Sharples, who pleaded guilty, is suspended from November 4th to November 18th, meaning he will miss his side's Anglo-Welsh Cup fixtures against Cardiff Blues and London Wasps.

A member of the Wallabies Spring tour training squad, Cummins sustained the ligament injury in Sydney during camp when a team mate accidently landed on the back of his ankle during a contact drill.

"It's always disappointing to have an injury, but now that I have had a sniff of the highest level I am hungrier than ever," said Cummins who will be sidelined for four to five months. "I will be working hard with the medical staff to hasten the healing and be very thorough in following my rehabilitation program."

The midweek matches in Australia would precede England's Tests against the Wallabies, scheduled for June 12 in Perth and a week later in Sydney's Olympic Stadium. England would then travel to New Zealand to face the Maori, who they last played in the summer of 2003.

England manager Martin Johnson is keen on the idea because he believes it would help his side's development just over a year out from the 2011 World Cup. The RFU are currently in negotiations with Premier Rugby over the release of players and the potential knock-on effects of a longer tour.

"Gilbert is a brand that is synonymous with Rugby World Cup, having supplied balls for the tournament since 1995, and RWCL is delighted to be extending the relationship with a partner that has proven to be both a strong supporter of the tournament and the world leader in Rugby ball performance," said RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

"The tender process was extremely competitive. The decision to award the contract over two tournaments is an exciting prospect for both RWCL and Gilbert, enabling promotion of the RWC brand over the next six years through marketing activation and sales."