Flood desperate to face Scotland

England fly-half Toby Flood will undergo an intensive fitness test today in the hope of proving he is ready to face Scotland in Saturday's Calcutta Cup showdown at Twickenham.

Flood has been named in an unchanged England team despite concerns over a shoulder injury he suffered shortly before half-time in last weekend's emphatic 34-10 victory over France.

Olly Barkley is on standby to come into the squad but Flood has made an impressive recovery since Sunday evening and is confident he will be fit to tackle the Scots.

But first he must come through a fitness test designed to assess the strength of his shoulder, which he first injured on England's summer tour to New Zealand.

Flood said: 'Thankfully it is not as bad as that injury from the summer because that kept me out for four to five weeks. That is what I was worried about at the beginning but it has settled down quite well.

'I am really surprised how well it has come on. I thought there was no chance and that I would be out for a couple of weeks. Now I am confident I will be involved at the weekend.

'I have a fitness test today. They have kept it under wraps to I can't go out there and practise it - but I think it will be a bit of running, moving, hitting backs, falling on it, clap press-ups, that kind of thing.'

England are likely to wait to make a final decision on Flood and Joe Worsley, who suffered a nasty gash to his hand, until tomorrow.

Flood is desperate to feature against Scotland after playing such a key role in England's spectacular first half against France.

He was injured in the build-up to England's fourth try that was eventually scored by Worsley and remarkably put them 29-0 ahead at the interval.

'I didn't want to come off,' said Flood.

'It was massively frustrating, especially the way things were going and how enjoyable the game was. It felt like there was no real pressure and it was us out there just to express ourselves.

'That has happened a few times for Leicester this season but it doesn't happen much in international rugby. It was a good thing to be a part of.'