Lawrence Dallaglio will lead out an England side for the first time in over three years when the Barbarians visit Twickenham on May 26 for a game which has already attracted advance ticket sales in excess of 50,000.
Dallaglio has not captained his country since being forced to relinquish the job in May 1999 after lurid newspaper allegations, but the manager Clive Woodward has already asked him to lead England's tour to Argentina this summer and, with both Martin Johnson and Neil Back unavailable, the fit-again No8 has been put in charge against the Barbarians.
Although the Rugby Football Union subsequently dropped a charge alleging recreational-drugs use by Dallaglio on the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa, claiming new evidence had come to light, he was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs by Twickenham after admitting to bringing the game into disrepute.
Johnson took England to the 1999 World Cup instead, a tournament in which Dallaglio played, and has been retained as leader except when sidelined by injuries or suspension.
As for the squad to face the Barbarians, Woodward has had simpler selections, being unable to choose any players from Leicester or Sale because of a clash with the Heineken Cup and Parker Pen Shield finals. The beneficiaries include the Orrell fly-half Phil Jones, Saracens' centre Ben Johnston, the Gloucester forwards Jamie Forrester and Mark Cornwell, and the highly rated London Irish prop Mike Worsley, all of whom hope to be named in the squad to tour Argentina, to be announced a week today. Jonny Wilkinson, who will not be touring, also finds himself involved in the absence of his deputy Charlie Hodgson, of Sale.
The French champions Toulouse have said that their international prop Christian Califano is not free to move to Saracens. London Irish have signed the Ireland A second-row Bob Casey on a two-year-contract from Leinster, who have offered the former All Black No8 Zinzan Brooke the role of assistant coach. Ian Jones, another former All Black, will leave Wasps to return to Gloucester as a forwards coach. Bath have signed the former Australia Under-21 fly-half Chris Malone from Exeter.
The waiting game continues for the First Division champions Rotherham, who may have to sit tight until the end of the season, or at least until it is known who will finish at the bottom of the Premiership, before being told whether they will be promoted. England Rugby Ltd met for the second time yesterday to discuss whether Rotherham met the new ground criteria for membership of the Premiership and the club's owner Mike Yarlett addressed the 10-strong board.
"We have done everything we can and it is now a matter of waiting," said the Rotherham chief executive Jim Kilfoyle. "We believe that we satisfy all the criteria and we did not expect a decision before the end of the season.
"I have heard suggestions that ERL are waiting to see who would go down before making their decision, with Harlequins, Bath and Saracens still not out of danger, but I am sure that is not the case. What is clear is that with only one more season of automatic relegation and promotion before a review takes place, our case will be a clear pointer to what will happen in the future."
England squad: Backs: Balshaw (Bath), Lewsey (Wasps), Cohen (Northampton), Walder , Stephenson (both Newcastle), Tindall (Bath), Johnston (Saracens), Greenwood (Harlequins), Wilkinson (Newcastle), Jones (Orrell), Bracken (Saracens), Dawson (Northampton), Duncombe (Harlequins). Forwards: Flatman (Saracens), Vickery , Woodman (both Gloucester), M Worsley (London Irish), Regan (Bath), Thompson (Northampton), Cornwell (Gloucester), Shaw (Wasps), Sheridan (Bristol), Danaher (London Irish), Forrester (Gloucester), Gustard (London Irish), Dallaglio (capt), J Worsley (both Wasps).
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