Charlie Hodgson is given chance to win back England slot

CHARLIE Hodgson was given an England lifeline this week when he was named in the squad to tour Australia and New Zealand – two years after he was dropped like a stone.

The Sale fly-half was banished into international exile after carrying the can for England's first Test defeat to New Zealand in the summer of 2008.

Hodgson, making his first Test start in 19 months, was targeted by the All Blacks' powerful ball-carriers and lasted only 50 minutes of England's 37-20 defeat.

Rob Andrew, England's stand-in coach on the tour, was scathing in his criticism of Hodgson's defence at the time and said: "Some bits of Test rugby aren't optional. Test rugby is about trying to make sure you don't have many weaknesses because you get found out. That is a challenge for him to address."

England manager Martin Johnson is confident Hodgson has done just that and insists he had no qualms taking him on the five-match trip Down Under.

"I think his form is good and the things he has had to work on have improved with Sale," said Johnson.

"This tour is an opportunity for those players who have got international experience but for whatever reason haven't played that much in the last couple of years.

"Charlie wouldn't have been picked if he didn't have our full confidence. I think his defence has improved. If I didn't I would have taken someone else."

England come together to play the Barbarians at Twickenham on 30 May before heading Down Under. Johnson's men then face two Tests against the Wallabies and two midweek matches against the Australian Barbarians before meeting the New Zealand Maori in Napier.

Hodgson is joined back in the England squad by Olly Barkley, whose last Test was also that Auckland defeat, David Flatman and David Strettle.

Tom Croft will be hoping to recapture his Lions form after an injury-disrupted campaign – and Johnson has challenged the nine uncapped players to break into his World Cup plans.

England squad (for five-match tour of Australia and New Zealand in June):

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), O Barkley (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton), S Geraghty (Northampton), S Hape (Bath), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), U Monye (Harlequins), J Simpson (Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), M Tindall (Gloucester), D Waldouck (Wasps), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), J Wilkinson (Toulon), B Youngs (Leicester).

Forwards: S Armitage (London Irish), D Attwood (Gloucester), D Cole (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), P Doran-Jones (Gloucester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Flatman (Bath), H Fourie (Leeds Carnegie), J Golding (Newcastle), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), C Lawes (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Palmer (Stade Francais), G Parling (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Shaw (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Ward-Smith (Wasps), R Webber (Wasps), D Wilson (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps).