competition against Italy but a slip on ice after a training session at the team hotel in Surrey caused him to withdraw with damaged ankle ligaments and his place in the team was taken by Harry Ellis. The injury meant that Care also missed the next game against Wales but he recovered sufficiently to take a place on the bench against Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin. He came onto the field with 20 minutes of the game remaining with England losing 11–6 but within 10 minutes he had been sent to the sin-bin and England eventually lost narrowly, 14–13. Care was heavily criticised in the national press for his performance in Dublin but England Team Manager, Martin Johnson, resisted calls for him to be dropped from the squad as part of wider criticism of the lack of discipline on the field by the England squad. Care retained his place on the bench for the final RBS 6 Nations games at home to France and Scotland, games that resulted in 2 victories which gave England the runners-up position in the championship. Care replaced Ellis in both games and in the final game against Scotland he was on the field as early as the 16th minute following a head injury to Ellis. Care contributed a drop goal as England beat Scotland 26–12 to regain the Calcutta Cup. Care had a successful season at club level in 2008–09 with Harlequins who finished 2nd in the Guinness Premiership and reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, at that point the club's best season in the professional era. Care was considered by many to be unlucky not to be selected for the British and Irish Lions squad for the summer tour to South Africa but he retained his place in the England squad for the end of season game against the Barbarians and the 2 match series against Argentina. Care started all 3 games which began with a 33–26 defeat in the "non-cap" game against an experienced Barbarians team at Twickenham. A week later England beat Argentina 37–15 at Old Trafford, Manchester but lost the return fixture 24–22 the following week in Salta, Argentina meaning that the 2 game series was drawn. At the end of the domestic season Care was shortlisted for the PRA Young Player of the Year Award which was voted for by his fellow professionals – he finished 3rd in the