Lancaster keen to sit down with Care and offer him hope for his England future

Care, the Leeds-born Harlequins scrum-half, was cautioned by British Transport police after being caught urinating on the steps of a Leeds hotel in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It is understood the 25-year-old’s arrest outside a Weybridge bar in December was related to the same offence and he is currently suspended from England duty following a conviction for drink-driving.

Lancaster, who has known Care since his days as a teenager in the academy set-up at Leeds, is confident he does not have a drinking problem.

But Lancaster will meet with Care and outline the damage these incidents are doing to his international prospects.

“It is another unfortunate incident that could and should have been avoided,” said Lancaster.

“I’ll be meeting him as soon as possible about the decisions he’s making and how it’s affecting his chances of coming back and playing for England.

“We need to do that to make sure we rebuild the trust. I don’t think he’s got a long-term problem. I want to sit down with him like Conor (O’Shea, Harlequins director of rugby) to make sure he makes better decisions in the future.

“Long term I think he’s got a future (with England) but short term obviously we made the decision he would not take part in the Six Nations and nothing has changed.”

Care’s Harlequins understudy Karl Dickson has been promoted into the England squad as an injury replacement for Joe Simpson, who dislocated his shoulder over weekend.

Dickson joins his younger brother Lee, currently England’s first-choice scrum-half, and Ben Youngs in the squad preparing for Sunday’s game against France in Paris.

Lancaster said: “Karl got his opportunity a week or so ago and he came into camp for the first time when Lee had his hand injury so that message came through to the club via the selection of Karl.”

Scrum-half is fast becoming a problem area for England with Care’s indiscretions coming on top of injury to Saracens’ No 9 Richard Wigglesworth and the lack of form Youngs is currently suffering.

Leicester Tigers scrum-half, Youngs, though, appeared to be back to something like his best on club duty at the weekend.

England have also promoted Wasps lock Joe Launchbury as an injury replacement for Courtney Lawes, who is expected to miss the rest of the Six Nations with a shin complaint.

The call-up of Launchbury is yet further evidence of Lancaster’s fearlessness in promoting inexperienced players.

Launchbury was England’s players’ player of the tournament at the 2011 Under-20 World Cup.

He said: “I am totally shocked but thrilled to get the chance to train with the squad.

“It was a totally unexpected call especially as I have missed so much of this season but it’s a great opportunity for me to pick up some really valuable experience at the highest level.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Launchbury and Karl Dickson joined up with the England camp at their Pennyhill Park base last night.

Dickson was briefly drafted into the England set-up earlier in the championship when his brother suffered a fractured bone in his hand.

Meanwhile, Ireland captain Paul O’Connell will miss the remaining two matches of the tournament against Scotland and England after suffering ligament damage to his left knee in Sunday’s hard-fought 17-17 draw with France.

The inspirational 32-year-old, who has been in outstanding form, completed the match in Paris despite his injury and will be out for between three and four weeks.

And in a sickening double blow, scrum-half Conor Murray will also miss the rest of the tournament because of a knee injury.

Ireland have now lost two Lions captains in their ill-fated 2012 Six Nations campaign, with Brian O’Driscoll unavailable after undergoing shoulder surgery.