Martin Johnson makes 13 changes to England’s match 22 for weekend encounter against Wales
England Rugby Union team’s head coach, Martin Johnson, has announced his match day 22 for their second pre-world cup encounter against Wales. Johnson announced the squad, which featured 13
changes fromt the line-up which took the field against Wales in their last weekend encounter at Twickenham.
Wales will host England at Millennium stadium, Cardiff on Saturday, August 13. Following the knee injury to the England’s captain Lewis Moody, the Gloucester Rugby’s centre, Mike Tindall,
is named as captain to lead the English side on coming Saturday.
Tindall was not part of the team in their last weekend encounter against the Wales side but will return to the revamped backs line.
Tindall will start the match as outside centre position and he will be joined by Exiles’ Shontayne Hape in the inside centre position. Delon Armitage is dropped from the side as Ben Foden starts
the match at the full back position.
Chris Ashton will start the match as the right-winger in place of Matt Banahan, while Toby Flood will overtake the fly half duties from Johnny Wilkinson, who is dropped from the squad. Banahan
will start the match from the bench.
Danny Care has been moved to the bench, as the Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth will start the game as the scrum half. Saturday’s game will be Wigglesworth’s first appearance in the starting
XV since 2008.
The duo of Alex Corbisiero and Mark Cueto are the only players in the starting XV, which were part of the England’s outfit thats handed over a 23 – 19 defeat to Wales last weekend.
Tom Wood has replaced Matt Stevens at the prop position, as Stevens will start the match from the bench. Similarly, Tom Palmer is dropped to the bench making way for the Leicester’s lock Louis
Deacon in the starting xv.
Nick Easter will begin the match as loose head prop, which has resulted in Corbisiero switching his position to the number eight. While James Haskell, who performed the number eight duties
in their last weekend match, is dropped to the bench.
Northampton Saints lock Courtney Lawes will make his return to international matches after recovering from a neck injury, which has kept him out of action for the last 10 months. He has replaced
Simon Shaw in the starting xv, while Shaw is dropped from the squad.
The England’s squad for their weekend clash against the Wales includes,
Starting XV: 15. Ben Foden (Northampton), 14. Chris Ashton (Northampton), 13. Mike Tindall (Gloucester, capt), 12. Shontayne Hape (London Irish), 11. Mark Cueto (Sale), 10.
Toby Flood (Leicester), 9. Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens); 8. Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), 7. Steve Thompson (Wasps), 6. Dan Cole (Leicester), 5. Louis Deacon (Leicester), 4. Courtney Lawes (Northampton), 3. Tom Wood (Northampton), 2. Hendre Fourie (Sale),
1. Nick Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: 16. Lee Mears (Bath), 17. Matt Stevens (Saracens), 18. Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), 19. James Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams), 20. Danny Care (Harlequins), 21. Charlie
Hodgson (Saracens), 22. Matt Banahan (Bath).
Tags: