England give Healy his chance

ENGLAND have made one change, promoting Austin Healey from the bench at the expense of Andy Gomarsall, for Saturday's Triple Crown decider against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.

The 22-year-old Leicester scrum-half will make his first international start, having already played as a replacement for eight minutes in last month's victory over Ireland in Dublin.

Healey could form a fresh halfback partnership with Mike Catt if the England incumbent, Paul Grayson, who was named again at number 10, fails to recover from a hip-muscle injury which is restricting his kicking. The experienced Catt, who has sat out England's last three internationals on the bench, took a full part in yesterday's two-hour training session at Bisham Abbey.

Grayson, who has eight caps, has responded slowly to treatment since receiving his injury in Northampton's Courage League defeat at Gloucester eight days ago.

On Monday, the Northampton physio, Phil Pask, said the fly half was extremely doubtful for the Wales game. Yesterday, however, the England coach, Jack Rowell, was rather more optimistic. He said: "Paul is doing stretching exercises and we're hopeful he'll make sufficient progress over the next few days to be able to play Rowell confirmed that Catt would take over the number 10 shirt if Grayson failed his fitness test on Thursday. Either way, the introduction of Healey will bring in a dynamic decision maker, who looks custom-built for the fast-moving inter-active game England have been playing since the start of the championship Henley has played no small part in Leicester's determined pursuit of a League and Cup double, not to mention their success in reaching the European Cup final.

It's a nice surprise and a massive honour to be picked for the Wales match," said Healey. "At the start of the season, I didn't think I was the greatest box kicker or passer of the ball, but my biggest skill is knowing how to read the game and being able to get in the right place at the right time. Also, it gives you extra drive if people don't think you're in the running for a cap."

Only four months ago, Healey was rated fourth in the England pecking order behind Gomarsall, Kyran Bracken and Matt Dawson, a reflection, perhaps, of the immaturity he still displayed in his option-taking, having switched from the wing to scrum-half as recently a 1995. However, his high-profile impact on the Ireland game, in which he set up a splendid try for Richard Hill, clearly put Gomersall under genuine pressure for his place.

Healey admitted candidly that he regarded his opposite number, Robert Howley, of Wales, as "the best scrum half in the northern hemisphere".

The Leicester man explained: "Howley makes few mistakes, he makes good breaks, and he makes the best of bad ball. I have watched him on video and taken things from his game and put them into my own. it will be a question of whether I can keep control of him, not whether he can get control of me."

Meanwhile, Rowell acknowledged that England's challenge in the 1999 World Cup represented unfinished business from a personal point of view, though he declined to be specific about the conditions he would want to attach to a new contract were he to agree to carry on as coach.

"Now that the undergrowth has been cleared away, I would like to cash in on the progress we've made with England so far - but perhaps I shouldn't - say that," he said.

France, meanwhile will be forced to make at least two changes, for their Five Nations Championship Grand Slam show down with Scotland in Paris on Saturday. Out-half Alain Penaud, who injured his groin in a club game last weekend pulled out yesterday while, tight-head prop Christian Lalifano was banned after punching an opponent in another club game.