Catt's remarkable comeback complete

Rugby World Cup England name teamOnce more into the breach dear friends. In its time of supposed crisis, and given they are unbeaten at the World Cup and in the semi-finals, England coach Clive Woodward has taken comfort in selecting from his strongest available line-up.

Between them they have 651 caps liberally sprinkled amongst the starting XV and 932 in the match-day squad, assuredly the most experienced 22 in history for any one game.

In particular, the names Hill, Back and Dallaglio are as synonymous with each other as Johnston, Mooney and O'Brien. The return of Richard Hill, hitherto sorely missed, will, Woodward clearly hopes, knit the tried and trusted back row together.

More contentiously, Woodward has also recalled Mike Catt at inside centre, in the expectation that he will spark some much-needed width back into England's game while also being a foil to Jonny Wilkinson, as he was in the second half against Wales.

The decision to sacrifice 111-time capped Jason Leonard (he'll eclipse Philippe Sella and become the world's most capped player if he comes on) by recalling Trevor Woodman is clearly made with one eye on the French scrum, while a fourth change sees the return of fit-again Josh Lewsey at a nominal full back slot, with Jason Robinson named on the wing, though they are likely to dovetail.

Leonard, Mike Tindall and Lewis Moody make way and go to the bench, while, with Iain Balshaw also fit again, Dan Luger misses out.

"It's quite straightforward really. Clearly he (Mike Catt) has been playing very well. I don't think it's any sleight on Mike Tindall at all. I think we're going in with our strongest team, all 30 players available for selection," said Woodward to a press conference which must have been attended by at least 150 journalists.

Woodward has always had a leaning to a Southern Hemisphere-style system of first five-eighth and second five-eighth, i.e., two playmakers who can stand in at first receiver. The English coach also pointed out that when England beat France in the Six Nations earlier in the year they had played with a second outhalf, Charlie Hodgson, at first centre.

However, this had limited success, with Hodgson coughing up an early chargedown try to Olivier Magne. The need for Catt, however, has been accentuated by Wilkinson's tendency last week against Wales to join into rucks, and then be out of action at first receiver. Furthermore, when Catt joined the fray he employed his line-kicking, breaking and long passing to fill that void impressively.

Nevertheless, it's one of the most remarkable returns from the wilderness of any player at this tournament, Catt having risen Lazarus-like after two years out of Test rugby.

Prior to this World Cup the South African-born player, who turned 32 in September, hadn't started a game for England since the autumn win over the Springboks in 2001.

A torn calf put paid to his Lions tour that summer, when they were based at this same Manly hotel, after which a procession of groin and hamstring problems threatened his career.

Forced to play with injuries in Bath's desperate fight against relegation last year, Woodward advised him to take the summer off and he was left out of England's tour as well as their provisional World Cup squad and warm-up games. Whereupon he was a surprise inclusion in the final 30 after only linking up with the party four days before the cut-off point.

Catt attributed his rise from the ashes to a lot of hard work. "It's been a pretty lonely road for me in the past two years with injuries. But I've never really lost sight of my ultimate goal which was playing for England in the World Cup."

During his two-year Test hiatus, Catt's wife, Ali (presumably she didn't take his surname), gave birth to their first child, Evie, and although Woodward described this as the biggest game of Catt's life, mentally, he would seem to be approaching this semi-final in an altogether less obsessive way than the intense Wilkinson.

"Rugby is a funny sport to be honest. I've had my injuries in the last two or three years, but I've come through them and I'm thoroughly enjoying my rugby at the moment. I've got a completely different outlook on the game after the birth of my daughter last year. There are more important things in life than rugby."

Interestingly, when asked what he thought he might bring to the English team, Catt said: "Maybe a bit of freshness to be honest. This side has done exceptionally well for the last two years. They've been down to New Zealand and Australia and been very successful and they've lost one game in their last 20, so maybe there's a bit of staleness in there and I can just bring that extra freshness and different perspective into the game."

Catt is one of just two survivors from the starting line-up that was blitzed by the All Blacks in the semi-finals of the 1995 World Cup, the other being Martin Johnson, while Leonard and Kyran Bracken also played, and he laughs off the suggestion that he is best remembered for being trampled on by Jonah Lomu that day.

"Not at all, if anything it got me to the top of the tree. I look at that particular game, when you had the likes of Tim Rodber and Martin Johnson trying to tackle and they were 18st and I was only 13st, I probably didn't have a chance anyway. But Jonah was phenomenal in that tournament, the All Blacks were phenomenal, and it's a pity he's not here."

Catt's selection, and more pertinently the omission of Tindall, would seem to reduce England's defensive strengths in midfield, although Woodward denied that this was a gamble.

"I don't think I've ever gambled or ever panicked. I think you saw when he came on for the whole of the second half, he played outstandingly well. I see actually no gamble in this at all. I think by not picking him I could understand the question. This is no gamble.You don't gamble in the semi-final of a World Cup."

Phil Larder put his best face on the repercussions for his defensive system: "Mike (Tindall) is a great defensive player but Mike Catt is also an astute defender. He's probably not as physical as Mike, but he's quick on his feet, he's alert, he's intelligent and I've no doubt that the defence will not be weakened at all."

Woodward is also taking much encouragement from having three experienced, "world-class" potential impact players on the bench in Bracken, Tindall and Iain Balshaw, who has recovered from an ankle injury. With Josh Lewsey's hamstring also having cleared up, so Austin Healey has had to turn around, rev up and head back to England to play with Leicester this weekend after a fruitless, round-the-world odyssey as a precaution. Whatever their problems, a shortage of financial backing from the English RFU isn't one of them.

ENGLAND J Lewsey (Wasps); J Robinson (Sale Sharks), W Greenwood (Harlequins), M Catt (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), M Dawson (Northampton); T Woodman (Gloucester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), M Johnson (Leicester, capt), B Kay (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester), L Dallaglio (Wasps). Replacements: D West (Leicester), J Leonard (Harlequins), M Corry (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), K Bracken (Saracens), M Tindall (Bath), I Balshaw (Bath).