Tindall puts bad break behind him

By PETER JACKSON

Last updated at 22:40 28 September 2007

Mike Tindall will be back on the rugby field today for the first time since suffering the injury which forced England to leave for the World Cup without him.

The 53-cap centre, last seen

on the Test stage scoring

against France at

Twickenham six months

ago, broke his right leg in a

collision with Newcastle's

Toby Flood in April.

He returns for Premiership

leaders Gloucester against

Worcester at Kingsholm this

evening and takes his place

among an all-England

threequarter line consisting

of three others made surplus to World Cup requirements

— co-centre Anthony Allen,

James Simpson-Daniel on

one wing and Iain Balshaw

on the other.

Tindall said: "It's too early to

set any targets. I just want

to get some mileage into

my legs, pull the Gloucester

jersey on again and taste

the action. It has been a

long time. It can be hugely

frustrating when you're out

of the game for so long, but

I feel fantastic and so

pleased that I can't wait to

get going."

England so desperately

wanted Tindall with them

that they picked him in their World Cup training squad in

mid-June and kept him in it

almost right up to the

selection deadline, before

sending him back to his

club. As far as Gloucester

are concerned, he is back

bang on schedule.

Head coach Dean Ryan said:

"Mike's return is significant.

It's significant because of his

experience, big-game value

and midfield control. This is

great news for us."

The only team with

maximum points to show for

the first two rounds,

Gloucester shuffle their

backs in the enforced

absence of Lesley Vainikolo, out with a damaged

shoulder.

Balshaw replaces

him on the wing with Olly

Morgan, another pre-World

Cup casualty, filling the

consequent vacancy at full

back, a position he last

occupied playing for England

at Croke Park last February.

Former France scrum half

Christophe Laussucq makes

his first start for Leicester at

Wasps tomorrow, when the

champions will be

reinforced by the first of

their internationals to

return from the World Cup,

Samoan wing Alesana

Tuilagi.

Homegrown prop

Dave Young, a substitute for Julian White against Bath

last week, makes his first full

appearance while the

England veteran recovers

from a neck injury.

Wasps, unforgettable

winners over Leicester

when the clubs last met — in

the European Cup Final at

Twickenham last May —

restore Mark van Gisbergen

at full back in place of Danny

Cipriani.

Harlequins, eager

to extend their winning

start at Newcastle this

evening, head for Kingston

Park with New Zealander

Billy Fulton at scrum half.