Vickery hails 'fantastic' Corry

New England captain Phil Vickery has heaped praise on his predecessor, Martin Corry.

New England captain Phil Vickery hailed his predecessor Martin Corry as a 'fantastic guy' after taking over the reins from the Leicester flanker.

The Wasps prop has been named as skipper by new coach Brian Ashton for the upcoming Six Nations tournament.

He follows in the footsteps of Corry, who endured plenty of lows and very few highs during his 14 Tests in charge.

Vickery admits he felt for the Tigers' number eight who came under tremendous pressure after leading England through their worst ever losing run.

"Everyone knows what a fantastic guy Martin Corry is," he said.

"He led from the front in a tough autumn when he was getting a lot of stick, and I feel very privileged to follow him."

Vickery only returned to the England team in November after a series of back operations threatened to end his career.

He knows he faces a massive challenge in trying to turn around the team's fortunes but is looking for immediate results in the Six Nations ahead of the 2007 World Cup.

"I am under no illusions about the challenge we all face, but it is also an extremely exciting time," the 30-year-old said.

"I don't just want the title. I want to be part of a successful team, and I am looking forward to working with everyone to create that.

"This is a huge opportunity for people to stick their hands up and stake their claim."