Barritt aims for centre stage with England

Published on Tuesday 22 June 2010 22:16

BRAD Barritt will become the latest import to try to make England's inside centre position his own when he lines up against the New Zealand Maori in Napier this morning.

Shontayne Hape and Riki Flutey have both made the journey from New Zealand into England's midfield since Martin Johnson took over as manager in the summer of 2008.

Barritt is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Mike Catt, who was also born in South Africa and finished his playing career this season as hero of the English game.

The powerful Saracens centre has been on Johnson's radar since moving to the Guinness Premiership in 2009 and he joined the England squad on Friday after receiving a late call-up. Johnson has billed today's game as the unofficial third Test of England's tour and it will be a proud moment for the Barritt family when he runs out at McLean Park Stadium.

The 23-year-old certainly does not see England's red rose as a badge of convenience. "Both my grandparents are English and my grandfather played for English universities at fly-half. He has always wanted me to play for England," said Barritt. "I can understand the debate because people want to see guys who have come through the system.

"I have strong English roots and a lot of my extended family, aunts and uncles, live in England. I haven't just chosen a country and moved over there."

Johnson is looking for his inside centres to blend a direct and powerful running game with the ability to kick and distribute as a second receiver. Barritt believes he can fit that bill.

England team (to play the New Zealand Maori at McLean Park Stadium today): D Armitage (London Irish); D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), B Barritt (Saracens), C Ashton (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), D Care (Harlequins); D Flatman (Bath), G Chuter (Leicester), P Doran-Jones (Gloucester), D Attwood (Gloucester), G Parling (Leicester), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), S Armitage (London Irish), P Dowson (Northampton). Subs: R Webber (Wasps), D Cole (Leicester), D Ward-Smith (Wasps), J Haskell (Stade Francais), B Youngs (Leicester), S Geraghty (Northampton), B Foden (Northampton).

A Scotland squad of 26 has been announced to participate in this year's Women's Rugby World Cup, to be held during August and September in Surrey.

The squad is a mix of experienced campaigners – including Scotland's most capped rugby player, Donna Kennedy (110 caps) – and relatively new faces.

Squad: A Macdonald (RHC), B Dickens (Murrayfield Wan), C Hawthorn (Edinburgh University), D Kennedy (Worcester), Erin Kerr (London Wasps), G McCord (RHC), H Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill), K Green (Murrayfield Wan), K Holdsworth (Watsonians), L Wheeler (Darlington), L Dalgliesh (RHC), L Moffat (Murrayfield Wan), L Millard (Team Northumbria), L Reid (RHC), L Douglas (London Wasps), N Halfpenny (Melrose), R Murphy (Edinburgh University), R Slaven (Murrayfield Wan), S Gill (Murrayfield Wan), S-L Walker (Watsonians), Stephanie Johnston (Hillhead Jordanhill), S Brown (Richmond), S Newton (Team Northumbria), T Forsberg (Murrayfield Wanderers), T Griffith (RHC), Veronica Fitzpatrick (RHC).