Wasps boosted by Vickery recovery

R UnionWasps have been boosted by the recovery from injury of Phil Vickery ahead of Saturday's Premiership final at Twickenham.

The England World Cup captain has been struggling with a knee ligament injury picked up in mid-April, and has been left out of the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

However, he has come through training this week with no adverse reaction and will take his place in the line-up at rugby's HQ against Leicester.

It is a major boost for the London club, particularly having lost both Danny Cipriani and Tom Voyce to injury, and rugby director Ian McGeechan said: "I'm delighted that Phil Vickery has come through a week's training and contact to be fit for Saturday - it helps to make up for the loss of Danny Cipriani and Tom Voyce.

"We are obviously delighted to have made it to the final, particularly from such an inauspicious beginning in September and October.

"It will be a great occasion. Wasps versus Leicester is always a major encounter, but to be playing this one out in front of a record-breaking full house at Twickenham will be very exciting."

Riki Flutey will wear the number 10 shirt in the absence of Cirpriani, while Lewsey will move to the wing in place of Voyce with Mark Van Gisbergen called into the side at full-back.

Tigers prop Martin Castrogiovanni is ruled out through injury and Leicester go with the same XV that beat Gloucester in the semis.



Wasps: Mark Van Gisbergen, Paul Sackey, Fraser Waters, Dominic Waldouck, Josh Lewsey, Riki Flutey, Eoin Reddan, Tim Payne, Raphael Ibanez, Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer, James Haskell, Tom Rees, Lawrence Dallaglio (capt).

Replacements: Joe Ward, Pat Barnard, Richard Birkett, Joe Worsley, Mark McMillan, Jeremy Staunton, John Hart



Leicester: Geordan Murphy, Tom Varndell, Dan Hipkiss, Aaron Mauger, Alesana Tuilagi, Andy Goode, Harry Ellis, Boris Stankovich, Mefin Davies, Julian White, Marco Wentzel, Ben Kay, Martin Corry (capt), Ben Herring, Jordan Crane.

Replacements:Ben Kayser, Marcos Ayerza, Richard Blaze, Tom Croft, Christophe Laussucq, Sam Vesty, Ayoola Erinle


More in Rugby Union news