Moody piles pressure on rivals

Kronfeld?s ankle operation has allowed the youngest member of the trio to continue where he left off in Toronto, Vancouver and San Francisco with England.

Breaking into Leicester?s back row was always going to be more difficult than breaking into England?s, especially with Back on Lions duty in Australia. Moody, almost 10 years younger than his inestimable counterpart, is the future for Leicester ? a point he rammed home during the champions? imperious second-half rout of Gloucester at Kingsholm.

The Tigers came from 15-3 down to win 40-18, and Moody?s contribution was a vital component. Indeed, Back?s introduction as one of four Lions unleashed from the bench for the last quarter would normally have been the signal for Moody to retire to the dug-out ? but they took Paul Gustard off instead, and switched Moody to the blindside of the scrum.

Moody said: ?I was half expecting to be called off. I would have been annoyed had that been the case but with people like Backy and Cozza (Martin Corry) on the bench, you know they are going to get on at some stage.?

By the time they arrived, Moody had pulled Leicester out of a hole at a time when they were in some danger of disappearing beneath Ludovic Mercier?s penalty bombardment. No sooner had the French stand- off stretched Gloucester?s lead to 18-6 than Moody seized Andy Goode?s towering restart with a soaring leap and accelerated away for the ultimate smash-and-grab try.

Gloucester, paying the inevitable price for their reckless inability to protect the ball in contact, knew the game was up before Martin Johnson completed the arrival of the heavy artillery from the bench. Johnson?s first act, the trademark catch-and-drive, created the platform for Moody?s second try from a scything 20-yard run.

Just as the introduction of their Lions? substitutes brought four late tries against Newcastle the previous week, so their belated entry at Kingsholm resulted in a points bonanza.

After Moody?s one-two, substitute left wing Steve Booth pulled off another of his eye-popping solo strikes, and Geordan Murphy?s dazzling finale as he waltzed round several tackles will surely result in a Six Nations debut for Ireland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

That will put him on course for a collision with the Leicester Lions for the Grand Slam decider in Dublin next month and Moody will discover this morning exactly where he stands in the pecking order when England name their squad.

Back, of course, will be there along with Corry, whose outstanding Lions tour demands that he takes over at No.8 from Lawrence Dallaglio, out until the New Year.

Moody cannot match Joe Worsley?s versatility as back row cover, but after what he did in America and what he continues to do for Leicester, England will surely want to acknowledge his importance as part of their World Cup operation in two years? time.

?You?ve got to be realistic. Backy is the best No.7 around at the moment,? said Moody. ?It was relatively easy getting into the England team in the summer when he wasn?t there. It?s a lot harder to knock him out of the Leicester side.?