|
UK
Casino Times
> Casino
News
29 January 2007
Rugby - England Pick Wilkinson
And Farrell
Jonny Wilkinson and Andy
Farrell have both been named in Brian Ashton's England team
to face Scotland in the Six Nations at Twickenham on
Saturday.
Fly-half Wilkinson has not
played for England since the 2003 World Cup final because of
injuries, and has only played 40 minutes in the last 12
weeks.
Rugby league convert
Farrell is picked at centre alongside Mike
Tindall.
Jason Robinson returns on
the wing, while Magnus Lund, Joe Worsley and Martin Corry
make up the back row.
Robinson was coaxed out of
international retirement after initially stepping down after
the 2005 Six Nations.
England hooker Steve
Thompson has been ruled out of the whole tournament with a
neck injury, while uncapped number eight Dan Ward-Smith is
also facing a lengthy spell out with a knee
injury.
£500
FREE.
For YOU
to play with. NO
deposit required. WON'T
cost you a thing. Sounds TOO
good to be true? DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
The defending world
champions have finished fourth in the last two Six Nations
and are on a dismal run of eight defeats in their last nine
Tests.
But Ashton's appointment
as head coach has raised hopes that England can make a fresh
start under new captain Phil Vickery.
And Ashton has certainly
rung the changes in his first selection, with 11 personnel
changes from the last Test under previous coach Andy
Robinson.
Leicester's Harry Ellis
has received a recall at scrum-half, but there is no room
for veteran back Mike Catt.
Newcastle's Mathew Tait
has to settle for a place on the bench, as do prop Julian
White and second row Tom Palmer.
Ashton has opted for
Leicester's Louis Deacon alongside Danny Grewcock in the
second row, while George Chuter gets the nod at hooker with
Steve Thompson struggling with a neck injury.
Lund, a specialist
open-side flanker, will start at seven with Lewis Moody
dropping down to the bench.
And Corry, captain during
Andy Robinson's largely unsuccessful tenure, gets the chance
to stake his claim as a player, partly thanks to
Ward-Smith's injury.
Wilkinson's inclusion
represents a major gamble, given his injury record over the
last three years.
The 27-year-old, who has
52 England caps, has endured a horrendous run of luck,
suffering injuries to his neck, shoulder, knee ligaments
and, most recently, kidney.
He returned as a
substitute for Newcastle at the weekend against Leicester,
his first action since suffering a lacerated kidney in early
November.
But former England captain
Will Carling questioned whether Wilkinson had been brought
back too soon.
"I don't want him rushed
back," Carling said. "The pressure on him will be
incredible. And you have to ask what this says to Toby Flood
and every other aspiring fly-half. It's nothing to do with
current form - it's his form of nearly four years ago. But
I'm ever the optimist and I hope it goes well."
Wilkinson will have
Saracens centre and former Great Britain rugby league
captain Andy Farrell outside him at Twickenham.
Farrell missed the whole
of his first season in union to injury, but has impressed at
centre since switching from blind-side flanker.
"I'm delighted to announce
a strong England 22 for what will be a very challenging
match against Scotland on Saturday," said Ashton. "It is
well documented that I have been an admirer of Andy
Farrell's career for a number of years and I'm looking
forward to seeing him play rugby union for his country. I'm
also pleased that Jason Robinson has decided to return from
international retirement and that Jonny Wilkinson has
returned to fitness after his recent injury."
£500
FREE.
For YOU
to play with. NO
deposit required. WON'T
cost you a thing. Sounds TOO
good to be true? DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
Related pages:
Rugby
- Market Positive For Ashton's England
Also see:
US
Online Casinos -
Online Casinos where USA players are accepted
Euro
Online Casinos -
Online Casinos where you can play in Euros currency
UK
Online Casinos -
Online Casinos where UK players can play in
UK £
British
Online Casinos -
The best in British online casinos for UK
residents.
Online
Casinos Guide
New to online casinos? We take you through the process in a
friendly, easy-going way.
CasinoTimes.co.uk
is updated every day with the latest online casino and
gambling news.
Click
Here
to bookmark us and check us out daily!
Return
to UK Casino News index
|
