MARTIN JOHNSON has defended his decision to pick former New Zealand rugby league international Shontayne Hape for England’s RBS 6 Nations campaign.
The 28-year-old qualified to play for England on residency grounds this month and Johnson wasted no time in parachuting the Bath centre straight into the squad, ahead of Shane Geraghty or Dominic Waldouck.
Hape won 14 international caps for the Kiwis before making his cross-code switch from Bradford Bulls to Bath in 2008.
He joins Riki Flutey and Dylan Hartley as the third New Zealand-born player in the England squad.
Johnson also promoted Northampton wing Chris Ashton – a home-grown rugby league convert from Wigan – and fellow Saints Ben Foden and Courtney Lawes into a new-look 32-man squad.
England’s cricket selector Geoff Miller recently admitted he would consider blocking South African-born players – the next Kevin Pietersen or Jonathan Trott – from being picked in the future.
But despite their multi-million pound elite player structure, the Rugby Football Union appear to have no plans to follow suit.
Johnson has been monitoring Hape’s form for the last year and selected him yesterday at the first possible opportunity.
England did the same with Riki Flutey in the autumn of 2008.
New Zealand-born number eight Dan Ward-Smith is in the second-string England Saxons squad along with Saracens’ South African centre Brad Barritt.
Johnson is aware of the debate that has been raging in cricket following the selection of Craig Kieswetter, but he insisted improving England’s fortunes is his only concern.
‘‘It is what the players do when they are here, how they handle themselves, how they train, how they play and the commitment they have to that team,’’ said Johnson, the England team manager.
‘‘I said that to Shontayne when I spoke to him the other day. Riki has been one of our outstanding players and characters.
Dylan Hartley as well.
I am looking forward to having Shontayne there.
‘‘I have played with guys who are born overseas throughout my career. You could never doubt Mike Catt’s commitment to the England cause.
‘‘Shontayne has got an opportunity.
We have been impressed with him as a player.
We have made enquiries about him as a person and a character and everything is positive.”
If Hape features during the Six Nations, he will become the third former New Zealand rugby league international to play for England after Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo.
Johnson is confident Hape can make a far more successful transition than the previous red rose Kiwis.
Johnson also dropped a major hint that the presence of a more robust inside centre in the shape of Flutey or Hape would open the door for former Newcastle Falcons ace Mathew Tait to finally nail down the 13 jersey.
‘‘I have felt a bit for Tait. It can be a little convenient sometimes to stick him on the bench because he is a utility.
It is probably a time for him to challenge for that 13 spot,’’ he said.
Johnson is yet to confirm that Steve Borthwick will be captain in the Six Nations, suggesting he may be ready to try a new second row combination.
England head to Portugal for training in the week beginning January 25 before tackling Wales in their Six Nations opener at Twickenham on February 6.
ENGLAND SQUADS
England’s revised 32-man senior elite player squad for RBS 6 Nations Championship: FORWARDS: S Armitage (London Irish), S Borthwick (Saracens), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), C Lawes (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Thompson (CA Brive), J White (Leicester), D Wilson (Bath).
BACKS: D Armitage (London Irish), C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton), R Flutey (CA Brive), S Hape (Bath), D Hipkiss (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), U Monye (Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), J Wilkinson (Toulon).
England Saxons squad for fixtures against Ireland A (January 31) and Italy A (February 7): FORWARDS: D Attwood (Gloucester), D Bell (Bath), G Chuter (Leicester), D Cole (Leicester), A Corbisiero (London Irish), P Dowson (Northampton), B Kay (Leicester), N Kennedy (London Irish), M Mullan (Worcester), D Paice (London Irish), T Rees (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), A Saull (Saracens), G Skivington (Wasps), D Ward-Smith (Wasps), R Webber (Wasps), N Wood (Gloucester), B Woods (Leicester) BACKS: B Barritt (Saracens), D Cipriani (Wasps), S Geraghty (Northampton), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), S Myler (Northampton), O Morgan (Gloucester), P Sackey (Wasps), J Simpson (Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), D Waldouck (Wasps), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), M Young (Newcastle).
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