No Tykes on Tour

By Mally
May 28 2002

The 30 man England squad to tour Argentina this summer has been announced, but no Tykes will be off to South America with Woodward and co.

Clive Woodward has not included any Tykes players in the 30 man squad to tour Argentina.

Injuries

Although it was rumoured a couple of weeks ago that lock Tom Palmer would be fit in time for the tour, he has not been selected and will have to wait a little longer to add to his England caps.

Injury has also ruled out Tykes' top try scorer Dan Scarbrough. Scabs is still nursing the knee injury which prevented him from playing in the England v Barbarians match last Sunday.

Omissions

Obviously injured players can not be selected, but yet again other Tykes players have been overlooked. So what do Scott Benton and Mike Shelley have to do to break into the England squad?

Shelley has had a great season, adjusting superbly to the demands of the Premiership both as captain and in his role as prop, surely he has much to offer England? Phil Davies has said that Mike is more than capable of playing for England, but when will Shelley get his chance?

Scott Benton is another Tyke who has been passed over. Benton proves week in and week out what a dedicated player he is, a true stalwart of the Tykes team. Benton is as good as any other scrum half in the Premiership. Wouldn't you love to see him working off an England pack containing the likes of Hill, Worsely and Back?

So why the omission? Yes it's only a short tour but is Woodward concentrating too much on youth and his established stars?

Why send established stars like Vickery to Argentina? We're on the run up to a World Cup, shouldn't tours like this be used to have another look at players like Benton?

Maybe I'm biased but I think Shelley & Benton should be given the chance to prove what they can do, and if not on this tour then soon. I know I'm not the only Tykes fan wondering when these two will get their opportunity.

The England squad

Backs:

G Appleford (London Irish), P Christophers (Bristol), M Cueto (Sale), A Gomarsall (Gloucester), C Hodgson (Sale), M Horak (London Irish), B Johnston (Saracens), J Lewsey (Wasps), L Lloyd (Leicester), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), K Sorrell (Saracens), T Stimpson (Leicester), D Walder (Newcastle), N Walshe (Sale).

Forwards:

P Anglesea (Sale), A Balding (Leicester), A Codling (Harlequins), D Danaher (London Irish), D Flatman (Saracens), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), R Morris (Northampton), M Regan (Bath), A Sanderson (Sale), S Shaw (Wasps), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester, cpt), H Vyvyan (Newcastle), T Woodman (Gloucester), J Worsley (Wasps).