Hodgson could not prevent Sale Sharks losing 32-25 to Newcastle at Edgeley Park, but he earned praise from director of rugby Kingsley Jones after kicking 20 points to surpass Jonny Wilkinson's record haul of 1,489 and move to 1,492 career points. "It is a great achievement for Charlie. You think of players like Jonny Wilkinson who he has passed and it is a great achievement. He is 28 years old and who knows where that will end."

However, there was more injury woe for the Sharks with Dwayne Peel, Stuart Turner and Nick Macleod all forced out of the game. "We now have around 17 players injured and I am concerned how tired we looked today," added Jones. "We need to freshen up, keep everyone fit and wrap them in cotton wool."

"If I'm playing well and they want to pick me that's great," Cipriani told the Daily Mirror. "I'm just about getting my rugby right for Wasps. Is it possible to make the Lions without playing for England first? If I'm performing as well as I can do then I'd like to think so. I've felt really good in my last four games. A lot of responsibility has been put on me to lead the side and I feel I've played a good hand."

Cipriani put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with Wasps this week and hinted that a longer deal is in the pipeline if the club makes some key signings this summer. "By the end of this year I could have signed for another three years on top of the one I have."

Wallabies skipper Mortlock delivered the surprising comment as his side prepare to entertain the Waratahs in Canberra on Firday night. "I've got a lot of respect for what they have done as a team," he told AAP Mortlock. "It seems they have even more confidence and belief in their system and their play.

"Last year they made the final and fell one short (to the Crusaders) but it looks as though they're even better this year. They have a great set-piece, their defensive system is excellent and their attack is getting better and better."

"What they are going to put in place when these players have gone is the worrying thing. Ruining a club like Saracens and turning it into a South African franchise is something which should be stopped - it's just not English rugby. How can you have a South African side in the English league? It's disgraceful."

The union's current £4m-a-year rugby agreement with the BBC and S4C, which covers Wales' autumn internationals, the Magners League and the Anglo-Welsh EDF Energy Cup, runs out in two years time. Any deal would not cover the Six Nations for which broadcast rights are held by the BBC national network.

"We won the toss and decided to run into the wind. We had done our research and knew that it was going to get very bad later on so it was a good toss to win," the Australian told Setanta Ireland.

"The weather was unfortunate, though. We had a good week up here and we wanted to play running rugby. We thought we'd have the edge over them in the three-quarter line but the weather dictated the type of game we had to play."