* Three uncapped starters to face Scotland
* Five more new faces on bench
(Adds detail, quotes)
By Mitch Phillips
BAGSHOT, England, Feb 2 (Reuters) – England will face
Scotland with one of their most inexperienced lineups for years
as three uncapped starters and a further five uncapped
replacements were included in the squad named by caretaker coach
Stuart Lancaster on Thursday.
Only six players who started the World Cup quarter-final
defeat to France in October survive for Saturday’s Six Nations
game at Murrayfield as Saracens centre duo Owen Farrell and Brad
Barritt and 30-year-old number eight Phil Dowson make their
debuts while lock Mouritz Botha makes his first start.
Lancaster, who is in charge of the team for the Six Nations,
has been even more radical with his choice of replacements where
there are five more uncapped players and only 39-cap prop Matt
Stevens and fullback Mike Brown, who won the last of his three
caps four years ago, have any international experience.
The team is captained by flanker Chris Robshaw in his second
international while Charlie Hodgson, in his 11th year of
international rugby, will take the responsibility of organising
the new-look backline from flyhalf.
Hodgson, recalled after injury ruled out Toby Flood
following the international retirement of Jonny Wilkinson,
should feel at home though as Farrell and Barritt and wing David
Strettle play alongside him at Saracens.
“Right at the outset I talked about two things,” Lancaster
told reporters at England’s training base.
Continued…
