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Johnson gives chance to four new boys

England rugby union team manager Martin Johnson yesterday named four debutants — Delon Armitage, Ugo Monye, Riki Flutey and Nick Kennedy — in his starting side to face the Pacific Islands at Twickenham on Saturday.

World Cup-winning captain Johnson’s first selection as England boss also included a possible fifth debutant in New Zealand-born hooker Dylan Hartley, who is on the bench.

London Irish’s Armitage, born in Trinidad and who represented the France under-16 team before his family returned to England, will start at full-back with Monye, who has been in fine form for Harlequins this season, out on the left wing.

Flutey, a former Junior All Black and New Zealand Maori, qualified to represent England on residency grounds in September and so has been selected by his adopted country at the first possible opportunity.

Jamie Noon will be alongside Flutey at outside center, with Danny Cipriani and Danny Care providing England’s half-back duo.

Kennedy, a team-mate of Armitage’s at London Irish, was a member of England’s tour squad in New Zealand in June but did not feature in either of the Test defeats against the All Blacks.

In the front row, Bath tight-head Matt Stevens has denied former captain Phil Vickery a starting spot while the back row sees the return of Harlequins’ Nick Easter at No. 8 with Leicester’s Tom Croft selected at blindside flanker ahead of James Haskell.

The Pacific Islands, a team comprising players from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, are due to announce their side today.

Meanwhile, former Scotland captain Jason White is set to make his international return on Saturday after being named in the starting side to play New Zealand at Murrayfield.

Frank Hadden, Scotland’s coach, has made seven changes in all from the team that beat Argentina 26-14 in Buenos Aires in June.

As well as fit-again blindside flanker White, Simon Taylor is back in the pack as is Nathan Hines.

The trio all missed the tour of Argentina.

New Zealand, who’ve never been beaten by Scotland in 26 meetings between the countries, announced their side earlier yesterday with the All Blacks’ line-up showing 12 changes from the team that beat Australia 19-14 on the weekend.
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