Argentina 9-13 England, Rugby World Cup, September 10
Moody: I'll be fit for Georgia clash
ESPNscrum Staff
September 11, 2011

England captain Lewis Moody insists he will be fit to face Georgia in Dunedin next Sunday.

The return of the talismanic skipper would be a timely boost for Martin Johnson's side, after they struggled to beat Argentina in their opening match in Pool B. Moody missed the 13-9 defeat in Dunedin with a knee ligament strain suffered in the warm-up win over Wales at Twickenham on August 6.

But he is now back in full training and confident of lining up for England in their second game in Pool B.

"I want to be on the pitch and playing," he told the Daily Mail. "But the good news for me is that I have cleared a huge hurdle in my battle to play and I'm now more confident of being available for selection against Georgia next Sunday.

"I have taken contact in training, which is a big step, and doing that warm-up full-on yesterday increases my belief that I'll be there when England run out in the Otago Stadium next time."

The news that Moody would miss the opening game against Argentina having traveled to New Zealand carrying an injury, led to questions over whether he should have been included in the World Cup squad in the first place. But Moody insists concerns over his long-term fitness have been overblown.

"I know some people may have written me off, people who don't know me and people who don't know how the England medical team operate. I don't listen to them; it would only make me more annoyed or frustrated.

"It is irrelevant what other people think - we make the decisions. The medical staff knew it was a possibility I would make it for Argentina but only if everything went perfectly, which rarely happens."

Despite an uncomfortable night in the Otago Stadium, Moody was satisfied to see England come through the challenging match against Argentina with a victory. And with the threats posed by the smaller nations already evident, the England captain is determined to make sure England are not on the end of an early upset.

"We now go into the Georgia game with one win under our belt and that's the best news we could have had. Of course, we all know it wasn't a perfect performance against Argentina and we aren't shouting from the rooftops about it. But it was a win and don't anyone forget how Argentina derailed the World Cup hopes of hosts France four years ago, beating them in the opening game.

"It's clear from what I've seen of the tournament so far that one of the big sides will lose to one of the developing nations and over the next two matches, when we play Georgia and Romania, we have to make sure it isn't us.

"They will both be formidable tests, particularly up front. Just look how Romania troubled Scotland yesterday. Underestimate these guys at your peril."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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