An annual charity match brought half a dozen MPs including Gerry Sutcliffe, the Sports Minister, on to the hallowed turf at Twickenham Stadium this afternoon and £20,000 raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union’s elite rugby director and former England fly half, wore the No.10 jersey for the Commons & Lords RUFC team brought together by Loughborough MP Andy Reed. Each member of the opposing team, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust XV, had raised £500 to take part and the RFU loaned the use of Twickenham for free.

The Commons & Lords team also made personal and sponsored contributions which, together with a £1000 donation from Bowring, and sponsorship of the CFT XV’s jerseys by Prospect Distributors, guaranteed the target of £20,000 had been met by the time international referee Wayne Barnes blew the first whistle for a friendly match of four quarters.

Participating parliamentarians include Lord Addington, Andy Reed MP (Loughborough), Gerry Sutcliffe MP (Bradford South), Mike Penning MP (Hemel Hempstead), John Randall MP (Uxbridge) and Jim Fitzpatrick MP (Poplar & Canning Town). Other guest players included television presenter Ben Shephard, who captained the CFT team, and London Scottish and former London Wasps flanker Paul Volley, on the Commons & Lords side.

“It was a great occasion in aid of a great charity, one which is growing in stature and awareness all the time,” said Gerry Sutcliffe, who joined Andrew in the Commons & Lords back division. “The match was competitive but played in a good spirit and for me as Sports Minister it always a pleasure to see people of all ages enjoying sport. Both sides were a mixture of young and old - some very mobile, some not so - but we all had fun and Jim Fitzpatrick MP, as a Scot, will not forget scoring a try at Twickenham for a long time.”

Alex Grieve, a Cardiff University student and sufferer of cystic fibrosis, played at full back for the CFT XV, who ran out winners by 34 points to 22. “I got the call inviting me to play at Twickenham and did not have to think twice,” said Alex, 23. “Rob Andrew may have retired from playing but he had all the old classy moves.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust will put the funds raised by the match towards crucial gene therapy trials at London’s Brompton Hospital which it is hoped will make an impact on the successful treatment of CF, the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited disease whose sufferers currently have an average life expectancy of 31.

“This match is a particularly appropriate way to raise funds,” said Sarah Guthrie, the CFT’s director of fund-raising. “A good many sufferers will have an increased life expectancy if they play sport which can help keep them healthy and free of infection.”

Tags: Cystic Fibrosis Rugby, Twickenham

Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe and former England fly half Rob Andrew will pull on their rugby boots for a worthy cause at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday (April 8, 2pm) in a charity match supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The annual fixture will see the Commons & Lords RUFC - with Andrew, the RFU’s elite rugby director, wearing the No.10 jersey - take on a Cystic Fibrosis Trust XV, each of whom have paid £500 to take part.

The Commons & Lords team has been brought together by Loughborough MP Andy Reed and includes Sutcliffe as a centre/wing alongside guest flanker Paul Volley, of London Scottish and formerly London Wasps. There are six MPs in the squad and Lord Addington will be captain and pack leader. Television presenter Ben Sheppard will captain the CFT team and the RFU is lending the use of Twickenham for free.

The aim is to raise £20,000 for the Trust, and Andrew said: “This is the second time I have taken part in this match at Twickenham to highlight the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

“The Trust does a great job in raising awareness of this terrible, life-threatening disease and it will be a pleasure to dust off my boots and lend my support.”

Participating MPs include Andy Reed (Loughborough), Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South), Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead), John Randall (Uxbridge), Rob Wilson (Reading East) and Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Canning Town).

* The match will be open to a limited number of media for vision access with brief interview opportunities pitchside afterwards.

* The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK’s only national charity dedicated to all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). It funds research to treat and cure CF and aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and support for people with Cystic Fibrosis. To find out more and make donations visit www.cftrust.org.uk

Tags: Cystic Fibrosis, Twickenham

Tickets for England’s first test match at Old Trafford since 1997 are on sale now now!

England will face Argentina on Saturday, June 6 (kick off 4pm) and both teams will be playing for ‘The Standard Bank Cup.’

Argentina who finished in 3rd place at the RWC 2007 and are ranked 5th in the IRB rankings, one place higher than England will be *hosting the match as part of their two test series against Martin Johnson’s team with the second test being played in Salta, Argentina on June 13.

Tickets for the game at the 76,000 capacity stadium and the home of Manchester United are priced from **£10 through to a top price of £40 and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 8472492.

England Team Manager, Martin Johnson said “Although we lost to New Zealand (25-8) in 1997 the crowd were superb and I hope that another big crowd will be there to see England play against Argentina.

“The Puma’s are an excellent side and they deserve their current ranking. Like England they will be looking to go 1-0 up in the series before we travel to Argentina for the second test.”

Sale Sharks Head Coach, Jason Robinson said “I’m delighted that Argentina v England is being played at Old Trafford and that fans will get a chance to see some top quality test rugby in the North West of England.

“I was fortunate enough to have played at both Twickenham and Old Trafford and as a player I always appreciated the crowd, the support they gave and their ability to help the players with the noise they can generate during the course of the game.”

Sale Sharks Captain and Argentina international Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe said “It will be a special moment for all the Argentina players to play at Old Trafford, which is one of the truly great sporting theatres. We want to show rugby fans in England what we are capable of and Old Trafford gives us a superb back drop to do that.”

Ends

*17,000 tickets are available priced at £10.

** Argentina are the home team after asking for and receiving permission from the IRB to host the first game of their two match test series against England at Old Trafford in order to raise much needed revenue for the Argentina Rugby Union.

England play the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, May 30. Tickets are available priced from £25 for adults and £10 for U16s by calling Ticketmaster on 0844 8472492 or by contacting www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Tags: Engalnd v Argentina, Rugby Tickets

Australia beat a poor England at Twickenham on Saturday.  The Australian hero was Matt Giteau who kicked 20 points in their 28-14 victory.

England showed a lack of basic Rugby skills in front of 80,000 people as Martin Johnson suffered his first loss in charge. He has a lot of work to do before the visit of World Champions South Africa next week.

Australia were full value for this win, unusually the free scoring Wallabies were only able to score a single try throuh Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Try-scorer Nick Easter had this to say after the match “We just played a very smart team, they took their opportunities and we didn’t. It was good to score a try but it was scant consolation and didn’t really count for anything.

“It’s good news that we are making these opportunities but obviously we have to take them better than we were.

“It should be set in stone that you don’t give away that many chances, it’s not down to experience.

“International rugby is about decision making and keeping a cool head in pressure situations.

“We have to improve and we have to improve fast ahead of next week’s challenge against South Africa.”

England Captain Steve Borthwick (Saracens) added “I think we worked very hard on the defensive side and were tremendously competitive, but we need to sharpen up in certain areas where we didn’t deliver today. We went away from our game plan at certain times against an excellent side who’ve been playing together for longer than we have.”

“Clearly we can’t give away that many penalties in the kickable zone. We know that and it’s unfortunate we gave away too many.

“I am disappointed but there are areas to improve and we’ll work on them. “There were some positives moving forward but we lost the game without being outplayed and credit to Australia for what they did.”

England:

D Armitage (London Irish), P Sackey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), R Flutey (Wasps), U Monye (Harlequins); D Cipriani (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), L Mears (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), T Palmer (Wasps), T Croft (Leicester), T Rees (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements:

M Stevens (Bath), J Haskell (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), H Ellis (Leicester), D Hartley (Northampton), T Flood (Leicester)

Australia:

A Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies), P Hynes (Queensland Reds), R Cross (Western Force), S Mortlock (ACT Brumbies, capt), D Mitchell (Western Force); M Giteau (Western Force), L Burgess (NSW Waratahs); B Robinson (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Queensland Reds), A Baxter (NSW Waratahs), M Chisholm (ACT Brumbies), N Sharpe (Western Force), H McMeniman (Queensland Reds), G Smith (ACT Brumbies), R Brown (Western Force).

Replacements: W Palu (NSW Waratahs), D Mumm (NSW Waratahs), T Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs), M Dunning (NSW Waratahs), S Cordingley (Queensland Reds), Q Cooper (Queensland Reds), D Ioane (Queensland Reds)

Tags: English Rugby News, Wallabies

England Team Manager Martin Johnson today announced the team to play Australia in the Investec Challenge at Twickenham on Saturday, November 15.

Two changes to the starting line-up see Phil Vickery take over at prop from Matt Stevens while Tom Palmer comes into the second row in place of Nick Kennedy. Simon Shaw takes Palmer’s place on the replacements’ bench.

ENGLAND
15 Delon Armitage (London Irish)
14 Paul Sackey (London Wasps)
13 Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons)
12 Riki Flutey (London Wasps)
11 Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
10 Danny Cipriani (London Wasps)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins)
1 Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks)
2 Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
3 Phil Vickery (London Wasps)
4 Steve Borthwick (Saracens, captain)
5 Tom Palmer (London Wasps)
6 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
7 Tom Rees (London Wasps)
8 Nick Easter (Harlequins)

Replacements
16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
17 Matt Stevens (Bath Rugby)
18 Simon Shaw (London Wasps)
19 James Haskell (London Wasps)
20 Michael Lipman (Bath Rugby)
21 Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers)
22 Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)

Tags: England Rugby, Wallabies

A ring rusty England have beaten The Pacific Islanders 39 - 13 at Twickenham, outscoring their opponents from the Southern Hemisphere Five tries to one.

The home side recorded a first win for coach Martin Johnson. Two tries in the first have from Sackey and outside half Cipriani gave the home side a 20 -10 lead at the break.

Further tries in the second half from second row Kennedy, hooker Mears and a second for winger Sackey opened up a deserving scoreline for the hosts.

This match might have been the winning start to the Autumn internationals thatthey desire there were still plenty of areas to work on if they are to beat  Australia on the 15th of November and South Africa and New Zealand following them.

What the players said:

Delon Armitage (London Irish)

[On his debut] “I’m lost for words to be honest - today has been just brilliant - a dream come true. I always wanted to play for England and show what I can do in front of a big crowd. For the first five or 10 minutes I was a bit shaky - but then I got into the game and started to enjoy it.”

[On England's defence] “I’m just upset the game went so quickly - it was a great game - the Islanders attacked really well and I enjoyed every minute. We’re proud to concede just one try against a really good attacking team.”

[On being man-of-the-match] “The trophy’s actually the heaviest thing I’ve ever held in my life! I’m really pleased with it. There were about twenty members of my family in the East Stand today - I think it’s a day they’ll never forget either.”

Steve Borthwick (capt, Saracens)

[On the performance] “It was a good start for us against very difficult opponents and I thought all the debutants did really well.”

[On the crowd] “It was a fantastic atmosphere from the crowd, it’s great to be here at Twickenham with fantastic fans and they really helped us today. It helps every time and we look forward to playing in front of them next week.”

[On Australia] “Australia are next and that’s going to be a really exciting challenge. We did a lot of good things but there are a lot of things we need to improve upon.”

Danny Care (Harlequins)

[On playing in a home international] “It was great to get a win and I’m really pleased we came away with five tries. It was just so special to play at Twickenham wearing an international jersey. There are still some things we need to iron out for next week though.”

[On the opposition and the man-of-the-match] “The Pacific Islanders were brilliant today - we knew they’d attack us and they didn’t disappoint. I have to say Delon (Armitage) was outstanding in defence - with his tackles, kicks, his pace and under the high ball.”

Riki Flutey (London Wasps)

[On singing the National Anthem] “I really enjoyed the national anthem, even though I had Jamie Noon next to me signing flat! I think he was surprised that I knew all the words!”

[On England's performance] “As a team we didn’t show as much as we’d have liked today, but I think we did OK given the conditions. Hopefully the conditions will be better next week for the Aussies - we’ll have to make a huge step up to beat them.”

Nick Kennedy (London Irish)

[On his try on debut] “This is even better than when I dreamt about it because I didn’t score in the dream.

“London Irish and Harlequins have both done the move that led to my try - Danny (Care) ran a great line. Playing and scoring today has made the wait for my first cap really worth while - I’m just happy we won, but we have plenty of things to work on for next week.”

Lee Mears (Bath)

[On the quality of the match] “We saw two very exciting sides today and great enthusiasm from all the youngsters in our squad. I’ve been around for quite a while now and would love to be involved in more games like that.”

[On competition for places] “I’ve started the last four England games on the bounce now and hopefully can keep that run going. Dylan (Hartley) trained really well this week and I’m sure he’ll get some more game time over the rest of the three matches.”

Ugo Monye (Harlequins)

[On making his England debut] “It was a major dream to represent my country and I was extremely excited to get out there and do what I do best - play rugby. The team’s already taken a massive step forward, but we’ll need to take another massive step next week against Australia.”

[On the support of injured club and England teammate David Strettle] “I’ve had so many text and phone calls from people this week. Stretts sent me one of the most heart-felt messages I’ve ever received before the game - he’s a great friend of mine.”

Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons)

[On the intensity of the game] “We knew it would be a physical match - there were some good hits flying around! It was nice to have a win and settle a few nerves.”

[On needing to build on the win] “We now have a springboard. We lost our shape a bit at times after a great start. We scored several good tries but should have had a couple more. Overall it was a strong performance though.”

Tom Rees (London Wasps)

[On England's performance] “There are lots of positives to take as a whole from today’s performance, but we know we have to go on from here.”

[On the new-look back line] “There’s great pace in the side - I’m worried I can’t keep up anymore! Paul (Sackey), Ugo (Monye) and Delon (Armitage) all showed their speed with ball in hand - and they’re not just all gas… they’re great rugby players too.”

Paul Sackey (London Wasps)

[On the new-look back line] “There’s loads of potential in our back three - but we have other great partnerships too. Danny Care and Danny Cipriani are going to be outstanding, as will our locks Steve Borthwick and Nick Kennedy - a real blend of youth and experience.”

[On scoring two tries] “It’s my job to score tries and to help the team. When I don’t score I feel down. 10 tries in 16 games is good, but I’d like 16 out of 16!”

[On England's strength in depth] “The competition for places in the team is great and means we can’t be complacent. There are so many other players who are capable of stepping up to the plate and taking your position.”

Scorers

England

Tries: Sackey 2, Cipriani, Kennedy, Mears
Con: Cipriani 4
Pen: Cipriani 2
DG:

Pacific Islanders

Tries: Rabeni,
Con: Hola,
Pen: Hola, Bai
DG:

England: D Armitage (London Irish); P Sackey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), R Flutey (Wasps), U Monye (Harlequins); D Cipriani (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), N Kennedy (London Irish), T Croft (Leicester), T Rees (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: D Hartley (Northampton), P Vickery (Wasps), T Palmer (Wasps), J Haskell (Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester).

Pacific Islanders: K Ratuvou (Fiji); S Tagicakibau (Samoa), S Rabeni (Fiji), S Mapusua (Samoa), V Delasau (Fiji); P Hola (Tonga), M Rauluni (Fiji, capt); J Va’a (Samoa), A Lutui (Tonga), C Johnston (Samoa), F Levi (Samoa), K Leawere (Fiji), S Naevo (Fiji), N Latu (Tonga), F Maka (Tonga).
Replacements: S Koto (Fiji), K Pulu (Tonga), H T Pole (Tonga), G Stowers (Samoa), S Martens (Tonga), S Bai (Fiji), E Taione (Tonga)

Tags: England Rugby, Pacific Islanders

Martin Johnson believes inexperience will be no barrier when it comes to Saturday’s Test match against the Pacific Islanders.

England’s backs have just 53 caps between them but the England Team Manager is confident they will deliver.

“It’s not a risk, they are good players and they can play,” he told today’s rfu.com podcast. “I’m confident they can handle it.

“They’ve been impressive all week, not just with what they’ve done on the field but with their maturity as people. I wouldn’t have picked them if I didn’t believe they would deliver.”

Among the newcomers to the squad is 24-year-old uncapped London Irish full back Delon Armitage.

“Delon is a very exciting player,” said Johnson. “He’s got great pace, athletic ability, he’s fantastic in the air and he has a good kicking game too.”

Armitage, who was not in Johnson’s original Elite Player senior or Saxons squad, was promoted in place of the injured Nick Abendanon.

“We picked the 64 back in July and, as I’ve said to the players, injuries happen. You’ll get opportunities, just be ready for them,” said Johnson.

That is exactly what Armitage is intending to do, saying, “Getting into the England squad was my aim. I’ve worked really hard but to get in as soon as I did was a dream come true, I’m really chuffed.”

But Saturday will see him line up against two formidable opponents that he knows all too well.

“I’ve had a few texts from my London Irish team mates Seilala (Mapusua) and Sailosi (Tagicakibau),” explained Armitage. “Just before I got my call up, they texted me to say ‘you’d better hope you don’t get selected because you don’t want to be playing against us!’ There’s been the usual bit of banter flying around but I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be a tough game.”

The responsibility for unleashing England’s potent backline falls to London Wasps pair Danny Cipriani and Riki Flutey, who said, “No matter whether you’ve got 50 caps or no caps, as long as you know your role and responsibilities that’s what matters. Being prepared gives you a lot more confidence going into a game.

“I’m out there to help direct, look for space and look for opportunities. And getting the opportunity to play with Danny on the international stage is something I’m really looking forward to.”

And the same is true for the returning Cipriani, who added, “There’s massive potential in this team. But we know that this is a Test match and we can’t just throw the ball around - we need to be responsible in what we do. We’re playing a very strong and physical side, we will need to make the right decisions at the right time.

“Brian Smith (attack coach) has brought us an air of confidence and put some belief in the backline that we can really have a go when we need to.”

One of those standing their way will be 21-stone (135kg) prop Census Johnston.

“We’ve only had four days to prepare but that’s the thing with Pacific Islander rugby - we can just put people together, we work with whatever we’re given and we usually can pull anything out of the hat,” said Johnston.

For experienced Exiles centre Mapusua, the game is also an opportunity for the players to further their cause.

“We know what’s expected of us and we know what it takes. We need to put a marker down to be taken seriously and hopefully get a lot more Tests,” said Mapusua.

For the full interviews, check out the rfu.com podcast every Thursday (from 4pm). Here, you can listen to the weekly podcast or subscribe to itunes and have it delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Formerly the Gillette Rugby Podcast, the rfu.com podcast takes you inside English rugby from the grassroots to the elite. FROM: www.rfu.com/podcast

Tags: England Rugby Coach, MARTIN JOHNSON, Pacific Islanders

The Pacific Islanders have announced a their team face England at Twickenham. The team has a strong Fijian flavour and will provide England with a robust first outing this season.

Sports Hydrant Pacific Islanders v England
November 8, Twickenham

15. Kameli Ratuvou (Fiji)
14. Sailosi Tagicakibau (Samoa)
13. Seru Rabeni (Fiji)
12. Seilala Mapusua (Samoa)
11. Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji)
10. Pierre Hola (Tonga)
9. Mosese Raulini (Fiji)
1. Justin Va’a (Samoa)
2. Aleki Lutui (Tonga)
3. Census Johnston (Samoa)
4. Filipo Levi (Samoa)
5. Kele Leawere (Fiji)
6. Semisi Naevo (Fiji)
7. Nili Latu (Tonga)
8. Finau Maka (Tonga)

16. Sunia Koto (Fiji)
17. Kisi Pulu (Tonga)
18. Hale T Pole (Tonga)
19. George Stowers (Samoa)
20. Sililo Martens (Tonga)
21. Seremaia Bai (Fiji)
22. Epi Taione (Tonga)

Tickets for the Investec Challenge match between England and the Pacific Islanders are available by calling 0844 847 2492 or from www.ticketmaster.co.uk until 12pm on Friday November 7. Tickets for the game will also be available on the day of the match from the South Stand ticket office.

Tags: English Rugby News, Pacific Islanders

Martin Johnson has named his charges for the clash with The Pacific Islanders at Twickenham. The side contains 4 new caps.

Please find below a selection of player quotes following today’s England team announcement.

What the players said:

Nick Kennedy (London Irish)
On winning his first cap: I’m very proud to be getting my first cap at Twickenham. I’m really looking forward to Saturday and am getting very excited, the majority of my family will be there watching me.

Asked if he believed this would happen: I’ve been working hard for London Irish and have been striving to play for my country. Training has been great, there is an enormous enthusiasm around the squad.”

On lining up alongside captain Steve Borthwick: I’ve played against Steve Borthwick for the last few years, games between London Irish against Bath has always been close battles but I’ve got a lot of respect for Steve as a player and as a leader - it’ll be good to be on the same team as him for a change.”

On the Pacific Islanders: I know some of their players really well, guys like Sailosi Tagicakabau and Selala Mapusua, certainly we know if is going to be a very tough challenge.

Delon Armitage (London Irish)
On making his debut: At the start of the season I wanted to be involved with England and I’ve worked really hard to get into the squad. All you do - in the Guinness Premiership, in the EDF Energy Cup - is down to trying to get into the England squad, so to do it as early as this having been left out of the 64 originally in the summer is something I’m really pleased about.

On hearing of his inclusion: We’d just come in from training at London Irish to have lunch when I found out. All the guys had been joking with me and saying ‘make sure your phone’s on’ and ‘the reception’s not too good round here’ and then I got the call! I thought it was one of the boys messing around at first.

On the England coaches: Working with (England attack coach) Brian Smith has been brilliant because I know exactly what he wants from me. He wants us to play an attacking game and to get the ball in our hands. I understand exactly how he wants me to play.

On the opposition: I’d had texts from the two guys I know in the Pacific Islands, Sailosi Tagicakibau and Seilala Mapusua, who were saying before I was selected ‘you don’t want to play against us!’ They’re two great players and have been awesome in the Premiership for us, so it’ll make it a tough game for England.

On his family: My family have been great and they keep my feet on the ground and my big head in check. Ever since I’ve been in the squad I’ve had a big smile on my face and I know my family are really proud. They’ve been texting and sending me messages and keeping in touch all the time.

I don’t think my brother Steffon is too far away from the England side either. He’s working hard in training, doing all his ‘extras’ after each session. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, I can’t see him not getting a chance in the near future.

Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
On his progress: The coaches at Harlequins are so supportive and I’m a big self believer, I think that’s why I’m where I’m today. Last season I had an injury to my back which could have been career threatening but I fought hard and now I’m back and in great shape. It did knock my confidence a little and it was frustrating but I thank God for blessing me and getting me this far.

On the match: All my friends and family will be there on Saturday which will be fantastic. I have been given this opportunity so it’s up to me to put in a performance to be proud of.

Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
On whether he was disappointed to be on the bench: I’m really happy to be here, I’m stoked with a place on the bench. I’ve got to remember that I’ve only just come in. Mearsy (Lee Mears) is the guy that’s been there and done it, so I’ve got to give him the full credit. But I believe in myself, I know I have to come on and do the right thing if I get the chance.

On being part of the senior squad: Phil (Vickery) and Matt (Stevens) have kind of taken me under their wing, they’ve been great at giving me advice which I really welcome. I feel like I’m playing with all my friends, a lot of the squad have come up through the England age groups together and I think that shows that the academy and age group teams are working.

On the possibility of making his debut at Twickenham: I’ve played at Twickenham before, I played against the Barbarians there before the summer tour (June 1) and I’ve been in the crowd there myself, so I know how fantastic the atmosphere at Twickenham is, plus my family are coming to watch.

Phil Vickery (London Wasps)
On Martin Johnson and the England squad: It’s been a whirlwind few months since Martin Johnson took over. There’s been a huge amount of change but I’m very excited by what I see. Martin has bought clarity to the team and with how he wants us to play, like us he only wants to be successful.

On being on the bench: I’m disappointed not to be in the starting XV. I still love the game so much and just want to prove what I can do.

On Steve Borthwick: Steve is an exceptional player, he’s very well respected by everyone and leads by example and I wish him well.

Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
On England’s preparations: Training has been really good, I’m loving the fresh new atmosphere, there’s a great feeling in the camp. Everyone is very excited.

On being on the bench: I’m keen to fight my way back into the starting lineup. I was disappointed to be left out but there are four games ahead and competition for places can only be a good thing.

Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
On the last three months: The summer tour seems a long time ago with all the domestic competitions but we have got our England heads back on now and we are looking forward to the first game.

On the squad’s preparations: With the new EPS agreement we are here two weeks before our first match and it means we get to know each other again and get the moves as sorted as possible.

On the match: It’s a massive game. They are a very physical and skilled team and it’s going to be tough. A lot of the players are in the Premiership along with us.

It’s the first of four huge games but we can’t look too far into the future otherwise we will trip up in the present. We are thoroughly concentrating on the first game to make sure our drills are right, our scrums and line-outs, and hopefully we can get to Twickenham and play some positive rugby.

On his form: I’ve been happy with the way things have gone at the start of the season. There’s a number of things I need to work on but I’m grateful that Johno has given me the nod and I’ll just try and work as ahead as I can to secure that place.

Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons)
On the squad: It’s exciting and the side that has been picked is young with guys playing well for their clubs. As a result it feels very fresh and new and it’s going to be interesting to see how we go. It’s going to take some time I’m sure but it’s nice that we are giving these young guys the opportunity.

On the match: When you play international rugby it’s a massive honour and having the opportunity to play against the big three and a strong Pacific Islanders side is a privilege and it’s something you strive for. This is a great opportunity to see where we are.

On playing with new cap Riki Flutey: Any partnership takes time but it seems to be going well with Riki in training

Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
On the opposition: You look at the quality they’ve got in their team, some of the boys they’ve got playing in the Premiership at the moment are on fire. It’s going to be a very interesting afternoon. They love to play rugby and from what we’ve seen, they are definitely going to attack. For us it’s about outscoring them and trying to hold them in defence.

On the Pacific Islanders front row: They’re really tough, I mean Latui is a stalwart, really strong and a big ball carrier. Then obviously Census Johnston is another big name from Saracens, so someone we meet week-in week-out.

On the England team: We’ve got some raw pace out there in the backs and the boys that are coming through, the Danny Cares and Ciprianis, they really want to play a nice style of rugby so if we can front up and give them some good ball on the front foot hopefully they’ll cause havoc.

Investec Challenge
England v Pacific Islanders
Saturday November 8, kick off 2.30pm

ENGLAND
15. Delon Armitage* (London Irish)
14. Paul Sackey (London Wasps)
13. Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons)
12. Riki Flutey* (London Wasps)
11. Ugo Monye* (Harlequins)
10. Danny Cipriani (London Wasps)
9. Danny Care (Harlequins)
1. Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks)
2. Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
3. Matt Stevens (Bath Rugby)
4. Steve Borthwick (Saracens, captain)
5. Nick Kennedy* (London Irish)
6. Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
7. Tom Rees (London Wasps)
8. Nick Easter (Harlequins)

Replacements
16. Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
17. Phil Vickery (London Wasps)
18. Tom Palmer (London Wasps)
19. James Haskell (London Wasps)
20. Michael Lipman (Bath Rugby)
21. Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers)
22. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)

* Denotes new cap

Tags: England Rugby, Pacific Islanders

Lawrence Dallaglio has called on the RFU and Premier Rugby to support the PRA, the English players’ union, by endorsing a new funding deal currently on the table that will underpin the PRA’s continued service to the game for the next five years.

Dallaglio’s call was heard by an appreciative audience at the Foreign Office in London on Tuesday evening, where he was delivering the fourth annual Obolensky Lecture, sponsored by the Sunday Times.

The former Wasps and England captain, who retired last May after 18 years in the game, underlined the imperative for a well funded and independent player’s collective in English rugby, pointing out that the professional demands of today’s game heightened the need for balance in players lives, and support for the growing number of injured players who have fallen victim to the increasing physical impact of the professional game.

“Players (need) to have interests outside of the sport to provide the necessary balance and perspective,” said the 85 times capped Dallaglio.

“Rugby players are not machines. The balance between work and life is key.”

“The shelf life of professional rugby players is decreasing and statistically, one player per club per season will have to retire prematurely due to injury.

“It is therefore essential that the game provides the necessary support to help these players to cope with the transition from professional sportsman to former sportsman.

“Much of this work is delivered through the PRA Player Development Programme which helps to provide players with support as they prepare for their careers after rugby.”

Dallaglio also praised the game’s bosses for the new peace deal signed last summer between clubs and country, but pointed out: “The final piece of the jigsaw that needs to be resolved is a revised funding deal for the PRA.

“The work of the PRA is often unsung, but the support they provide to players past, present and future is critical to the game’s growth and success in the years to come.

PRA Chief Executive, Damian Hopley, who attended the lecture and was on the panel fielding questions following Dallaglio’s address, added: “All the stakeholders in the game have worked tirelessly to get a new eight year Agreement signed that defines an improved working relationship between the RFU and the Clubs. The PRA also recently concluded a successful renegotiation with the RFU agreeing the England Team match fees and Image rights up until 2012.

“The outstanding issue that needs resolving is a revised and improved funding arrangement for the PRA, which will help us provide the essential services to all England’s professional players. Lawrence has seen at first hand the support that we give our members, so we are delighted that he has shown his support for this fundamental issue at such a crucial stage of the PRA’s evolution.”

Tags: LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO