Matt Banahan and James Haskell on the return of Wilkinson
- 00:00:40
- ITN
Matt Banahan and James Haskell on the return of Wilkinson
Hooker Steve Thompson has completed a remarkable rugby comeback after being named in England's starting team to face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday. Thompson, a World Cup winner in 2003, was forced to retire from the game with a neck injury but, after repaying his insurance payout, returned to action with French club Brive. After a five-minute appearance off the bench against Argentina in June, the 31-year-old will reclaim the starting berth against the Wallabies. Jonny Wilkinson also returns at fly-half for his first appearance since the 2008 Six Nations, as does flanker Lewis Moody as part of an all-Leicester back row. A series of injuries has forced Johnson into choosing new combinations in the backs, with a back three of Ugo Monye, Matt Banahan and Mark Cueto, a centre pairing of Shane Geraghty and Dan Hipkiss and Danny Care at scrum-half inside Wilkinson. Steve Borthwick retains the captaincy, as well as Johnson's full backing, and is joined in the second row by Louis Deacon. There are two uncapped players on the bench - Biarritz and former Wasps centre Ayoola Erinle, who joined the squad only on Monday, and 20-year-old Northampton lock Courtney Lawes. "It's an exceptional amount of injuries but we are not going to sit around and sulk about it and it gives opportunities to others," Johnson told a news conference at the team's training base. "Look at last year when Delon (Armitage) came in from nowhere and did so well. Now he's out and it's a chance for one of the other guys. "Yes we are without some players but we are also getting back some very experienced players. What is going to be important is the leadership of those older guys and the communication in the team and the squad have improved from last year."
ITN | November 4, 2009
