Greg Growden | October 28, 2009


TOKYO: The woes of Waratahs centre Rob Horne continue, with perennial hamstring problems forcing him to return to Sydney last night for treatment after just two training sessions of the Wallabies' tour.

Horne broke down at training yesterday morning with a grade-two hamstring strain, which forced Wallabies team management to track down ACT Brumbies utility Tyrone Smith. Smith will join the team in Tokyo this morning and is set to play in next Tuesday's match against Gloucester in England.

Horne, 20, has been constantly troubled by leg complaints, including during the recent under-20 World Cup tournament, where he again had to return home. He was pencilled in to play in the centres against Gloucester and was looked upon as being a strong candidate for a Test squad spot later in the grand slam tour.

The Wallabies had hoped to have Smith in their training camp in Sydney last week but were unable to contact him, as he was on his honeymoon in Hawaii. They were more successful yesterday.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said he could only sympathise with Horne, as he had done everything to be properly prepared for the tour.

''Before he injured himself, he said that he had been feeling as well as he had been for some time,'' Deans said last night. ''When he was warming up, he felt great. And then he hurt it.''

The team to play Gloucester will be announced when the squad arrives in London on Sunday.

Meanwhile, visions of the 2003 World Cup final may return to haunt the Wallabies after England recalled Jonny Wilkinson and hooker Steve Thompson to their training squad.

The selection of cup final hero Wilkinson was widely expected, but the recall of the burly Thompson is more remarkable in a squad also containing centre Mike Tindall, second-rower Ben Kay and loose forward Lewis Moody from the cup triumph.

Thompson, 31, made 48 appearances for England - including the 2003 World Cup final - before retiring in 2007 because of a serious neck injury.

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