Quins duo get England nod
HARLEQUINS duo Chris Robshaw and Jordan Turner-Hall have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons with a place in Martin Johnson’s England side to face the Barbarians on Saturday.
Blind-side flanker Robshaw and centre Turner-Hall were inspirational in Quins’ second-place finish in the regular season and were consequently named Premiership Player of the Season and Young Player respectively.
Now, they have got the nod to make their England bows against a star-studded Baa Baas side at Twickenham, teaming up with club colleagues Danny Care and Nick Easter.
They also join Newcastle prop David Wilson and Bath winger Matt Banahan in winning their first England caps, while Northampton duo Dylan Hartley and Ben Foden line up for their first starts.
Gloucester prop Nick Wood and Newcastle back Tom May are also named for the first time, on the replacements’ bench.Meanwhile, open-side flanker Lewis Moody takes the No7 shirt for the first time in 15 months after injury, while World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson takes his place in the 22 for the first time in three years.
Brive stalwart Thompson, 30, quit the game with what was thought to be a career-threatening neck injury in 2007, but made an impressive comeback with the French club.
ENGLAND STARTING XV
Delon Armitage; Ben Foden, Jamie Noon, Jordan Turner-Hall, Matt Banahan; Andy Goode, Danny Care; Tim Payne, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Steve Borthwick (capt), Louis Deacon, Chris Robshaw, Lewis Moody, Nick Easter.
Reps: Steve Thompson, Nick Wood, Steve Jones, Steffon Armitage, James Haskell, Paul Hodgson, Tom May.