Dallaglio could face All Blacks

Lawrence Dallaglio. File picture

England coach Andy Robinson had better get in touch some time soon, or the closest Lawrence Dallaglio will get to crossing swords with the All Blacks next month is over a knife and fork at a benefit dinner for the Wasps' forwards coach, Craig Dowd.

As Dallaglio begins to run out of euphemisms to describe his desire to return to England duty, Robinson retains the final call.

Only when his name lights up on the former captain's mobile phone will the blue touch-paper be lit on Dallaglio's return to the Test arena.

On Friday night Dallaglio came through a full 80 minutes of his first match for Wasps since he broke his ankle on tour with the Lions in June.

He was serenaded from the Causeway Stadium stands by the Wasps supporters, who set his name to the first line of "La Donna e Mobile".

But if woman can be fickle, as the song tells us, so too can England coaches.

Dallaglio was asked for the umpteenth time about reversing his Test retirement of 13 months ago and he replied: "Ask any player, and if your national coach phones up it's like being asked to go to war. You don't turn it down."

The problem is that Robinson is refusing to rush into the role of Lord Kitchener.

Does his country need Dallaglio? Only last week Robinson - who has installed Leicester's Martin Corry as captain for the autumn - admitted he had spoken to Dallaglio when they were in New Zealand about ending his self-imposed exile, but he still appears to be leaving the ball in the court of the man who captained England from 1997 to 1999 and again in 2004.

"I'd love Lawrence Dallaglio to put himself forward," said Robinson.

"He's a great player. But everything's got to be right for him and right for us. That's down to the discussions that we have, at the right time we'll be having those discussions.

"I had them on the Lions tour but I felt that in particular for Lawrence it's right that he get back playing from his injury... Martin Corry has led the side brilliantly, and his performances last year were exceptional.

"In actual fact I thought he was unlucky on the Lions trip to lose his place."

Dowd's dinner is to be held at the All Blacks' London hotel four days before New Zealand meet England at Twickenham, with guests from Wasps and the touring party.

He is expecting Dallaglio to attend rather than be in camp with England midway through a series which also features Australia and Samoa.

- INDEPENDENT