WASPS star and England captain Phil Vickery will be fit for the World Cup after he was carried off in England's bruising 22-9 defeat against France in Marseille on Saturday.

Vickery's head appeared to collide with the hip of clubmate Simon Shaw just before half-time and after being helped from the field he did not reappear for the second period.

But England say their skipper is going to be fit.

Head coach Brian Ashton said: "Phil is fine. The England doctor said 50 per cent of guys concussed in the Premiership play the following week, and the way Phil was this morning, the indication is he will be fine come the start of the World Cup."

Despite the collision with Vickery and a sin-binning, Shaw was again one of England's better players and appears to have cemented his place in the World Cup team.

Tom Rees played his first match since helping Wasps to the Heineken Cup back in May while Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley and Paul Sackey all came off the bench.