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Set to start: Steve Thompson
© Diarmid Courreges |
Brive
hooker Steve Thompson is in line for a starting berth
for England against Australia on Saturday.
The
World Cup winner - one of five French based players in the
squad - is set for the starting XV after Northampton captain
Dylan Hartley picked up an injury that prevented him
training last week.
First
choice Lee Mears is already out due to injury, paving the
way for Thompson to add to his 48 caps - the last of which
came against Argentina in the summer. That appearance marked
Thompson's first in an England shirt for three years, a
period during which he left Northampton Saints, broke his
neck, retired from rugby altogether and then made a stunning
comeback with Brive - who honoured his contract despite the
neck injury.
Thompson
gradually recovered full fitness and after seeking medical
advice returned to the front row and handed back the best
part of a £250,000 insurance payout.
Stade
Francais' James Haskell, meanwhile, is apparently
fighting it out with Leicester's Jordan Crane to take the No
8 position, while Northampton's Courtenay Lawes is being
tipped for a starting berth in the second row.
Despite
losing 11 of his first-choice squad England manager Martin
Johnson believes that his players have what it takes to down
the Wallabies on Saturday. "We are confident in the group
we've got. It's a good blend," he said.
Johnson
will confirm the England starting XV on Wednesday, but one
France-based player definitely set to feature is Thompson's
World Cup winning colleague Jonny Wilkinson.
His presence alone has somewhat rattled the
Wallabies, with coach Robbie Deans admitting that the
30-year-old's return can only be good news for England.
"I think
probably the most critical element since the summer has been
the introduction of Jonny because that brought a lot more
certainty around the English," he said.
"I don't
imagine he'll have changed much as a player. We believe
England will be more dangerous with Jonny there. He'll bring
a lot of shape to their game. His influence on his peers
will be valuable in terms of the confidence he'll bring to
them. We expect to meet England at their best and know that
Jonny will contribute to that," added Deans.
France are also experiencing a few injury problems with
Stade Francais flanker Antoine Burban following Castres prop
Luc Ducalcon out of the squad. The pill is particularly
bitter as both players had been called up for the first time
in their careers.
France
head coach Marc Lièvremont has turned to experienced
replacements in both cases, with Perpignan's Guilhem Guirado
and Clermont Auvergne's Julien Bonnaire being added to the
squad.
Revised French squad
Forwards:
Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Thomas Domingo
(Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), William
Servat (Toulouse), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Sylvain
Marconnet (Stade Francais), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Lionel
Nallet (Racing-Metro), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse),
Sebastien Chabal (Racing-Metro), Pascal Pape (Stade
Francais), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles
(Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Thierry
Dusautoir (Toulouse, cap), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont),
Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont)
Backs:
Julien Dupuy (Stade Francais), Morgan Parra
(Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Francois Trinh-Duc
(Montpellier), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz
(Perpignan), Yann David (Toulouse), David Marty (Perpignan),
Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Benjamin Fall (Bayonne), Vincent
Clerc (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Damien Traille
(Biarritz)
