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LONDON - England coach Brian Ashton has one more match, against France at Twickenham on Sunday (NZ time), before he names his 30-man squad for the defence of the rugby World Cup.
Ashton will announce his party to travel to France on August 14 - the deadline set by the International Rugby Board - and has tricky choices to make in several positions.
He has made 11 changes from the side that beat Wales 62-5 last weekend with players such as first five-eighth Olly Barkley, flanker James Haskell, fullback Nick Abendanon and wing Paul Sackey all making late bids for World Cup places.
Veteran Mike Catt leads the team from centre with Lawrence Dallaglio, 35 today, starting at No 8 in an effort to make his third World Cup trip.
Sackey's chances of making the squad have been enhanced by David Strettle's foot injury that has ruled him out of rugby for three months. Strettle, who also missed both tests on England's tour to South Africa with a virus, was due to have a metal screw inserted into his left foot in London.
The winger said: "I was doing some open running with the ball in hand and I took a side step. I just heard a crunch. I suspected something was broken but it wasn't confirmed until I had it x-rayed.
"The specialist I saw has told me that I won't be playing again for 12 weeks, which is obviously a massive disappointment."
The performance of Olly Barkley, picked at first five-eighth against the French, will be under particular scrutiny.
The 25-year has been handed the chance to press for inclusion in the squad - ahead of Toby Flood - as Jonny Wilkinson's understudy.
France coach Bernard Laporte has named two-long term injury victims - Fabien Pelous and Frederic Michalak - in a 22-man squad for Sunday's game.
The mercurial Michalak - who can play at No 9 or No 10 - has not played for France since injuring his knee in the 2006 Six Nations, whilst Pelous has been dogged by a chronic ankle injury that has seen him lose the captaincy, for the World Cup, to hooker Raphael Ibanez.
Team manager Jo Maso said: "It will be good if we can win at Twickenham - that would give us more momentum. It will be interesting to see how we get on. Each player must give everything, but the important date is September 7."
Laporte has already named his 30 for the World Cup and is using the warm-up matches to tinker with his combinations. He is due to name his starting 15 for Twickenham today.
- AFP
