

Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio was given a one-match ban on Monday night for punching former England team-mate Julian White but the suspension will not prevent him from playing in any of his club's six remaining Premiership matches. Wasps had suspended Dallaglio for last week's match at Leicester in anticipation of the hearing.

Quins centre De Wet Barry escaped any further punishment despite having been sent off for a late and high tackle on Newcastle's Mathew Tait during the London club's 15-9 home win last weekend.