Brian Ashton, England’s new coach, made his mark on Tuesday by recalling World Cup-winner Jason Robinson 15 months after the fullback’s international retirement and naming Phil Vickery as his new captain in his initial Six Nations Championship squad.
Ashton, only confirmed as Andy Robinson’s successor last month, rang the changes in his first squad as world champions England’s head coach with Wasps prop Vickery replacing Martin Corry as captain.
Leicester back-row Corry’s 14 Tests in charge ended with three defeats in four games against world number ones New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa at Twickenham in November.
Sale star Robinson (32) won 39 caps before stepping down in September, 2005 and, like Vickery, was a member of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning squad.
”Jason is another who has won a World Cup and knows what it takes to be at the top of the world game in professional sport,” said Ashton in a statement.
”Apart from being a fantastic rugby player he has outstanding values as a person, which will be important to the England team in the coming year,” Ashton added of Robinson, a committed Christian.
Explaining his change of captain, former Bath and Ireland coach Ashton said: ”Phil is a player of massive experience who has been at the top of the world and he has a great desire to lead England back there again.
”He showed in the autumn he is back playing international rugby well and both as a player and a captain he is the right man to take England forward.
”During the autumn Martin Corry handled the captaincy situation really well in what was a difficult period — and I thank him for that.”
Vickery, who led England to victory against Argentina in Buenos Aires in 2002, said: ”It’s a huge honour to be asked to captain England.
”Everyone knows what a fantastic guy Martin Corry is — he led from the front in a tough autumn when he was getting a lot of stick and I feel very privileged to follow him.
”But I don’t just want the title. I want to be part of a successful team.”
The 33-man squad also includes uncapped Saracens centre Andy Farrell, like Robinson a former Great Britain rugby league international.
London Irish flyhalf Shane Geraghty and fellow rookies Tom Rees and Dan Ward-Smith were also included, as is injury plagued outside-half Jonny Wilkinson.
Ben Kay and Ben Cohen, who both featured in November missed out. So too did World Cup-winning number eight Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England captain.
However, there was better news for centre Mike Tindall, who was included while fellow World Cup-winner and Saracens flanker Richard Hill, out for 16 months with a knee injury, was chosen for England’s A squad.
Worcester flanker Pat Sanderson, England’s captain in Australia last year, was also omitted from the senior squad after playing in November, as were Sale forwards Chris Jones and Stuart Turner.
Under Andy Robinson, formerly 2003 chief Clive Woodward’s deputy, England lost 13 out of 22 Tests and dropped to seventh in the world rankings while the last two Six Nations have seen them finish fourth.
Ashton’s first match in charge of England will be the February 3 Six Nations opener against Scotland at Twickenham. — AFP
