Stuart Lancaster: Wields his axe
Flanker Tom Johnson, number eight Tom Waldrom and wing Charlie Sharples have all been dropped from England's 23-man squad to face South Africa.
The trio started in England's 20-14 defeat to Australia at Twickenham last weekend.
Harlequins loosehead Joe Marler has been ruled out with a knee ligament injury, opening the way for London Irish star Alex Corbisiero to return after overcoming a knee injury of his own.
Wasps' James Haskell and Gloucester number eight Ben Morgan have both been included in the squad, replacing Waldrom and Johnson.
London Irish centre Jonathan Joseph has taken Sharples' place in the matchday squad after recovering from an ankle injury.
"We have made some changes this week to freshen up the squad before the challenge of South Africa," said England head coach Stuart Lancaster, who will confirm his starting XV on Thursday.
"Unfortunately that means one or two players miss out who were in the matchday squad against Australia.
"But they have all added value with their contributions in training and the games and I am sure they will be looking to play well for their clubs and force their way back in.
"The changes however give opportunities to those who have been pushing hard and we feel will add energy and balance to the team ahead of the significant South African challenge."
Mouritz Botha has been added to the squad as provisional injury cover for Geoff Parling, who is nursing a knee problem but the England medics expect him to be fit.
England's 23-man squad:
Backs (10): Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester), Ben Youngs (Leicester)
Forwards (14): Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dan Cole (Leicester), James Haskell (Wasps), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), David Paice (London Irish), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton), Tom Youngs (Leicester)
Comments
rugby_rockstar says...
tinkywinky waldrom is no loss.
Martin Johnson and Andy Robinson would already be picking the daggers out of their backs if they'd dropped Sharples like Lancaster has.
The way is open for Tom Wood to take his deserved place at 6. (rather have him at 7 though. he's faster, bigger and stronger than Robshaw and had helped england win the 6 nations the year before AT SEVEN. If only he'd been fit and playing when Lancaster was looking for a captain last February...)
Posted 11:18 21st November 2012
APV1 says...
@ colvin - I'm hoping for a revival of the Tequila Sunrise orange from the 7s team a short while ago. Perhaps we could ask South Africa for special dispensation and start using the moniker "Rainbow Nation" as well..!
@ NHsaints - I think you've got it almost spot on. Perhaps start with Vunipola, rather than Corbs? I might even swap JJ and Tuilagi around. JJ's a little more creative and I think the contrast between Ashton on one side and MT on the other might be a good one... I think I'd also swap Haskell for Wood at 6. Perhaps.
@ ArmchairGeneral - just read your post, after I'd written the above. Great minds, eh?!
Posted 11:07 21st November 2012
BokAvenger says...
England should wear ballet outfits for this game. Suits their temperament
Posted 11:01 21st November 2012
melkdave says...
As i said in a earlier post England are still in the building phase of seeing what player A offers over player B.Apart from bulking up a little thats the main reason for players being dropped T.Johnson ,has imo played wellso far ,but its time to se what Haskall has to offer along with Morgon.Myself still perfer Robshaw as a 6 ,but his ben ok at 7 ,siexpecthim to continue there till S.Aemitage deal is sorted if ever lol.I dont think we will see SL and co start to beardown on selection til the 6Ns tbh
Posted 10:16 21st November 2012
chancer says...
Changes to forwards O.K. but it is the cenre that needs changing, currently and historically the main problem with England. I don't rate Flood or Farrell and there is no guile or inteligence at 12 & 13, while we have time we need to try the other talent out there. Why no JSD on the wing, why no French based players? Sheridan does not need a training session to know how to scrum.
Posted 10:10 21st November 2012
jehosophat says...
Good changes, what many wanted. Robshaw 6, Morgan 8, Haskell 7 would be a good back row vs the Boks, we still need a true openside longer term. Lancaster seems to have something against Haskell though, will be interesting to see if he or Wood starts. Either way it's better than the last back row, mainly because Waldrom has gone.
Baritt was good against Australia, he has been solid for England since last year's 6N. He is sound defensively and yet can and does pass - I think people criticising this sort of inside centre have a romantic notion of how international rugby should be, and are not looking at how it is. How many tries were there on Saturday? One each. And both dodgy - it could easily have been none. Personally I don't want some ethereal inside centre that occasionally does something amazing but ships a try every second game.
SA don't exactly ooze flair, they play workmanlike rugby. NZ win the physical scrap before turning it on. Until JJ or others have really proven they can handle the rigours of international defense AND offer more in attack, consistently, Baritt remains first choice.
And people can criticise "one dimensional" Tuilagi as much as they like - he scores a lot of tries against top oppisition, that suggests the critics are talking BS. Look what he did to France in last year's 6N, in Paris, from nothing - that is priceless.
Posted 10:04 21st November 2012
Doyley says...
Good decisions, definitely prefer Haskell and Morgan to Johnson and Waldrom. Can see Lancaster starting Mike Brown on the wing, like he did putting Ben Foden there in the SA series, Tuilagi back at 12 and Joseph at 13 so should hopefully a bit of variation outside Flood!
Posted 09:33 21st November 2012
Chinstan says...
@Colvin I spent 10 mins baratting some poor women from O2 at twickenham last Sat and apprently the team are obliged to wear it at least once during the AI's so that's hopefully the last time we'll see it unless we tour Fiji!
@Missionary agreed Barritt is solid but nothing else and certainly wasn't "excellent" NHsaints on sat no Eng player was anything better than average.
The selection changes are pretty much what most people saying and it's good to see that Lancaster is not afraid to mix things up. Would have loved to have seen Burns in there but we really need to perform in this game and the pressure is mouting after last weekend so think he'll have to wait till the 6 nations. Just hope we can put on a much improved performance this weekend!
Posted 09:27 21st November 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@missionary think about what were playing. 14 1 dimensional battering ram. Barritt should not be dropped as we host the Boks. I'd have Joseph at 13 and Manu replacing Sharples. Not sure Johnson has done anything wrong and would rather have seen Robshaw dropped for Haskell as with the drawn 3rd test. Johnson was very strong vs Boks. Then again England were better on that tour than they have been at home! I can understand the need to bulk up. Robshaw 6, Morgan 8, Haskell 7 with Wood on at 7 the moment the grind stops and the passing starts. I much prefer Wood and dont like Haskell but for the Boks .. oh ok. Wood starts at 7. Nice balance at last in the back row.
Posted 08:52 21st November 2012
missionary says...
@NHSaints - Barritt was excellent against Australia? You're kidding right? He's a one-dimensional battering ram. No creativity at all. Coupled with the other battering ram at centre, your wings will be starved of ball. SA will a basic defensive pattern to handle these two. Agree with the selection of Brown - now he does have creativity - and some starch as well.
Posted 07:26 21st November 2012
NHsaints says...
Eyyy, nice to see you're listening to sense Lancaster! Those were the exact changes I would have made seeing as Barritt was excellent against Australia that only left sharples to go from the backs. Now my 15 would be - 1.Corbisiero, 2.Youngs, 3.Cole, 4. Palmer, 5.Parling, 6.Wood, 7.Robshaw, 8.Morgan, 9.Care, 10.Flood, 11.JJ, 12.Barritt, 13.Tuilagi, 14.Ashton, 15.Brown. with Paice, Vunipola, Launchberry, Haskell, Botha, Wilson, Youngs and Goode on the bench.
Posted 06:33 21st November 2012
colvin says...
What colour strip are England going to wear? The all white strip of England, the all black of New Zealand, the juicy purple of who knows what, last week's pink of who knows what?
It wouldn't be a surprise if the English players were facing a crisis of identification. The ABs always talk of playing for the jersey to maintain their standards. At least they know what jersey they are playing for.
Posted 06:14 21st November 2012