World Cup - Moody plays down injury fears
England captain Lewis Moody has insisted that the knock to his right knee during the 23-19 win over Wales at Twickenham was a minor one.
Moody was playing his first game for England after missing the Six Nations campaign with ligament damage to the same knee.
With England’s first game of the World Cup just over a month away, there is little time now for injuries sustained during the warm-ups to heal, but Moody played down concerns despite limping off after an hour of the contest.
"It was just a tweak to the knee,” Moody said.
“I am walking fine. It is nicely strapped up. We will see how it is in a couple of days."
England coach Martin Johnson has to name his 30-man squad for the tournament in New Zealand on August 22.
"He's got a bit of a strain but hopefully he is ok,” Johnson said.
“You don't know about these things for 24 hours."
"Unfortunately injuries happen, we saw (Morgan) Stoddart got a serious one for them which again is unfortunate, but the guys have got to go out and play, you can't go half-measure."
Stoddart’s World Cup hopes are over after the Wales full-back broke his leg during the match, which England edged thanks to tries from James Haskell and debutant Manu Tuilagi.
"It is what we wanted - to get out there and play a Test match,” Johnson added. “You get far more out of that than from the 60-pointers that occasionally happen.
"At 20-7 we needed to control the ball but we started to turn the ball over, then we invited them right back onto us. They nearly took that opportunity.
"We wanted to go and play it in the context of a proper game and win a Test match. We weren't going to treat it as a training game."
Wales threatened to turn the match around in the dying stages, but a well-judged drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson, who was awarded the man of the match award, kept the visitors at bay.
"Jonny controlled the game fantastically well for us and managed it,” said Johnson of his former team-mate during England’s victorious 2003 World Cup campaign.
"He got the goals to keep us going when we lost some momentum and that was a big difference in the end."
Comment 1 - 20 of 20
Can't we just accept the taking part and all that. Bear in mind that the British & Irish Lions will be the next big North / South Hemisphere event. What will be saying then all. Power to the game guys & gals.
A.....I wouldnt even bother sending your welsh boys over there in the first place. Calm down now boyo
what about the drop goals in a friendly how rude, but then again the only points england score are either penalties or drop goals. they will have to keep on try ing lol.
post 13 you need therapy calm down son , it must be the school holidays thats boring you.
to save money for the world cup england have decided to buy a day return ticket for the squad, good old ryanair.
terry - are you a Welshey - or just a traiterous englishman - or another jealous Jock - can't say nothing about the Micks they always play their hearts out.
Being out of season makes it difficult to judge either side, admittedly it was not a great game of rugby, next week should give us a better idea, England can thank Wilkinson for the win, Wales can thank their forwards for the loss,..Ned Kelly
Whats this obsession that Terry has with moody being a "welshman playing for England? Moody is English, and trust me there are more Englishmen playing for Wales than welshmen playing for England.
joe, your probably right but we can all have believe that the upsets can happen. in reality though yes the springboks will ease through the group and probably samoa to get runners up. tim de vere made a stupid comment about england being passed it (even though a majority of the squad are in the 20s) and i thought i would have a crack at the currently under achieving boks, assuming tim de vere is south african.
Comment 10, X Edwards - you must be joking.
Scotland will not even qualify for the knock out phase!
One lucky win against Ireland - unbelievable.
England will win Pool B, and Argentina will finish runners up.
Scotland, "you leave with nothing".
England looked clueless, having to rely on penalty kicks and drop goals when bereft of attacking ideas.
Wales didn't even bother to take shots at goal from penalties.
Worst All Blacks I have ever seen.
England going nowhere. Still boring and clueless.
Argentina and Scotland will not be worried about playing them.
Pink Pig..
Interesting call, South Africa to come runner up in pool play? To whom?
I can't see Wales, Samoa or Fiji upsetting the Boks. I can however see Welsh hearts broken and not passing through Pool play. Pretty much a home World Cup (Or as close as will ever be) for Fiji and Samoa.. Who seem to be a bogey side for Wales.
Thought yesterday's game was pretty average at best-But both teams will be better for it. Knock the rust of to say.
Next weekends games should be a better insight into actual form
tim de vere, passed it? get on the wikipedia and educate yourself. unless you think being over 25 is passed it. also its unlikely wilkinson will start any games so perhaps they'l rely on flood or is that you meant? but yeah i agree that england will probably fail in the quarter finals, given how the french seem to favor new zealand pitches. but lets see the boks slip up in the group and go out to the aussies in the quarters because their slow trudge up the middle brute force and ignorance will be no match for the wobbilies even.
Englands more or less second string beat the Welsh first, available, XV. Sure both sides were rusty. A bit more vigour smacking the rucks would be nice.
Too many of the squad are aged and passed it! The world cup for England will consist of 10 man rugby and relying on Johnny! They are still, after all these looking back not forward. France or New Zealand in the quarter finals wont matter cos either will beat this team of old men!
Not a good display at all by any player except Wilkinson, Stevens and Tuilagi.
Rest of the WC squads have nothing to fear from England unless we sharpen up and quick.
He keeps this up getting injured every other game he`s going to get the Jonny Wilkinson's tag and be called sick note
Awful performance from Moody yesterday, him & Tindall should not be in the World Cup squad....Overated & way passed it!!!
terrible performance from moody yesterday, the welsh man playing for england is a total softy.
a fine performance from moody yesterday, shake this injury off and get yourself to the world cup.
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