Saracens centres Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt are set to make their England debuts against Scotland in the Six Nations Championship opener at Murrayfield on Saturday.
England interim coach Stuart Lancaster named three uncapped players in his starting side on Thursday, with Phil Dowson selected at No.8 in an inexperienced team as the side look to rebuild after their disappointing performance at last year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Farrell and Barritt are England’s first uncapped centre pairing since 2002 and first in the Six Nations since 1969, when John Spencer and David Duckham played in a 19-17 defeat away to Ireland.
Recalled flyhalf Charlie Hodgson, who will be inside his Saracens team-mates, is the most experienced player in the starting side with 36 Test caps.
But Hodgson, back following the international retirement of England great Jonny Wilkinson and the absence through injury of Toby Flood, will be making his first Test start for four years.
Premiership champions Saracens provide four of England’s backs, with David Strettle on the left wing.
Seven of England’s starting side go into the game with 10 caps or fewer, with Harlequins flanker Chris Robshaw captaining the team in only his second Test.
In all, there are eight uncapped players in the matchday 22, with Wasps hooker Rob Webber, Leicester lock Geoff Parling, Scarlets No.8 Ben Morgan, Northampton scrum-half Lee Dickson and Harlequins centre Jordan Turner-Hall all on the bench.
Scotland, who named their team earlier this week, have a huge advantage in experience over England with their starting line-up boasting 501 caps, compared to the 236 won by Lancaster’s men.
“We have been impressed with how the whole group has come together in the last 10 days and we have done a lot of work on and off the field,” said Lancaster, appointed on a caretaker basis for the Six Nations after former manager Martin Johnson’s resignation following the World Cup.
“Now is the time to turn all that into a performance against Scotland that we can all be proud of. It is a massive challenge – Murrayfield, the first game of the Six Nations – but one we are relishing.”
The England team features 10 changes from the side that beat Scotland in the World Cup in October, a defeat that ended the Scots’ record of always reaching the tournament’s knockout stages, and nine from the subsequent quarter-final loss to France.
World Cup winning trio Wilkinson, Steve Thompson and Lewis Moody, England’s captain in New Zealand, have all retired from international rugby, while lock Courtney Lawes and centre Manu Tuilagi are injured along with Flood.
England have not won at Murrayfield for eight years, losing twice and drawing once in their last three visits to Edinburgh.
England team:Ben Foden (Northampton), Chris Ashton (Northampton), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), David Strettle (Saracens), Charlie Hodgson (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester), Phil Dowson (Northampton), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Tom Croft (Leicester), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais/FRA), Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Dan Cole (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Replacements: Rob Webber (London Wasps), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Geoff Parling (Leicester), Ben Morgan (Scarlets/WAL), Lee Dickson (Northampton), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Mike Brown (Harlequins)
mattamkII
Guest
ah good, we agree.
Stats
Guest
No to Brendan.
Derm
Roar Guru
I wasn't sure if you were using Paddy as the name of someone or as an ethnic slur. I think you mean Eoin Morgan. I don't think he'd refer to himself as a "Paddy" though - most Irish people find that term derogatory in case you weren't aware. The reality of modern sport sees lots of people playing for other nations than the nation of their birth. Australia or Ireland are no different.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Great prediction. It isn't a case of Barritt being better than Catt, it's a case of them being two totally different players.
mattamkII
Guest
I trust you're not speaking to me?
Brendan
Guest
Pot Hale, The "Paddy", in relation to the English cricket team, and hence the joke, is the fellow with the Irish name, which I forget for a minute.
Green Lantern
Guest
I think they shouldnt have selected him at 13. He is a specialist inside-centre. Or maybe its just mind games the coach is playing. Pity that his debut will come at a lost againts Scotland. And maybe your right Ben, perhaps he wont become the next MC. Perhaps he will be better.
Stats
Guest
Please note Australia had 11 of their 30 man Rwc 2011 squad born outside australia. So dont be hypocritical :)
mattamkII
Guest
not buying into this debate but Brendans point is the following. Barritt - SA Stevens - SA Boath - SA Hartley - NZ Corbisiro - USA I know I know...stupid but thats his point.
Ben S
Roar Guru
I think I can safely say that he won't become the next Mike Catt. I wish he would, but I think the odds are against him.
Green Lantern
Guest
In any case, Iam glad Brad Barrit is finally getting his chance, since wanting to play for England was the reason he left SA. He may become the next Mike Catt with no paddy.
Ben Farrell
Guest
Who would you rather have, considering the injuries to some key players I think it looks pretty good.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Barbieri isn't that big though, is he? In any case, I'm not sure what relevance that would have in comparison to his ability to play rugby. Yep, Mallett worked wonders with those Italian Stallions. Brunel will no doubt be quaking in his boots...
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Emric there are some things in favour of that possibility: last year they not only beat France but came very close against Wales and Ireland. This dramatic increase in competitiveness was apparently due to entry into the then Magners league, where competing at a higher level had a significant effect on the performance of the team. This year there should be some slight improvement on that, while the transformation of Robert Barbieri into a 'human tank' and the fitness of Eduardo Gori will add two stars, absent last year, while the absence of Mauro Bergamasco from the back row will be positive. The problem therefore lies in the backs, as usual, and without Craig Gower to provide creativity at 10, getting them moving will be tough. What's more it's not clear whether the team will be as well coached with Jacques Brunel as it was under Nick Mallett. On the plus side a sold-out Stadio Olimpico with the accompanying expectation should boost effort and performance. In terms of senior players Italy has now overtaken Scotland, but the capacity for growth is vast, as not only is the population 6 times larger than Ireland and Scotland combined, but it is a mixture of strong regional identities, with the potential for a strong national game. Add to that the fact that it is sporting mad as a country, except that the sport has so far been football, and there is a desire for something else, and hopefully things will take off soon. It suffers from none of the class/local issues that bedevil the game in other countries, while it also appeals to the petty-machisma of the Italian man, for better or worse. With the Olympics to come too, it could soon transform into a monster on the international stage, something which would also have the positive benefit of waking up the lazy 5 other nations, forcing them to expand the game within their own countries, as they singularly fail to do at present. Certainly the next RWC in the northern hemisphere in 2023 could well do with taking place in Italy.
Derm
Roar Guru
"KPM I would love Italy to win the grand-slam and go close to winning the 6-Nations. It would be awesome." I think that should be the other way around Emric. You can win the title but not necessarily the Grand Slam e.g. England in 2011. If you win the Grand Slam, you also win the title since you have defeated the other five competing nations.
Emric
Guest
KPM I would love Italy to win the grand-slam and go close to winning the 6-Nations. It would be awesome.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Pot Hale Ireland/Wales should be a big event, best match of the weekend. This England team is very unexciting, though I'm not sure Scotland will be up to much either.
Derm
Roar Guru
Who's Paddy? A South African? Playing Cricket? - what's the joke? Does Paddy have a lot of South African players on his cricket team?
Brendan
Guest
You've all the heard the joke that goes a Paddy leads three, or is it four, South African's into a pub to which the barman says to Paddy; "Where's the rest of your cricket team"?? What with three Safas in the current England squad all they need is another Paddy for the joke to be relevant to their rugby team?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Just read that the Stadio Olimpico is sold out for England/Italy, that's 82,000, big news indeed. In fact they sold the last 30,000 tickets in little over a week. It's also expected to sell out for Scotland too, with a huge acceleration of ticket sales taking off.