Leicester will rest Harry Ellis this weekend while they assess damage to his left knee. The club, unbeaten in their two Guinness Premiership outings, are describing the move as merely precautionary, but given that the England scrum half underwent a reconstruction of the same knee last year and missed the World Cup, they are naturally anxious.

Ellis, 26, will miss Saturday's visit to Worcester Warriors, but will wish to resume as soon as possible his quest for a nineteenth cap after an 18-month absence from international rugby. His likely club deputy is Julien Dupuy, the French recruit from Biarritz, while Martin Corry, the former England captain, will make his first appearance of the season after recovering from a groin injury, possibly at lock after Richard Blaze hurt a knee during the 24-22 win over London Irish on Saturday.

Heyneke Meyer, the Leicester head coach, confirmed yesterday that he hopes to have signed a new wing within the next week. Whether that will be Rupeni Caucaunibuca, the errant Fijian, remains to be seen. “Caucau” may or may not appear in Leicester for talks today, but few in the East Midlands will be holding their breath for a player whose poor self-discipline has become one of the great frustrations of the world game.

London Irish will have Nick Kennedy back at lock after illness for their first game at the Madejski Stadium this season, against Bath on Saturday, and will hope that Steffon Armitage continues to deliver the form that has made him the outstanding Premiership flanker so far. “He's gone up against Tom Rees and James Haskell for Wasps, Jordan Crane and Co for Leicester and now it's Michael Lipman and his pals,” Toby Booth, the Irish head coach, said. “It's a big three weeks for him, but he understands how seriously he has to take the game.”

Armitage, who will be 23 on Saturday, could be joined by Mike Catt, 37 today, if the player-coach has recovered from the sore ankle that prevented him playing against Leicester.

Brian Ashton, who made Catt captain during his period as England head coach, has accepted a new role as director of coaching at the University of Bath that will give him access to Olympic athletes as well as competitors across 15 sports. Ashton, 62, left the RFU in July after being dismissed as head coach in April and is following, if in a minor key, one of his predecessors, Sir Clive Woodward, who works for the British Olympic Association.

“There are clear parallels between what Sir Clive is doing and what Brian will be doing here,” Ged Roddy, the university's director of sports development and recreation, said. Ashton, who has established his own consultancy company, SCD South-West Limited, will devote at least 150 days a year to his new role, alongside the 60 days he is scheduled to spend with the RFU working with young elite players.

“It's not necessarily the end of my involvement with the game of rugby, although I will have my hands full with the massive challenge I have taken on,” Ashton, who was also approached to work with several clubs, said.