Healey the Versatile Maverick Seeks to Cement His Place

Austin Healey will make his first start for England for 17 months tomorrow desperate to shed his jack-of-all-trades reputation and secure his place as a specialist scrum-half in Clive Woodward's 30-man World Cup squad to be announced on Monday week.

Anything less than an assured performance opposite the influential French captain Fabien Galthié could see Healey pipped by Andy Gomarsall, who played well against Wales in Cardiff last week.

But the fit-again Leicester maverick is not conceding defeat despite recently saying he was not merely in the last-chance saloon but sitting on a horse outside it.

"I don't want to be sat at home watching the World Cup on TV," said Healey, now fully restored to health after a knee operation last April. "I want to be part of something which could be absolutely tremendous and I'm just grateful for this opportunity. When you have two consecutive injuries like I had last season you have a worrying time. I was worried this day wouldn't come."

Healey last started for England as a scrum-half against Romania almost two years ago, since when he has popped up in virtually every back-line position. He was a scrum-half until the age of 19, though, and had plans to resume there at club level last December until injury intervened.

"It's my most natural position and the one which I have to think about least when I'm playing, which is just as well," said Healey, who has accumulated 50 caps since his debut in 1997.

"It's invigorating. When I was on the bench last week I felt like a new cap again, which I think can only bode well."

As with Gomarsall last weekend, Healey needs to sparkle in a team context as well as individually. "I can't be selfish. It's not about me making breaks left, right and centre. If the team win, hopefully I will have done my job."

After England's emergency selection of Sale's Alex Sanderson in the back row in place of Joe Worsley, whose twisted ankle is also set to rule him out of next week's return game against France at Twickenham, the French have named a strong-looking team for tomorrow's fixture.

Nicolas Brusque comes in at full-back for the injured Pepito Elhorga, who has had cartilage problems, and a calf strain delays the return of the centre Tony Marsh, who won his battle against cancer this year. Their coach, Bernard Laporte, says that he will select "a completely different side" for the Twickenham encounter.

France: Brusque (Biarritz); Rougerie (Montferrand), Jauzion (Toulouse), Traille (Pau), Dominici (Stade Français); Michalak (Toulouse), Galthié (Stade Français, capt); Crenca (Agen), Bru (Toulouse), Marconnet (Stade Français), Pelous (Toulouse), Thion (Perpignan), Betsen (Biarritz), Magne (Montferrand), Harinordoquy (Pau). Replacements: Ibanez (Saracens), Milloud (Bourgoin), Auradou (Stade Français), Chabal (Bourgoin), Tabacco (Stade Français), Garbajosa (Toulouse), Liebenberg (Stade Français).