Catt gets the cream with England call
England have included World Cup winner Mike Catt in their squad for the two-Test tour to Australia.
Catt has been rewarded for a magnificent season which has seen him inspire London Irish’s charge into the Guinness Premiership play-offs and their European Challenge Cup final appearance.
The 34-year-old won his last international cap in the 51-15 defeat by Australia in June 2004 – Sir Clive Woodward’s final match as head coach.
England will return to the Olympic Stadium with only Leicester second row Ben Kay remaining from the starting XV which overcame the Wallabies there in the 2003 World Cup final.
Sale duo Charlie Hodgson and Mark Cueto, both England regulars over the past year, have been rested while Gloucester centre Mike Tindall also misses out through fatigue.
Bath’s Olly Barkley and Andy Goode of Leicester will battle it out for the number 10 jersey with Newcastle’s Mathew Tait named for the first time since being dropped after winning his only cap last year.
England squad for June's two-Test tour of Australia:
Backs: S Abbott (Wasps), I Balshaw (Gloucester), O Barkley (Bath), S Bemand (Leicester), M Catt (London Irish), A Goode (Leicester), J Noon (Newcastle), P Richards (Gloucester), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), M Tait (Newcastle), M Van Gisbergen (Wasps), T Varndell (Leicester), T Voyce (Wasps), N Walshe (Bath).
Forwards: D Bell (Bath), A Brown (Gloucester), G Chuter (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), C Jones (Sale), B Kay (Leicester), M Lipman (Bath), M Lund (Sale), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), G Rowntree (Leicester), P Sanderson (Worcester, captain), A Titterrell (Sale), J White (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps).
