England duo to make Test debuts

International team news: Gloucester centre Anthony Allen and Bristol scrumhalf Shaun Perry will make their Test debuts when …

International team news: Gloucester centre Anthony Allen and Bristol scrumhalf Shaun Perry will make their Test debuts when England tackle World Cup favourites New Zealand at Twickenham next Sunday.

Allen has been Gloucester's star performer during their unbeaten start to the Premiership campaign. And like Allen, 28-year-old Perry is in only his second season of Premiership rugby after joining Bristol from League One club Coventry.

Allen will partner Newcastle's Jamie Noon in midfield, with Perry promoted above Peter Richards, who started both Tests on the summer tour of Australia.

There are no places in the starting line-up for Josh Lewsey, Mathew Tait or James Forrester, who all suffered injuries during the past few days.

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The captaincy, meanwhile, reverts to Leicester's Martin Corry, who starts at blindside flanker, with Pat Sanderson wearing the number eight shirt and Lewis Moody completing England's backrow trio.

There are five Leicester forwards in the pack - Corry, Moody, Ben Kay, hooker George Chuter and Julian White - as England look to stave off a sixth successive defeat.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors pair Scott Lawson and Sam Pinder have been called into this week's Scotland training squad ahead of the autumn Test series.

Hooker Lawson and scrumhalf Pinder were drafted in after Dougie Hall and Mike Blair were injured during Edinburgh's 25-24 European Cup win over Leinster - though initial indications are neither of the latter two will be ruled out of the Tests at Murrayfield. Scotland face Romania on November 11th before the Pacific Islanders and Australia visit on successive Saturdays.

France will play centre Damien Traille at outhalf in the first of two Tests against New Zealand on Saturday week. Traille will step in for the injured Frederic Michalak, who has not recovered from a knee-ligament problem.

Traille has won 45 caps but played only one Test at number 10, in a 36-26 win over South Africa in June.

Laporte also called up Clermont Auvergne number eight Elvis Vermeulen. There is no place for Serge Betsen or Olivier Magne, while Imanol Harinordoquy and Saracens' utility back Thomas Castaignede were ruled out through injury.

ENGLAND (v New Zealand): I Balshaw (Gloucester); M Cueto (Sale), J Noon (Newcastle), A Allen (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale), S Perry (Bristol); A Sheridan (Sale), G Chuter (Leicester), J White (Leicester); D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Bath); M Corry (Leicester, capt), L Moody (Leicester), P Sanderson (Worcester). Replacements: To be announced.