English Rugby
Cueto admits England days are over
ESPN Staff
July 17, 2012
England winger Mark Cueto, England v France, Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, October 8, 2011
Mark Cueto back in his England days © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Mark Cueto
Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership
Teams: England | Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks flyer Mark Cueto admits that he is "not going to play for England again" but is also adamant that he will not officially call time on his international career.

Cueto last turned out for England in their quarter-final defeat to France in the 2011 World Cup and has since been out of the picture under Stuart Lancaster. With the likes of Christian Wade pushing David Strettle and Chris Ashton for the international wing berths, the 32-year-old concedes that his time with England is probably at an end.

"I'm still available but I understand the situation, I'm slipping out gracefully," Cueto told the BBC. "You always hold a little light but you've got to be realistic. I know I'm not going to play for England again.

"I'm not just going to announce my retirement because I know that. I never wanted to officially announce that I was retiring. It's not the sort of thing that I wanted to do. I'd always say I'm available but it's not going to happen now. I'm just going to look forward to working hard and playing well for Sale in my last few years."

With Sale embarking on an exciting new era under Steve Diamond and Bryan Redpath, Cueto is now focused on bringing the glory days back to the Salford side. "We want to give a good reflection of ourselves in the Heineken Cup," Cueto said. "We've got some fantastic teams coming to Manchester.

"It's a really tough draw but we've been lucky with the teams we've got, in terms of how big they are and drumming up support and interest."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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