Saints stars Lawes and Wood hand England injury boost

DUBLIN DATE - Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood could be fit in time to face Ireland on March 1 (picture: Sharon Lucey)

Both players have been sidelined by ankle injuries, with Lawes absent since sustaining the problem in Saints’ win against Leicester on December 20.

The lock was forced to have surgery last month, but had targeted the Six Nations game in Dublin for his return.

Wood picked up his ankle injury in Saints’ Champions Cup defeat to Racing Metro on January 24, but did not require surgery.

And both men are now on track to take part in England’s third Six Nations match, having missed last Friday’s win in Wales and been ruled out of this Saturday’s game against Italy.

“In an ideal world you would want them to play before then (the Ireland game), particularly Courtney who has been out for quite a while now. Tom less so,” said England boss Stuart Lancaster.

“Tom has played quite a lot of rugby, but Courtney has been out for quite a while. But I don’t think them playing will transpire. The way they’re progressing is that they’ll not play this weekend or next week.

“The first opportunity for them to play - international or club rugby - will be the weekend of the Ireland game. We’ll have to take a view on where we are at that point.”

Meanwhile, Alex Corbisiero and Stephen Myler, who have both been nursing calf injuries, are set to be fit for Saints’ Aviva Premiership clash with London Irish on Friday night.