Charlie Hodgson starts for England against Barbarians
Charlie Hodgson starts for England against Barbarians
Wednesday, 26, May 2010 12:09
By Richard James.
Fly-half Charlie Hodgson will start for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday, his first game for the national side since 2008.
England manager Martin Johnson announced his starting line-up for the game on Wednesday, confirming Harlequins number eight Nick Easter as his captain in the absence of Steve Borthwick and Lewis Moody, both of whom are taking part in the Guinness Premiership final between Saracens and Leicester on Saturday.
Easter is one of ten players who survive from Johnson's last matchday squad, against France in the Six Nations.
Uncapped Bath centre Shontayne Hape will pair up with Mike Tindall in midfield, with England naming a back three of Ben Foden, Mark Cueto and David Strettle.
In the pack, uncapped prop Jon Golding starts as does Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.
The Barbarians game is England's last before a tour of Australia and New Zealand this summer.
England Team to face Barbarians
15 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
14 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks)
13 Mike Tindall (Gloucester Rugby)
12 Shontayne Hape (Bath Rugby)
11 David Strettle (Harlequins)
10 Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins)
1 Jon Golding (Newcastle Falcons)
2 Steve Thompson (CA Brive)
3 Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester Rugby)
4 Dave Attwood (Gloucester Rugby)
5 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6 James Haskell (Stade Francais)
7 Steffon Armitage (London Irish)
8 Nick Easter (Harlequins) CAPTAIN
Replacements
16 Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
17 Tim Payne (London Wasps)
18 Dan Ward-Smith (London Wasps)
19 Joe Worsley (London Wasps)
20 Joe Simpson (London Wasps)
21 Olly Barkley (Bath Rugby)
22 Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks)