Rugby Union: Ashton Mulls World Cup Cull With an Eye to Versatility

The England players left their training camp in Bath yesterday for a week's rest before gathering to prepare for next month's World Cup warm-ups against Wales and France but there will be no time off for the head coach, Brian Ashton, as he ruminates over which 10 players to omit from the tournament in September.

Ashton decided not to prune his 40-strong preliminary squad, preferring to maximize his options for the two friendlies that precede the August 14 deadline for the announcement of final World Cup selections, and the first question he has to grapple with is the split of the party: 17-13 in favor of the forwards or 16-14.

England went for the latter in 2003 after Austin Healey was ruled out through injury, forcing Clive Woodward to take three specialist scrum-halves, and 16-14 is likely to be Ashton's preference, leaving him to cull four forwards and six backs from his current training squad. While the number 30 implies two teams, the need for three specialists at hooker and at scrum-half puts the emphasis on versatility, unless a coach has a player such as Healey who, while primarily a wing, had considerable experience at scrum-half.

Ashton last week released two specialist open-side flankers from his squad, Andy Hazell and Magnus Lund, as he wanted to take only one out-and-out breakaway to France, with all bar one of the rest of his back-rows able to play in at least two positions. Of the six players released by Ashton last week only Shane Geraghty could be used in more than one position.

If 14 backs go to France, the three scrum-halves in the current squad, Shaun Perry, Andy Gomarsall and Peter Richards, look certainties, along with Jonny Wilkinson, Charlie Hodgson, Mathew Tait, Mike Catt, Jason Robinson and Mark Cueto, while Toby Flood, another goal-kicker, and David Strettle are strong contenders.

Nine players would be battling for the remaining three positions. A fit Mike Tindall would be a shoo-in at outside-center but, if he fails to recover from his broken leg in time, Jamie Noon would be the likely replacement. That would leave Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey, Danny Cipriani, the only teenager in the 40, and Nick Abendanon wrestling for two places.

Lewsey was a World Cup winner in 2003 but he was dropped after an error-strewn afternoon at full-back during the Six Nations win over France last season, with Ashton saying he would consider him only as a wing in future. He scores over his club-mate Sackey in terms of experience and defence but the latter is one of the best finishers in English rugby. Robinson and Cueto can cover at full-back but Abendanon or Cipriani will be the specialist taken. Cipriani played age-group rugby at outside-half but Ashton sees him as a No15. "That's also how Danny views himself at the moment," said the coach.

Bath's Abendanon impressed after being called up as a replacement on last month's tour to South Africa. All of which would leave no place for Andy Farrell who, although he has played at outside-half in a few matches for Saracens' reserves, would be considered only as an inside-center.

Similarly Dan Hipkiss and Olly Barkley, who is no longer seen as a fly-half, will also probably miss out because of their lack of versatility. Flexibility was a word stressed by Ashton this week.

"World Cups are more and more about all the 30 players in your squad," he said. "England used only 25 players in 1999 but those days are gone and you have to keep everyone in match shape. We released Hazell and Lund because the flexibility and balance of the back row meant we did not want to take more than one specialist open-side."

Ashton has seven back-rows in his 40: he is likely to take five to France, with Martin Corry adding cover from the second row. Tom Rees is a certainty, with Joe Worsley and Lewis Moody offering cover for the open-side. Three of the other four are No8s who can play on the blind side, Lawrence Dallaglio, Nick Easter and James Haskell, while Dan Ward-Smith, who has battled back from a knee injury, may lack the flexibility Ashton wants as he is a specialist No8, even though considerable effort has been invested in a player who carries the ball strongly. One prop, probably Perry Freshwater, and a second-row, most likely Simon Shaw, will miss out.

"There is an element of anxiety with the squad going to be cut in the next couple of weeks but you have to put it to the back of your mind and concentrate on training and playing in the warm-ups," Moody said.

"We have a bigger hill to climb than we did in 2003 but, while the squad and first-choice side were predictable then, there is a fierce competition for places now. Our belief is stronger than it has been for years."

Possible squad


Forwards

Andrew Sheridan

Kevin Yates

Phil Vickery

Matt Stevens

George Chuter

Lee Mears

Mark Regan

Steve Borthwick Martin Corry

Ben Kay

Tom Palmer

Lewis Moody

Joe Worsley

Lawrence Dallaglio

Dan Ward-Smith

Tom Rees

Backs

Nick Abendanon

Andy Gomarsall

Peter Richards

Shaun Perry

Jonny Wilkinson

Charlie Hodgson

Toby Flood

Mike Catt

Mathew Tait

Mike Tindall or Jamie Noon

Jason Robinson

Mark Cueto

David Strettle

Paul Sackey