Johnson set to name England tour party
11th May 2010
England manager Martin Johnson will name his 44-man squad for this summer's five-match tour of Australia and New Zealand at 1000 BST on Tuesday. Lewis Moody is set to remain as captain with Steve Borthwick missing the trip.
Bath centre Olly Barkley could return to the squad for the first time in two years with Riki Flutey also injured.
England play the Barbarians on 30 May before midweek games with Australian Barbarians (two) and New Zealand Maori, and two Tests against the Wallabies.
The two internationals will take place in Perth on 12 June and Sydney on 19 June.
Borthwick has not have played for nearly two months because of tendinitis in his knee and Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter said last week the lock will take the summer off in a bid to overcome the problem.
Barkley won the the last of his 23 caps against the All Blacks in June 2008 and has not featured for England since Johnson took full charge of the national team.
After an unhappy season at Gloucester, Barkley returned to Bath last summer, only to break his leg in pre-season training and be sidelined until the new year.
But he has roared back to form in recent weeks, playing an integral role in Bath's late charge into the Guinness Premiership semi-finals.
"If I was part of England's selection committee, Olly would be a certainty to tour," said Bath coach Steve Meehan.
Others tipped for inclusion are Wasps pair Joe Simpson and Dan Ward-Smith.
Ward-Smith, who has made a successful switch from number eight to lock, has been in outstanding form, while scrum-half Simpson has impressed with his searing pace and sniping breaks this season.
Wasps coach Tony Hanks believes New-Zealand born Ward-Smith, who was set to be capped three years ago when at former club Bristol before first a dislocated kneecap and then a broken hand hampered his progress, could have a big impact down under.
"He is the new prototype second row," Hanks said. "That number four jersey has been dominated by a certain Simon Shaw [at Wasps] for a long time but Dan has been a revelation in that position. He has a pretty good try-scoring record there too.
"It says a lot when opposition coaches come up to you after a game and they say 'Jeez, that Dan-Ward Smith can play'.
"He rolls his sleeves up, he doesn't hang around out wide and he carries and carries and gets through a ton of work.
"I think he has got to be in with a great shout of making that tour and making a real impression. The decision over what jersey they give him will be the interesting one. "
There is uncertainty over whether two more Wasps - veteran prop Phil Vickery and flanker Tom Rees - will be taken on tour after both only recently returned to action from neck and shoulder surgery respectively.
With Sale loose-head prop Andrew Sheridan definitely out of the tour, Newcastle's emerging Jon Golding could win a tour spot.
Leeds' South Africa-born flanker Hendrie Fourie is another being tipped for inclusion after an impressive breakthrough season.
Saracens pair Alex Goode and Andy Saull also both have strong claims for selection.
Harlequins wing David Strettle, who moves to Saracens this summer, is another hoping for a recall as he bids to regain his place ahead of Sale's Mark Cueto.
"You would hope I'll be in the squad but I get frustrated because while selection is dictated by how you perform sometimes, especially on the wing, your game is dictated by the team you are playing for," he said.
"Cueto is one of the best backs playing for England but he has had a limited season because Sale, until recently, hadn't been spreading the ball wide. It's frustrating because you want to show what you can do.
"I have said all along that the England shirt may not have my name on the back, but if it did I would be just as good as when it did. "
Danny Cipriani's slim hopes of a place appeared to disappear after suffering a suspected fractured thumb against Newcastle on Saturday.
The Melbourne-bound fly-half was named in the Barbarians squad to face England, and will miss that game, but was unlikely to be involved in the touring party having fallen out of favour with Johnson and his selectors.
Meanwhile, Australia are set to be without Waratahs prop Benn Robinson for the Tests against England after he fractured his right arm for the second time in a month during his side's Super 15 win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
The 25-year-old will consult a specialist to determine whether surgery is required but it appears increasingly unlikely he will play no part in the Wallabies' first four Tests of the season, which includes the two England games as well as matches against Fiji and Ireland.
Source: BBC Sport - Rugby Union
