Josh Lewsey's career as England's fullback came to an unceremonious end yesterday when Brian Ashton dropped the World Cup winner from his 22-man squad to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and made it clear the 30-year-old Wasp's only route back into the starting XV would be as a specialist wing.
Sale's Mark Cueto, who has played only eight first-class games at number 15, will become England's fourth fullback in five Six Nations games, following in the ill-starred footsteps of Olly Morgan, Iain Balshaw and Lewsey, who has now been dropped from the last game of the Six Nations for the second year in a row. Apart from the anticipated inclusion of Mathew Tait at centre for the injured Mike Tindall, the team is otherwise unchanged from last Sunday's win over France.
Ashton was at pains to stress Lewsey has not dropped off the selectorial radar after 47 caps. The head coach informed Lewsey he did not want a fullback with a wing's instincts and rated Jason Robinson and Dave Strettle as better finishers. "It was difficult because Josh has given great service to England and I'm sure he will again," said Ashton. "But talking with him last night he was playing the same way at number 15 as he does on the wing, running the same lines and looking to exploit the same areas. That's not how I want a 15 to play."
With Toby Flood (knee) and the captain Mike Catt (hamstring) expected to train today, the England back line should lack neither pace nor a sense of adventure.
Wales captain Stephen Jones has been passed fit to lead an unchanged team into the clash with England. Jones took a punch to the face during last weekend's defeat to Italy and was forced to leave the field after his vision became impaired. But head coach Gareth Jenkins is confident Jones will be ready to start against England as Wales look to end a run of four straight Championship defeats. Team physio Mark Davies has also cleared prop Chris Horsman (ankle) and hooker Matthew Rees (calf).
France have reacted to the defeat by England by dropping Sebastien Chabal and Dimitri Yachvili from the squad that will face the Scots in Paris on Saturday. Elvis Vermeulen comes in for Chabal at number eight while Jean-Baptiste Elissalde replaces Yachvili at scrumhalf.
WALES:K Morgan; M Jones, T Shanklin, J Hook, S Williams; S Jones (capt), D Peel; G Jenkins, M Rees, C Horsman, I Gough, A-W Jones, A Popham, M Williams, R Jones. Replacements:TR Thomas, D Jones, A Jones, B Cockbain, J Thomas, M Phillips, G Thomas.
ENGLAND:M Cueto; D Strettle, M Tait, M Catt (capt), J Robinson; T Flood, H Ellis; T Payne, G Chuter, J White, M Corry, T Palmer, J Worsley, T Rees, N Easter. Replacements:L Mears, S Turner, L Deacon, M Lund, S Perry, S Geraghty, J Noon.
