Battered Wilkinson may miss Pretoria again

Jonny Wilkinson's prospects of breaking new ground hung in the balance yesterday as England assessed the additional damage of their blistering in Bloemfontein.

Should his country have to make do without him for Saturday's rematch against South Africa in Pretoria, then the Newcastle fly half will have paid a not unfamiliar price for his unflinching heroics. The damage from putting his body on the line during Saturday's rearguard action has raised a doubt over whether he can recover in time for another punishing 80 minutes at Loftus Versfeld.

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Wilkinson, who had been scheduled to play there seven years ago only to miss the match because of food poisoning, is under treatment for a bruised lower back but is, according to medical advisers, expected to train later in the week'.

He also suffered facial injuries only to be forced out of action when his back went into spasm, ironically, after a collision with England's newly capped substitute Roy Winters.

Iain Balshaw was on his way back to London last night, his latest attempt to relaunch a once glorious Test career undone by a shin injury which required a minor' operation. Another casualty, Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell, is doubtful because of a blow to the knee which prevented him reappearing for the second half.

Harlequins wing David Strettle has been discharged from hospital after a five-day battle against an unidentified virus, but England are still concerned about whether two other victims, Andy Farrell and Peter Richards, have any hope of recovering in time for Saturday.

Head coach Brian Ashton pulled no punches during the inquest into his team's 58-10 beating. "You would have to say South Africa didn't have to do a heck of a lot to work for their 30 points in the first half," he said. "We didn't put some aspects of our plan into action until after half-time and, for a while, it looked as though we would cause problems.

"If we do something about the first-half turnovers, we will not blow up in the last 10 minutes again this Saturday."

The seven players stricken by the stomach bug were, almost without exception, backs. Gloucester lock Alex Brown had been on a drip before the game and his second row partner, Dean Schofield, won his cap only after making a late recovery.