Thompson starts for depleted England
Hooker Steve Thompson will make his first England start since 2006
Wednesday, 04, Nov 2009 04:04
By Alistair Potter.
Hooker Steve Thompson will be handed his first international start for England since 2006 when he lines up against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.
Thompson is joined in the starting XV by fellow 2003 Rugby World Cup winners Lewis Moody, who starts at flanker, and fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, named at ten.
The experienced heads are joined by two debutants on the bench, with 20-year-old Northampton Saints back-row forward Courtney Lawes named alongside Biarritz centre Ayoola Erinle.
Head coach Martin Johnson is without several high-profile names for the autumn, including first-choice full-back Delon Armitage, centres Riki Flutey and Mike Tindall, lock Simon Shaw, and props Phil Vickery and Andrew Sheridan.
Consequently, an inexperienced line-up will take on the Wallabies, with Thompson flanked by props Tim Payne and Dave Wilson and a new makeshift centre partnership of Northampton fly-half Shane Geraghty inside Leicester's Dan Hipkiss.
The return of Thompson to the England ranks marks a remarkable turnaround for the World Cup-winning front-row, who reappeared on the international scene in the summer when he played as a replacement against Argentina in June.
He retired from rugby because of a neck injury three years ago before returning to the game with Brive after receiving medical clearance.
Wilkinson is also set to win his first England cap since the 2008 Six Nations after an injury-ravaged six years since 2003.
The experienced kicker, now 30, has made a good start to the 2009/10 season with new club Toulon in France and will win his 71st cap when he lines up against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.
Full England matchday 22 to face Australia on November 7th:
15 Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
14 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks)
13 Dan Hipkiss (Leicester Tigers)
12 Shane Geraghty (Northampton Saints)
11 Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby)
10 Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins)
1 Tim Payne (London Wasps)
2 Steve Thompson (CA Brive)
3 Dave Wilson (Bath Rugby)
4 Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers)
5 Steve Borthwick (Saracens, captain)
6 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
7 Lewis Moody (Leicester Tigers)
8 Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
17 Duncan Bell (Bath Rugby)
18 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
19 James Haskell (Stade Francais)
20 Paul Hodgson (London Irish)
21 Andy Goode (CA Brive)
22 Ayoola Erinle (Biarritz Olympique)