Kyran Bracken, the Saracens captain, will lead England on their three-Test tour of Canada and United States in June, with seven London Wasps players in a squad that also includees Richard Pool- Jones, the Stade Francais flanker.

Clive Woodward, the England manager, has opted to take 40 players - three more than the Lions will have in Australia at the same time - and this reflects the priority for a two-week tour that involves five games in all.

With England supplying nearly half the Lions squad, Woodward had to look to his second and third choices, giving a large group of young English players in the Zurich Premiership a chance to stake claims for next season.

Pool-Jones has been in storming form for Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup but that has been the case ever since he made his one and only England appearance in the 76-0 defeat by Australia in Brisbane in 1998. He appears to be the man Woodward chooses for difficult assignments when others are unavailable.

Pool-Jones gets the nod ahead of Wasps open side Paul Volley, who toured in South Africa last summer.

Apart from Bracken, Saracens also supply props Julian White and David Flatman, plus centre Ben Johnston.

Flanker Steve White-Cooper is the only NEC Harlequins selection and wing Paul Sackey represents London Irish. Martin Corry, the Leicester No 8, is the vice-captain in a tour party that could still supply replacements to the Lions tour if injuries crop up.

Meanwhile, Nigel Melville, the London Wasps director of rugby, surveyed the cuts and bruises collected by his players as they defeated Gloucester 18-6 to reach the Premiership play-off semi-finals and then admitted: "We needed that".

The players might have felt differently after a match in which Gloucester were back to their most belligerent, with no prisoners taken in the torrid forward exchanges.

Wasps, without a game last weekend, looked rusty before tries by Paul Sampson and Kenny Logan, plus more points from the Scotland wing's boot, earned a semi-final against Bath at Loftus Road on Sunday.

Saracens ended their season with a 45-17 defeat at Northampton and there is a fear that Lions wing Dan Luger could leave. Luger is out of contract this summer and said: "I just want to be paid what I'm worth and play where's best for my rugby".

The Squad

Full-back
Tim Stimpson . . . . . . . . . . .Leicester Tigers
Michael Stephenson*. . . . . Newcastle Falcons

Wing
David Rees . . . . . . . . . . . . Bristol
Paul Sampson . . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Paul Sackey* . . . . . . . . . . London Irish
Tom Voyce* . . . . . . . . . . .Bath

Centre
Leon Lloyd . . . . . . . . . . . . Leicester Tigers
Josh Lewsey . . . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Ben Johnston*. . . . . . . . . . Saracens
Joe Ewens* . . . . . . . . . . . .Gloucester
Fraser Waters* . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Jamie Noon*. . . . . . . . . . . Newcastle Falcons

Outside-half
Alex King . . . . . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Ollie Barclay* . . . . . . . . . . Bath
Dave Walder* . . . . . . . . . .Newcastle Falcons

Scrum-half
Kyran Bracken (capt) . . . . Saracens
Martyn Wood* . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Scott Benton . . . . . . . . . . . Leeds Tykes

Prop
David Flatman . . . . . . . . . . Saracens
Julian White . . . . . . . . . . . . Saracens
Trevor Woodman . . . . . . . Gloucester
Ricky Nebbitt* . . . . . . . . . .Leicester Tigers
Graham Rowntree . . . . . . . .Leicester Tigers

Hooker
Dorian West . . . . . . . . . . . Leicester Tigers
Mark Regan . . . . . . . . . . . Bath
Andy Long . . . . . . . . . . . . Bath
Chris Fortey*. . . . . . . . . . Gloucester
Steve Thompson*. . . . . . . Northampton

Lock
Simon Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . London Wasps
Steve Borthwick . . . . . . . . Bath
Ben Kay* . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leicester Tigers
Tom Palmer*. . . . . . . . . . . Leed Tykes
Alex Brown . . . . . . . . . . . .Bristol

Back row
Martin Corry . . . . . . . . . . . Leicester Tigers
Andy Hazell* . . . . . . . . . . .Gloucester
Joe Worsley . . . . . . . . . . . .London Wasps
Steve White-Cooper*. . . . .Harlequins
Alex Sanderson*. . . . . . . . Sale Sharks
Lewis Moody* . . . . . . . . . Leicester Tigers
Richard Pool-Jones . . . . . . Stade Francais

*=Uncapped

The Itinery
2 June: v Canada (Toronto)
5 June: v Canada 'A' (Vancouver)
9 June: v Canada (Vancouver)
12 June: v USA 'A' (tbc)
16 June: v USA (San Francisco)

Back to Articles

Back to News

Kyran Main Page

Home