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England Saxons Team Announced
By Kath 5/2/08 February 6 2008
England Saxons Team Announced to play Italy Dowson to lead new look Saxons against Azzurri Steve Bates has chosen Newcastle Falcons flanker Phil Dowson to lead England’s second string against Italy A in Sicily on Saturday (kick off 6.15pm local time).

England Saxons Team Announced

 

Steve Bates has chosen Newcastle Falcons flanker Phil Dowson to lead England's second string against Italy A in Sicily on Saturday (kick off 6.15pm local time).

 

Head Coach Bates, who retains 12 of the squad that recorded an impressive 31-13 victory over Ireland A at Welford Road last Friday, remains confident in the team's ability to deliver.

 

"With Guinness Premiership games on this weekend we have agreed to release a number of players to play for their clubs," he explained.

 

"I think it's a great indication that we can still field such a strong and competitive squad despite only picking from half the Premiership.

 

"I've been impressed at how quickly the new faces have fitted in and how quickly the squad has come together."

 

Making their England Saxons debut in Ragusa will be Bristol prop Alex Clarke, Bath lock Peter Short and Harlequins No. 8 Tom Guest.  Behind them, wingers Tom Biggs (Leeds Carnegie) and John Rudd (Newcastle Falcons) will also be making their first Saxons' appearance.

 

England Saxons team to play Italy A

15.  Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)

14. John Rudd (Newcastle Falcons)

13. Delon Armitage (London Irish)

12. Alex Crockett (Bath Rugby)

11. Tom Biggs (Leeds Carnegie)

10. Adrian Jarvis (Harlequins)

  9. Lee Dickson (Newcastle Falcons)

 1. Alex Clarke (Bristol Rugby)

 2. David Paice (London Irish) 

 3. Jason Hobson (Bristol Rugby)

 4. Peter Short (Bath Rugby)

 5. Nick Kennedy (London Irish)

 6. Phil Dowson (Newcastle Falcons, captain)

 7. Ben Woods (Newcastle Falcons)

 8. Tom Guest (Harlequins)

 

Replacements

16. Andrew Long (Newcastle Falcons) 

17. David Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)*

18. Andrew Springgay (Bayonne)

19. Will Skinner (Harlequins)

20. Danny Care (Harlequins)

21. Mike Brown (Harlequins)

22. Topsy Ojo (London Irish)

 

*Subject to availability following a Six Nations Rugby disciplinary hearing this afternoon.

 

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6 Feb, 2008 11:24 Report
snotterbox (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
Adrian Jarvis is hopeless,can't even get into the quins team ahead of Malone.Now that really tells you how good he is !!!

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6 Feb, 2008 12:01 Report
Psycho (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
John Rudd? Dear God. Not one for now and certainly not one for the future. I don't understand the point of this fixture if they're not going to select the best Saxons team. Picking based on whether clubs have matches or not (which, presumably explains Rudd and Long) is daft. Better not to have a fixture than to devalue selection like this.

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6 Feb, 2008 12:11 Report
Battering Ram Winger (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
Er, Jarvis has started the last couple games for Quins, when we've looked at least vaguely threatening.

However - Rudd? Long? No centre cover? No fly half cover? Dickson ahead of Care? No Arscotts at all?

Geraghty wasting his time holding tackle bags for the first team is another wonder decision by the England management team, who appear to be pulling names out of a hat at random.

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6 Feb, 2008 12:13 Report
Thanks for the Mem. (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
Psycho - Totaly agree, Why isn't someone like Tom Arscott not given a go or Topsy Ojo? These guys have a future. Didn't Rudd once play for Newcastle? That might explain it!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:02:06:12:15:22 by the mem..

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6 Feb, 2008 13:08 Report
Reading_Fatboy (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
Topsy has been a bit out of sorts this season and made that spectacular whoopsy to gift Perpignan a try in a televised game.

I'm surprised he is not in the first team really(Sm100)

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6 Feb, 2008 16:35 Report
Babs O (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
One mistake doesnt define a player's ability though does it RFB??

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6 Feb, 2008 17:08 Report
Battering Ram Winger (IP Logged)
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Re: England Saxons Team Announced
It does if it's repeatedly made.

But if Ojo's struggling for form, maybe a jolt in the "A" team will do him good.

I still think Skinner should be starting. Captain and MOTM in the Churchill Cup Final, regularly starting for (and captaining) his club, now warming his bum on the bench for the "A" team.

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