Saints duo Wood and Burrell start for England in second Test

Tom Wood and Luther Burrell will start for England in the second Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday.
STARTING BERTH - Tom Wood returns to the England back row for the second Test against New Zealand (Picture: Linda Dawson)STARTING BERTH - Tom Wood returns to the England back row for the second Test against New Zealand (Picture: Linda Dawson)
STARTING BERTH - Tom Wood returns to the England back row for the second Test against New Zealand (Picture: Linda Dawson)

Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes are also in the 23-man squad and will hope to play a part from the bench.

But Alex Waller, Lee Dickson, Stephen Myler and Ben Foden, who have travelled with England to New Zealand, miss out on a place in the matchday party.

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Players from Saints and Saracens, apart from Lee Dickson, who was on the bench, missed the 20-15 first Test defeat in Auckland due to their Aviva Premiership final commitments.

But Wood and Burrell have been jettisoned straight back into the team, with Hartley and Lawes forming part of a strong set of replacements.

The big selection talking point is the decision to name Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi on the wing to accommodate Burrell and Gloucester’s Billy Twelvetrees.

And England boss Stuart Lancaster admits selection decisions have been tough to make.

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“It’s been evident in training all along just how intense competition for places is but especially now we have the guys who arrived at the end of last week,” Lancaster said.

“We knew selection for this Test was always going to be tough, with the players who played at Eden Park putting their hands up and those who watched from the stands.

“I am sure it will be a fantastic occasion in Dunedin and we are really looking forward to challenging ourselves against the All Blacks.

“With the Crusaders game coming up around the corner and the third Test in Hamilton, all our squad will get opportunities which will be great experience as we continue to develop our depth in the build up to the World Cup.”

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England: Brown; Tuilagi, Burrell, Twelvetrees, Yarde; Farrell, Care; Marler, Webber, Wilson; Launchbury, Parling; Wood, Robshaw, Morgan.

Replacements: Hartley, Mullan, Brookes, Lawes, B Vunipola, B Youngs, Burns, Ashton.