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England and Ireland raring to go in Southern Hemisphere

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England and Ireland raring to go in Southern Hemisphere

Martin Johnson has made four changes from the side that started the Six Nations defeat to France for Saturday’s first Test against Australia in Perth.

Hooker Steve Thompson, Stade Français lock Tom Palmer and Leicester flanker Tom Croft all have been recalled to the starting 15, while New Zealand-born centre Shontayne Hape is set to make his international debut at the age of 29.

Hape is a former New Zealand rugby league international and actually played against Australia for the Kiwis in a Test three years ago. The transition from league to union has not proved very successful in the past for England though, with talented league players such as Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo notoriously struggling when donning the England shirt.

But coach Johnson believes Hape has all the credentials to become an England regular.

“I have been very impressed with him," said Johnson. "He's a very smart carrier with the ball in hand. He's one of those guys that seems to have a bit more time than most, he's very composed.

"Shontayne has been in the squad since January. He missed out on getting a game in the Six Nations with illness and we didn't get a chance to get him in after that.”

Johnson has also decided to stick with Toby Flood at fly-half despite Australian chief tormenter Jonny Wilkinson recovering from a back injury.

Ireland, who face New Zealand Saturday morning in New Plymouth, have been given a major boost ahead of the game with the news that captain Brian O’Driscoll will be fit to play.

The visitors are in the midst of an injury crisis with experienced players such as Paul O'Connell, Stephen Ferris and Rory Best all missing. The fitness of their all-time leading try scorer is crucial to their slim hopes of a victory against the All Blacks.

“I'll be grand in another 24 hours," O'Driscoll said. "I just get a bit of vertigo now and then. I haven't had it for a while. The last real memory of having it was the night we won the Grand Slam and I couldn't go to the dinner. It just came on and I was getting sick that time.

"I just felt a little bit dizzy last night and went to bed and felt a bit better this morning. I took a bit more medication and I'll be grand."

England: 15 B Foden (Northampton), 14 M Cueto (Sale Sharks), 13 M Tindall (Gloucester), 12 S Hape (Bath), 11 C Ashton (Northampton), 10 T Flood (Leicester), 9 D Care (Harlequins), 1 T Payne (Wasps), 2 S Thompson (Brive), 3 D Cole (Leicester), 4 S Shaw (Wasps), 5 T Palmer (Stade Français), 6 T Croft (Leicester), 7 L Moody (Leicester, capt), 8 N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: 16 G Chuter (Leicester), 17 D Wilson (Bath), 18 C Lawes (Northampton), 19 J Haskell (Stade Francais), 20 B Youngs (Leicester), 21 J Wilkinson (Toulon), 22 M Tait (Sale Sharks).

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 John Muldoon, 5 Mick O'Driscoll, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Cian Healy.

Replacements: 16 John Fogarty, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Dan Tuohy, 19 Shane Jennings, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Jonathan Sexton, 22 Geordan Murphy.

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