Rugby Union: Ellis in Line to Lead the New Breed

In less demanding times a first international call-up not only meant the chance of another jersey on the clubhouse wall but the guarantee of a Saturday off club duties.

Even as recently as Graham Henry's reign in Wales, clubs knew they would not have their international debutant available the week before the Test and long before that an England prospect might miss chunks of the season before trials. A leisurely run-out against Old Merchant Taylors was one thing; Gloucester, Cardiff and Newport were something altogether different.

There was an echo of the past when John Wells named his line-up to play Gloucester today. Louis Deacon (shoulder), Geordan Murphy (shoulder), John Holtby (arm), Austin Healey (hamstring), Steve Booth (knee), Ollie Smith (shoulder), and Leon Lloyd (knee) are all injured but the Leicester head coach appeared to be leaning over backward to satisfy England by starting Harry Ellis from the bench.

"I think, if we handle Harry well over the next few days, it may be to Leicester's detriment but it may be to England's benefit," said Wells. When he also announced that Lewis Moody would move from No6 to open-side flanker the more cynical guessed that Wells had recently taken a phone call from England's new coach, Andy Robinson.

It was hardly rocket science. Robinson intended Ellis to be scrum-half in his first England team with Moody at No7. There were clues elsewhere. In another part of the forest Pat Howard, the former Australian international now looking after the backs at Leicester, was adamant: "Harry's ready," he said. "He's not only ready for the future but he's ready for today. He'll make an impact over the next couple of weeks if given a chance."

And Wells, just to amplify his earlier remarks, added: "Harry's going to be an international star of the future. The sooner they get Harry involved in the set-up and playing the game, then the sooner he'll get a few games under his belt and he'll get to appreciate the next level up in his rugby career."

Rob Howley also managed to mention Ellis when asked about the Lions next summer. "Harry Ellis, potentially, could be the most dangerous player in the No9 spot," said the double Lion. "If he keeps developing the way his is, he is going to press the right buttons."

It is a pity then that Ellis will not be starting today - although Wells says he might reconsider his bench this morning - because the other scrum-half on show before a full-house at Welford Road is Andy Gomarsall, one of the keys to the success of Gloucester's fast, wing-to-wing game this season.

He is the man in place with England but is 30 - Ellis is eight years younger - and Robinson might be looking more to the future, especially in the Canada game next Saturday.

Gomarsall is not the luckiest scrum-half around. With Matt Dawson and Kyran Bracken spending half the World Cup with the physio, Gomarsall might have been expected to make more of a show. Instead, after monopolising the No9 shirt during training, he became known as The Body Double.

Robinson will have to decide whether he goes with Gomarsall's better pass or Ellis's acceleration and the ability to score the kind of try which rescued Leicester's Zurich Premiership game against Bath.

But, if Robinson is not going to get 80 minutes to look at his potential No9s head-to-head, there is plenty more to occupy the England coach elsewhere.

Alex Brown misses a chance to contest the England middle-jumper slot with Ben Kay - an injured bicep ending his record-breaking run of 88 unbroken league appearances - but James Forrester should get off the Gloucester bench to match his speed and adventure against the more solid assets of Martin Corry. And then there is the match-up of Moody, returning from injury, against Andy Hazell - two No7s who have the nip missing from the England back row when they toured New Zealand and Australia in the summer.

The Gloucester man is a great fan of Moody. "I rate him very highly," said Hazell after a sparkling performance against Ulster at Kingsholm last week. "He's got it all. He's a bit looser in the way he plays but he's a pain to play against. If you are against him and Neil Back you know you are in for a pretty tough time. They are the sort . . . you have to raise your game for."

Back is another player start ing from the bench today but, if Robinson is looking for a contemporary No7 who plays the way the coach once did for England and Bath, then Hazell could be his man. The 26-year-old - so Gloucester through and through that he lives in Kingsholm Road - has added discipline to his enthusiasm this season.

According to Dave Ellis, the France defence coach who does the same job for Gloucester, Hazell also now has a bigger attacking dimension to his game. In addition to tackling, ball-winning and linking with the backs, Hazell is now seen in the wide, try-scoring positions - a bonus Robinson will ponder before he announces his first England team on Monday.