Poms call on Barritt

Poms call on Barritt

19 May 2009

Former Sharks centre Brad Barritt has been named in the England Saxons squad that includes Danny Cipriani.

Barritt moved to Saracens after the Currie Cup and as he holds a British passport he is eligible for English selection. He has been called up to the England second-string side to take part in the Churchill Cup in Denver.

Barritt follows in the footsteps of ex-Kearsney schoolmate Matt Stevens in playing for England. The centre suffered concussion in his sole outing for the Sharks this season, but should recover in time for the tournament.

Cipriani’s nightmare season continues as he started the November internationals as first-choice pivot, but now Leicester flyhalf Sam Vesty is another to have ousted him.

‘We think Sam Vesty has been playing very well and deserves his place in the senior team,’ coach Martin Johnson told the BBC.

‘It is not that Danny doesn’t, but someone has beaten him to the spot. It is a very competitive area and we made the call after thinking about who was right for this trip.’

World Cup-winning hooker in 2003 Steve Thompson has meanwhile been recalled to the first-choice side to play the Barbarians and Argentina.

England:

Forwards: S Armitage (London Irish), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), G Chuter (Leicester), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), N Kennedy (London Irish), L Moody (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Thompson (CA Brive), J White (Leicester), D Wilson (Newcastle), N Wood (Gloucester)

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), B Foden (Northampton), A Goode (CA Brive), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins), D Hipkiss (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), T May (Newcastle), O Morgan (Gloucester), J Noon (Newcastle), D Strettle(Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), S Vesty (Leicester), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks)

England Saxons Churchill Cup squad:

Forwards: D Cole (Leicester), A Corbiserio (London Irish), P Dowson (Newcastle), D Flatman (Bath), T Guest (Harlequins), S Hooper (Bath), C Jones (Sale), T Mercey (Saracens), L Narraway (Gloucester), D Schofield (Sale), P Short (Bath), J Ward (Wasps), R Webber (Wasps), B Woods (Leicester)

Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), M Banahan (Bath), B Barritt (Saracens), N Cato (Saracens), D Cipriani (Wasps), S Geraghty (London Irish), A Goode (Saracens), S Myler (Northampton), J Simpson (Wasps), T Varndell (Leicester), D Waldouck (Wasps), M Young (Newcastle)


64 Comments

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  • 51.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:21 pm

    #49 Big Hit: Catt is a miss on my part.

    Rawlinson grew up in NZ I think, so “claiming” him is hard.

    Geez – Liebenberg -I still don’t know who he is.

    Stevens – stupid idiot – but really the Donut Dunning of England.

    But when it comes to cricket …….

  • 52.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:24 pm

    #50 Bagel: Your comment on defense being enjoyable in a rugby context is a good one.

    The S15 is quite cumbersome. I don’t like the conferences in particular.

    I would do away with the June tour – they are pretty much C or D players.

    Or make them “Emerging” tours – but they discredit the meaning of a Test match.

  • 53.gecko: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:28 pm

    Rawlinson did not grow up in NZ – he only spent 4 years there. He played a few games for Sharks before he went.

  • 54.Bagel: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:32 pm

    Vickerman-Class
    de Villiers-Class
    Rathbone-Good but not better than what we have

    Catt- Did the job for England but would thrive in no other side.
    Stevens?
    Rawlingson did nothing and must be 30 now?
    Who is the other dude?

  • 55.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:33 pm

    #53 gecko: I did not know that. Thanks.

  • 56.Alicamousa: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:39 pm

    Stuart Abbott (England 8 caps & RWC winner) Career wrecked by injury.

  • 57.gecko: Reply to this comment
    19 May 2009, 23:42 pm

    Pat Barnard – who also got called up by England Saxons a few years ago but withdrew due to a knee injury (thus not bound to SA or England) has left the UK and signed for Brive in France. Rassie Erasmus – bloody sign him.

  • 58.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 00:01 am

    #57 gecko: Good call. Good player.

  • 59.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 00:10 am

    #56 Alicamousa: yep, great shame about that he was really looking the business.

    Dion O’Cuinneagain had 19 caps for Ireland (also captained them)

    #54 Bagel: Catt would thrive in any side, superb talent.

  • 60.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 00:22 am

    #51 SodaJoe: Brian Liebenberg is the Stade Francais centre, a top player at one point.

    Carlo del Fava, 23 caps Italy

  • 61.money_man: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 04:59 am

    #4 gecko:

    Mate this is the problem with RSA rugby… the ‘Emerging Boks’ was a complete and utter waste of time… and nothing more than an ‘Emerging Vodacom Cup’ side peppered with palooka’s like Ashley Johnnson and Ismaiel Dollie…

    When in fact it SHOULD HAVE been a REAL South African ‘A’ side… a vehicle for testing/keeping new blood and those ‘bubbling under’ in the mix of Bok structures for the future… without handing out caps willy-nilly as well letting them know they are being watched and not left out in the cold…

    This very practise has worked well for NZ and Aus in keeping/developing some of their youngsters… playing in a DECENT comp against DECENT opposition (Pac Nations Cup) and not 2nd tier countries ‘A’ sides!

    This would be the stage to introduce/trial the likes of Ralepelle, Rose, Francis, Adams, Kockott, Wepener, Liebenberg, Ludik etc etc and not on the test front… also keeping a few already capped players (and veterans) like WO, Murray, Muller, Watson, Carsten etc etc both still ‘in the mix’ and up with current Bok structures…

    Oh if only common sense prevailed!

  • 62.money_man: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 05:02 am

    As for the exodus… with the Lions tour fast approaching and Aus needing a decent injection of depth for the new format S14 where teams are going to need 40man squads to be competitive… it’s only just in it’s infancy!

    Bring back a REAL South African ‘A’ side SHARPISH!

  • 63.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 08:52 am

    #48 Bagel:

    Nah mate I know, we have chatted on this blog for yonks now.

    And yes, at one stage Johan was playing great rugby.

  • 64.superbok: Reply to this comment
    20 May 2009, 10:04 am

    Is there some sort of underlying reason why SARU are missing the trick in establishing a yearly event for the Boks A team?
    Why call a team the Emerging Springboks when in effect, an A-side is an emerging team. By calling your side officially the A-side, IRB rules state then that you are meant then to only represent that country.

    If players want to leave for clubs overseas, they can still do so. What you prevent is strenthening your opponents, which is Barritt’s case, will likely come back against us in the future.

    It seems so simple it beggars belief. Other countries are ‘locking in’ players by starting them in Sevens and their A-sides. Australia and England are good examples of this. Barritt is a versatile player who won’t make the Bok side in the next couple of years, but would have featured later. Even if he wasn’t good enough for the future, why go and hand him to another country?

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