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Topsy Ojo
Topsy Ojo
Ojo in for England
10 June 2008, 8:36 am
By Rob Barnett
London Irish winger Topsy Ojo will make his Test debut against New Zealand on Saturday in an England team featuring a staggering 14 changes from the World Cup final.
Loose-head prop Andrew Sheridan is the only survivor from England’s defeat to South Africa in Paris just eight months ago.

There are also 11 changes from England’s last international, the 33-11 RBS 6 Nations win over Ireland in mid-March.

Tour manager Rob Andrew has retained only Sheridan, hooker Lee Mears, captain Steve Borthwick and scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth in a new-look England line-up.

There is no place in the starting team for Mathew Tait, with Ojo and David Strettle selected on the wings, Harlequin Mike Brown at full-back and Mike Tindall back from injury at outside centre.

Olly Barkley, omitted from Six Nations selection due to off-field issues, returns at inside centre while fly-half Charlie Hodgson starts his first Test since November 2006 in the absence of Danny Cipriani and Jonny Wilkinson.

In the back row, Luke Narraway starts only his second Test at number eight with Wasps duo Tom Rees and James Haskell named on the flanks.

Wasps lock Tom Palmer starts in the second row alongside captain Steve Borthwick and prop Matt Stevens gets his chance at tight-head alongside Sheridan and Mears.

Andrew’s hand has, in part, been forced by injuries, with big name players like Cipriani, Paul Sackey, Lewis Moody, Phil Vickery, Nick Easter and Simon Shaw all in various stages of rehabilitation.

But England are also deliberately attempting to build a new team and there are two other potential new caps included on the bench in London Irish hooker David Paice and Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care.

Ojo won a close selection vote ahead of Tom Varndell when the original squad was announced and will profit from Sackey’s injury-enforced absence.

Barkley will take the goal-kicking duties in the Test at Auckland’s Eden Park, rather than Hodgson who was the leading kicker in the Premiership last season.

New Zealand have made just one change from last weekend’s 21-11 win over Ireland, with prop Greg Somerville replacing the injured John Afoa.

England team to play New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday, June 14: M Brown (Harlequins); T Ojo (London Irish), M Tindall (Gloucester), O Barkley (Bath), D Strettle (Harlequins); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), T Palmer (Wasps), S Borthwick (Bath, captain), J Haskell (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), L Narraway (Gloucester).

Replacements: D Paice (London Irish), T Payne (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tait (Newcastle).


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