Christian Wade in line to make England debut

 
P113 Christian Wade
Getty Images
6 June 2013

London Wasps wing Christian Wade and Gloucester-bound flanker Matt Kvesic will make their England debuts in Saturday's first Test against Argentina in Salta.

England coach Stuart Lancaster has named three more uncapped players on the bench in the shape of Bath playmaker Kyle Eastmond, Sale prop Henry Thomas and new Saracens recruit Billy Vunipola.

Joe Marler will start at loosehead prop in a late change to England's plans after Alex Corbisiero was called up by the British and Irish Lions.

England anticipate a ferocious forwards contest and Kvesic's ability to win turnovers and disrupt the breakdown earned him the openside flanker role ahead of Tom Johnson.

"Matt Kvesic's inclusion was a difficult decision in that Tom Johnson has played well and has got experience. He has played well for me at openside and in South Africa," Lancaster said,.

"I think Matt has got potential for the future and I think he has shown in the Barbarians game in particular but also in his form for Worcester that he can be effective in an offensive breakdown - so retaining possession, generating quick ball - and in defensive breakdowns where he can turn over ball and slow ball up.

"The time is right to give him an opportunity, particularly when he is running alongside more experienced guys in Tom Wood and Ben Morgan."

Wade's selection on the right wing was more straight-forward at the end of a season in which he scored 18 tries in 26 appearances for Wasps and was named both players' player and young player of the year.

Wade takes over from Chris Ashton and Kvesic from Chris Robshaw, with the challenge of producing performances that will put pressure on the rested senior players ahead of the autumn international series.

"This is a big challenge but also a fantastic opportunity," Lancaster said.

"It is the perfect challenge we want for this group of players. It will be Test match rugby.

"The intensity will be higher than some of the players have played in before. The speed of thought and deed, dealing with the passion and emotion of it all will be critical.

"It was a difficult selection to get the balance right.

If you go back to the objectives of the tour, first and foremost it is to win both Tests - closely followed by developing experience and depth in younger players."

With Wade making his debut on the right wing, Lancaster opted for the experience of David Strettle on the left, ahead of Marland Yarde, with Mike Brown at full-back.

The England side also features first Test starts for Bath hooker Rob Webber and lock Dave Attwood, while their club-mate David Wilson is anxious to take his chance at tighthead in the absence of Dan Cole.

Attwood is joined in the second row by Joe Launchbury, with Courtney Lawes primed to come off the bench.

Lee Dickson edged out Richard Wigglesworth to start at scrum-half while fly-half Freddie Burns will look to release Billy Twelvetrees and Jonathan Joseph, who form a creative midfield partnership.

England: M Brown (Harlequins); C Wade (Wasps), J Joseph (London Irish), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), D Strettle (Saracens); F Burns (Gloucester), L Dickson (Northampton); J Marler (Harlequins), R Webber (Bath), D Wilson (Bath), J Launchbury (Wasps), D Attwood (Bath), T Wood (Northampton, capt), M Kvesic (Worcester), B Morgan (Gloucester).

Replacements: D Paice (London Irish), H Thomas (Sale Sharks), P Doran-Jones (Northampton), C Lawes (Northampton), B Vunipola (Wasps), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), K Eastmond (Bath), B Foden (Northampton).

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