Hazell sets sights on World Cup

Andy Hazell hopes his form for Gloucester can boost his chances of an England recall.

Andy Hazell is hoping he can come out of the international wilderness in time to play at the 2007 World Cup.

The Gloucester flanker has won six caps for England but was not included in coach Andy Robinson's 41-man elite player squad.

Despite the disappointment of being overlooked, the 28-year-old has been in prime form at the start of the new Guinness Premiership season.

He scored a second-half try in the Cherry and Whites' win over Northampton on Saturday to give a reminder to Robinson of his talents.

Hazell insists he is not thinking about the chance of an England recall, instead choosing to focus on club matters.

However, the openside admits to still dreaming of another chance to impress for his country, particularly with the World Cup coming up in France next year.

"I would love to go to the World Cup," he said. "But all I can do is keep doing my job here (at Gloucester).

"I am just going to enjoy playing for Gloucester, and if anything else comes, I will be happy.

"I didn't go on any of the summer tours this year, which can be a blessing in disguise sometimes because I was able to work on my fitness and speed.

"I worked on a lot of things in pre-season that I thought I needed to work on, and I just need to keep going and try to do my talking on the pitch."