Username
Password
Article about Topsy Ojo on the BBC

From The BBC, 10th June, 2008

Ojo gets England debut against NZ

London Irish wing Topsy Ojo will make his Test debut against New Zealand in an England side showing 11 changes from their last outing with Ireland.

Ojo starts in a back three alongside Mike Brown and David Strettle.

Mike Tindall and Olly Barkley are the centre pairing, with Charlie Hodgson and Richard Wigglesworth at half-back.

Tom Palmer partners captain Steve Borthwick at lock, Luke Narraway, James Haskell and Tom Rees form a new back row, with Matt Stevens at tight-head.

Prop Stevens, with former captain Phil Vickery one of many players resting or recovering from injury, starts alongside Andrew Sheridan and hooker Lee Mears.

The only other survivors from the side that started England's last Six Nations match against Ireland in March are scrum-half Wigglesworth and Borthwick, with Sheridan the only survivor from England's World Cup final side.

Wasps second-row Tom Palmer starts his first Test since the end of the 2007 Six Nations.

In the absence of Nick Easter, sidelined with a fractured hand, stand-in manager Rob Andrew has opted to keep Haskell at blind-side, where he has excelled this season, and give Narraway only his second Test start at number eight.

The Gloucester back-row made his debut there in the Six Nations against Wales when Easter was injured, and won two further caps as a replacement.

Rees takes over at open-side flanker from Bath's Michael Lipman, who is out of the 22 with the experienced Joe Worsley the back-row replacement, Tom Croft also missing out.

Two more uncapped players, London Irish hooker David Paice and Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care, could win their first caps off the bench.

Mathew Tait, England's one bright spot in a lacklustre warm-up win over the Barbarians, has to settle for a place among the replacements.

Mike Tindall returns for the first time after injury at outside centre, alongside Olly Barkley, back in the side after missing the Six Nations because a court case hanging over him.

Barkley gets the nod ahead of Toby Flood, while fly-half Hodgson will start his first Test since November 2006 in the absence of Danny Cipriani and Jonny Wilkinson, both recovering from surgery.

New Zealand have made just one change to their side, with Canterbury Crusaders prop Greg Somerville returning at tight-head.

Somerville, rested for last Saturday's 21-11 win over Ireland, takes over from the injured John Afoa.

There is one alteration on the bench, with back-row Sione Lauaki coming in for Adam Thomson.

Otherwise, coach Graham Henry has stuck with a settled side as the All Blacks look to continue their rebuilding following their World Cup disappointment.

Henry said: "This is our best side right now and we should benefit from another week of training together.

"We'll have to be a bit sharper if we are to defeat England. They have some very experienced internationals plus some new players coming through who might not be well known in New Zealand but will be a real challenge on Saturday."

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has signed a new four-year contract to remain in New Zealand.

England team to play New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday, 14 June, 0835 BST:

M Brown (Harlequins) T Ojo (London Irish) M Tindall (Gloucester) O Barkley (Bath) D Strettle (Harlequins) C Hodgson (Sale) R Wigglesworth (Sale) 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)

New Zealand team:

M Muliaina (Chiefs) A Tuitavake (Blues) C Smith (Hurricanes) M Nonu (Hurricanes) S Sivivatu (Chiefs) D Carter (Crusaders) A Ellis (Crusaders) N Tialata (Hurricanes) A Hore (Hurricanes) G Somerville (Crusaders) B Thorn (Crusaders) A Williams (Crusaders) R So'oialo (Hurricanes) R McCaw (Crusaders, captain) J Kaino (Blues)

Replacements:

K Mealamu (Blues) J Schwalger (Hurricanes) A Boric (Blues) S Lauaki (Chiefs) J Cowan (Highlanders) S Donald (Chiefs) L MacDonald (Crusaders)

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with: