Stuart Lancaster gets tough by axing Danny Care from Six Nations

DANNY Care has been excluded from England’s Six Nations squad after heaping further shame on the national team by being arrested for drink driving.

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster took the decision after Care was arrested in the early hours of New Year’s Day, three weeks after he had been fined by police for being drunk and disorderly.

The Harlequins scrum-half will plead guilty in court on 16 January and yesterday admitted his shame, regret and devastation over the incident.

When Lancaster was appointed as Martin Johnson’s temporary replacement, he vowed to crack down on lack of discipline in the national squad.

England’s World Cup campaign was dogged by off-field scandal, including an infamous drunken night out in Queenstown which led to Mike Tindall being fined £15,000.

Lancaster has told Care he will not be considered for England selection until after the Six Nations and until he has proven he is trustworthy again.

“I have met Danny and told him that he will not be considered for selection,” said Lancaster, who had reprimanded Care after his arrest last month.

“This is his second arrest in three weeks for alcohol-related offences and it is completely unacceptable.

“At such a time that we feel he can be trusted to behave appropriately on and off the field, then he will be reconsidered for selection, but this will not be until the conclusion of the Six Nations as a minimum.”

Lancaster is due to name his Six Nations squad on 11 January, and there is a strong possibility it will include the Scarlets number eight Ben Morgan after he declared his international allegiance to England yesterday.

Care was a certain pick before the latest incident. He missed the World Cup with a foot injury but has been in prime form for Harlequins and was pushing Ben Youngs to reclaim the England scrum-half jersey.