Lewsey Back to Bolster England

Josh Lewsey has returned to the England side for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland, after recovering from a shoulder injury.

The Wasps full-back missed England’s victory over Italy 10 days ago but is back at full fitness and reclaims the No15 jersey from club colleague Tom Voyce, who drops back to the bench. Voyce, who replaced Lewsey in the first half against Wales, was passed fit for selection despite losing three teeth in Wasps’ 9-9 draw with Bristol.

The only other change to the starting line-up made by head coach Andy Robinson for the trip to Murrayfield, is to replace the injured Matt Stevens with Leicester tight-head prop Julian White. Stevens impressed against both Wales and Italy but strained his shoulder in Bath’s weekend defeat to London Irish.

White will start his first England game in more than a year. His last cap came in the 11-9 defeat to Wales which opened last season’s championship. He started all three Lions Tests in New Zealand but was overlooked for England’s autumn internationals because Robinson was looking to inject more mobility and footballing skill into his forward pack.

The England coach has also made three changes to the bench. White’s promotion opens a spot among the replacements for Perpignan prop Perry Freshwater, while uncapped Leicester hooker George Chuter replaces Bath’s Lee Mears. With Lewsey back and Voyce on the bench, Gloucester’s James Simpson-Daniel is forced out of the equation.

England head north as the only unbeaten side in the championship after the 47-13 drubbing of Wales and the hard-fought 31-16 victory over Italy - their first away win since 2004. But Robinson will be expecting a far more rigorous test in the Scottish capital than perhaps he might have expected two months ago. Scotland, under new coach Frank Hadden, opened their campaign with a dramatic victory over pre-tournament favorites France and battled hard against Wales last week after being reduced to 14 men.

Team:

J Lewsey (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), S Borthwick (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (capt, Leicester). Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), P Freshwater (Perpignan), S Shaw (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), M Dawson (Wasps), A Goode (Leicester), T Voyce (Wasps).