Bath have dropped the England full-back Matt Perry for their European Cup final against Brive in Bordeaux on Saturday, just a week before England open their Five Nations campaign against France in Paris.

Other Bath casualties in the wake of last Saturday's English Cup defeat by Richmond include the tight-forwards Frederico Mendez and Brian Cusack. England's Jeremy Guscott keeps his place after a long injury absence for only his second game this season.

The 21-year-old Perry, who made his Test debut in the autumn and went on to win four caps, is replaced by the veteran goal-kicker Jonathan Callard who normally prefers to focus on his job as backs coach.

Andy Robinson, Bath's chief coach, believes Callard's marksmanship and his all-round experience could be crucial factors in the final, arguably the most important game in the club's history.

The axing of Perry is discouraging news for the England coach Clive Woodward, who would certainly have preferred his protege to face those Brive international players who will represent France next week. They include the centre Christophe Lamaison and scrum-half Philippe Carbonneau.

Perry, who will be on the bench for the Brive game, is expected to keep his place in the England line-up due to be announced next Monday. This season Bath have chosen Perry at full-back, wing and centre with mixed success. His uncertain defence against Richmond, whose wingers scored a try apiece, may well have cost him his place, though Robinson insisted the recall of Callard was purely a tactical decision.

Bath have restored the Scottish international prop David Hilton and recalled their long-serving lock Martin Haag.

Hilton fills a jersey that would almost certainly have been worn by the suspended Kevin Yates. Yates is suspended on full pay, pending a disciplinary hearing into the ear-biting allegations made by London Scottish after their Australian flanker Simon Fenn was seriously injured earlier this month.