Joe Simpson: Wasps scrum-half still nurses World Cup hopes

Joe Simpson picked up his knee injury in the season's final home game against neighbours Leicester

Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson is still hopeful of being included in England's World Cup squad after recovering from the knee injury he suffered in May.

Simpson was stretchered off in the 26-21 home defeat by Leicester on 9 May with a medial collateral ligament blow.

That cost him an expected place in England's 45-man summer training squad.

"I'm just hoping I get the call from England to show what I can do in training to give myself a chance to make the World Cup squad," he said.

After six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation under Wasps' medical team, and cutting his planned summer holiday short, Simpson took part in his first running session last Friday and is expected to be fully fit when both Wasps and England commence pre-season training.

"I only missed one match, the last game of the season, and that is a real positive," Simpson added.

"I knew that, if everything went to plan and I worked hard with the physios I could get back in time for pre-season with Wasps and England.

"I'm on course for that and I should be back in the next couple of weeks, starting pre-season with Wasps on Wednesday.

"We had a great season at Wasps. We played some superb rugby and I had a really enjoyable season. I felt really confident and think I was playing the best rugby of my life."