Counties blood new players in Madrid fixture
Jun
TEN players in the England Counties XV starting line-up against a Madrid XV on Saturday (June 4, 6pm local time) will be making their debut for the team.
Another four newcomers will be on the bench as the Counties XV, the representative flagship of the County and Community game outside the Aviva Premiership, provides the opportunity of an international appearance to another varied group of players.
Nineteen different clubs and a dozen counties are represented in the 22-man squad, with Leicester Lions and Warwickshire full-back Gareth Collins again captaining the side after his success in the role on the trip to Ireland in March.
“We’ve had a very positive start with lots of enthusiasm and good communication.” he said: “Things have come together very well, as good as any tour I’ve been on before, so I’m very hopeful.
“It’s a group with a good mix, as always with the Counties, and a few experienced players came to the fore straight away, so we’ve had good leadership from people who know what it’s all about.
“Again we have a lot of youngsters in the squad who have bought into the tour and the Counties ethos straight away.
“I’m an absolute devotee of the Counties concept. It has been the pinnacle of my career and every time I’ve been picked it’s been a real thrill. It’s the ultimate for me. County rugby and England Counties are what give me my focus year-in, year-out.”
Team Manager Mike Old said: “Team selection has been very difficult because training has been extremely strong and all the sessions have been of a very high quality. We have two games in mind in making the initial selection and we like the combination on show here and also the line-up we have in mind for the second match.”
Selection for the opening two games has been based on the premise that everyone will get a start in those matches to enable them to stake a claim for a place in the international match against Spain in Valladolid on June 11.
A couple of minor injuries have played a part in the selection decisions, but the high calibre of the players involved has produced some very interesting decisions for the selectors to address.
England Counties XV (v Madrid XV in Madrid, Saturday, June 4, 2011, ko 6pm): Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire); Curtis Wilson (Leeds & Yorkshire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Steve Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire); Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Harry Peck (Tynedale & Northumberland); Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets & Cheshire), Martin Kent (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Tom Stradwick (Henley & Kent), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Ben Sparks (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire).
Replacements: Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Aaron Penberthy (Redruth & Cornwall), Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing & Cheshire).
