Unlucky Hodgson set for more World Cup heartbreak

Any realistic hope of Sale's stylish fly half avoiding the doomsday scenario for the second time in four years vanished yesterday with his revealing absence from the cast for France at Twickenham on Saturday, an almost completely different one from last week's no-contest against Wales.

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Time running out: Charlie Hodgson is set to be left out of England's World Cup squad

The starting team confirmed what had been clear in training, that Olly Barkley has overtaken Hodgson as No 2 to Jonny Wilkinson.

After flogging himself through a punishing routine to fight his way back into contention, Hodgson had been hoping to start where he left off nine months ago, when his right knee buckled against South Africa. His last chance to do so before World Cup squads must be announced next Tuesday disappeared with a selection that did more than suggest that the 27-year-old Yorkshireman is about to be declared surplus to requirements.

Publicly, England's party line is that nobody has been ruled out although something calamitous would have to happen this weekend were Hodgson not to suffer the heartbreak of missing the final cut for this World Cup just as he did four years ago.

Sadly, in a week that sees Mike Catt restored to the captaincy as Phil Vickery takes a break, a particularly cruel piece of recent history is about to repeat itself. Hodgson's left knee locked in a freakish mishap against Italy at Twickenham in March 2003.

After smashing ligaments in his other knee last November, England again sent him to the Vermont clinic run by the celebrated American knee specialist Bill Knowles and Hodgson's inclusion in the original training squad two months ago suggested that this time there would be a happy ending.

Since then, Barkley has clearly forged ahead. 'Charlie has been very unlucky,' said Barkley. 'In terms of the intensity of the training, it's been really hard for him to progress. I will miss Charlie. He's a really good friend and a fantastic player.'

Barkley's rise has coincided with a police investigation into an allegation that he assaulted a 21-year-old TV producer, a fellow guest, during a party at last month's wedding of his Bath team-mate, Matt Perry.

"That has all been dealt with," he said. "I have co-operated fully with the police. They are dealing with it. It's in their hands. I've kept my focus simple and stuck to it - to train as hard as I can and make the most of my remaining years at international level."

No French trip: Dan Ward-Smith is another player who'll miss the World Cup

A left-footed goalkicker like Wilkinson, Barkley's last fly half start for England came in Sydney almost 15 months ago. An eye-catching series of matches for England A during their winning Churchill Cup series in May put him back in the frame.

While Hodgson stays in camp for the time being, the World Cup dream ended yesterday for Bristol's uncapped No 8 Dan Ward-Smith. After a valiant struggle to recover from a fractured kneecap which has sidelined him since January, he rejoined Bristol at their pre-season base in France.

Five more contenders missed selection again this week - Mike Tindall, Tom Palmer, Perry Freshwater, Kevin Yates and Tom Rees. Wasps flanker Rees is a must for the tournament as the only specialist openside left but after recovering from a knee problem he has now strained a hamstring.

Two other players, Mark Cueto and Peter Richards, were chosen last week but have been ruled out by injury, hence Nick Abendanon's entry for his first full start at full back and Andy Gomarsall's appearance as the scrum half substitute for Shaun Perry.

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte has apologised to the RFU for casting aspersions over England's anti- doping policy. It arrived just before random tests were carried out at the team's training base in Bath.

Lawrence Dallaglio said: "I was among those tested. If people are making strange comments about England, then it's a sure sign we must be doing something right on the field."

Saturday teams

ENGLAND: N Abendanon (Bath); P Sackey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), M Catt (London Irish, capt), J Lewsey (Wasps); O Barkley (Bath), S Perry (Bristol); A Sheridan (Sale), M Regan (Bristol), M Stevens (Bath); S Shaw (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester); J Haskell (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester). Substitutes: L Mears (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), M Corry (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), A Gomarsall (H'quins), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), D Cipriani (Wasps).

FRANCE (from): C Poitrenaud, C Heymans, Y Jauzion, J-B Elissalde, J-B Poux, F Pelous, Y Nyanga (Toulouse), V Clerc, D Skrela, P de Villiers, D Szarzewski, R Martin (Stade Franais), A Rougerie, P Mignoni, J Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), J Thion, S Betsen (Biarritz), D Marty (Perpignan), F Michalak (Natal), O Milloud (Bourgoin), R Ibanez (Wasps), S Chabal (Sale).