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PARIS - England wing Josh Lewsey said he felt "personally devastated" to be ruled out of Sunday's (NZ time) World Cup final against South Africa with a hamstring injury but said now was not the time for self-pity.
Lewsey went off with a right hamstring strain at the
end of the first half of England's 14-9 semifinal win over France on Sunday at the Stade de France, the venue for this weekend's final, where he had opened the scoring with a second minute try.
He underwent a scan and after a meeting Monday, between Lewsey, coach Brian Ashton and team doctor Simon Kemp, his World Cup came to an end.
Later Monday, England called up Bath's Nick Abendanon, who just missed out on the original 30-man squad, as Lewsey's replacement.
The 21-year-old South Africa born back, capped twice by England, made his debut off the bench during June's second Test defeat against the Springboks in Pretoria.
His only Test start to date was in England's 15-21 World Cup warm-up loss to France at Twickenham in August.
Lewsey, a World Cup winner four years ago in Australia, said: "I feel gutted. Until I went off, I think only Ben Kay and I had played every minute of this World Cup (for England).
"It's not just yourself. Over the last four years the people around you sacrifice a lot for you to put sport first.
"There's been some testing times over the last couple of years but to go through all that and miss out just when you get to the final of the World Cup is very disappointing
"But, ultimately, what matters this week is that we win. There will be no-one happier than me come Saturday (Sunday morning NZ time) night if England win," Wasps back Lewsey, a member of the England team that beat Australia 20-17 in the 2003 World Cup final, added.
"This isn't the time for any self-pity or anything like that, this is a time to be positive and take it to South Africa."
Lewsey, 30, explaining how he sustained his injury, added: "I was coming on a switch from Jason (Robinson) and I just came under (Jean-Baptiste) Elissalde - France's halfback - and I started putting the power through on the right foot to push away and I felt it go.
"Anyone who has pulled a hamstring before, you know what it's like. It was one of those incidents where you know something's up. You just keep some lasting hope that it's some sort of spasm or cramp that can occur.
"But when we went for the scan, I knew straight away. That's what sport does, it's cruel sometimes."
England appear to have a couple of options from within their existing squad when it comes to finding a matchday replacement for Lewsey.
They could leave Mathew Tait out on the wing, where the centre finished the match against France after Lewsey went off, and give a start to substitute midfielder Dan Hipkiss.
Another alternative would see Mark Cueto come in as a like-for-like replacement. There is also the possibility that Robinson could move across from full-back in a reshaped back three.
England back-row Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewsey's captain at Wasps, said: "He's played in one World Cup final and I'm sure he was looking forward to playing in another.
"But one man's disappointment will be an opportunity for someone else. World Cups are not won by one person, they are won by a squad," added Dallaglio, on the field for every minute of England's victorious campaign in Australia four years ago.
- AFP
