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Rugby Union

Saxons squad shows experience as Johnson wields axe

01/07/2008

New team manager Martin Johnson has named an experienced England Saxons squad in his first official selection announcement since beginning life in his new role.

Among several old heads to be dropped to the junior side are centre Mike Tindall, lock Ben Kay and back-row forward Joe Worsley.

Sale Sharks scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, Harlequins back-row forward Nick Easter and Bath flanker Michael Lipman are all dropped from the senior set-up.

And they are joined by injured Wasps starlet Danny Cipriani, who is expected to be out for a further four or five months after surgery on a serious ankle injury.

Another interesting sidenote involves the four England players unofficially named by the Sun newspaper as having been involved in the alleged hotel room incident on the recent New Zealand tour.

Danny Care retains his place in the senior setup, although Harlequins team-mates David Strettle and Mike Brown, and London Irish wing Topsy Ojo, are all named in the Saxons list.

Full England Saxons squad list:

Forwards
Steffon Armitage (London Irish)
Richard Blaze (Leicester Tigers)
Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers)
Nick Easter (Harlequins)
Jack Forster (Gloucester)
Tom Guest (Harlequins)
Jason Hobson (Bristol)
Chris Jones (Sale Sharks)
Ben Kay (Leicester Tigers)
Michael Lipman (Bath)
David Paice (London Irish)
George Skivington (London Wasps)
Andy Titterrell (Gloucester)
Joe Ward (London Wasps)
David Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
Nick Wood (Gloucester)
Joe Worsley (London Wasps)

Backs
Nick Abendanon (Bath)
Anthony Allen (Gloucester)
Matt Banahan (Bath)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Cipriani (London Wasps)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Andy Goode (Leicester Tigers)
Paul Hodgson (London Irish)
Ryan Lamb (Gloucester)
Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
Topsy Ojo (London Irish)
David Strettle (Harlequins)
Mike Tindall (Gloucester)
Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps)
Richard Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks)