Wood misses Six Nations opener

England flanker Tom Wood has revealed his disappointment at being forced to sit out the opening games of the Six Nations due to a foot injury.

The Saints back-rower has been ruled out of the Stuart Lancaster’s side’s first two matches against Scotland and Italy and will have to wear protective boot to aid his recovery which is expected to take four weeks following the injury he picked-up in training.

Wood was mentioned as a potential captain for the Six Nations and has admitted his disappointment at missing out on the start of the tournament. Those looking at the in-play Six Nations odd will be sad that he is missing out.

"This cuts pretty deep, because it's an exciting time for English rugby at the moment," Wood told The Daily Telegraph. "It would be good to have been part of that, to have a real fresh start.”

The 25-year-old is seen as one of England’s brightest stars and having made his debut in last season’s competition, was tipped to establish himself in the side.

Unfortunately, he has been hampered by injuries and former coach Martin Johnson’s sometimes questionable selection policy which meant he only played a minor role in the World Cup.

The former Worcester man first picked-up the injury in November but says he and the Saints’ coaching staff have been managing the problem. However, he believes it has gone on too long and after struggling with the pain, has decided to give it a rest to ensure his long term fitness.

"The injury is one I've been trying to manage for a while, but it needs rest to avoid any operations further down the line. So the foot's going to be in this boot for the next few weeks, immobilised, to give it the best chance of healing," he said.

"One day in November, I changed direction in training and felt what I thought was a tear. It was awkward. I've been in and out of the boot, managing my load and having the odd weekend off. But it's just getting a bit too much now."