A TOTAL of 15 capped players have been included in an England squad of 29 announced at Twickenham yesterday for the forthcoming six-match tour of Argentina. Another wing will shortly be added to the touring party which leaves for Buenos Aires on May 18th depleted by the unavailability of 18 internationals who are on Lions duty in South Africa this summer.
Ben Clarke, Mike Catt, Jonathan Sleightholme, Chris Sheasby and the captain Phil de Glanville are among the more experienced members of this season's England squad who will make the two-Test tour after missing out on Lions selection.
The 1993 Lion, Martin Bayfield wins an England recall after a 15-month absence due to a neck injury while another valued international lock Garath Archer is also included. Bath, who have only one Lion, dominate the composition of the England squad with a total of eight players while Wasps and Sale have four each and Harlequins, having recruited an unusually large number of Celts this season, have just one representative - Rory Jenkins.
Sale, who play Leicester in the Pilkington Cup final on May 10th, have their biggest England contingent since the heyday of Fran Cotton and Steve Smith: this time David Rees, Jos Baxendell, Jim Mallinder and John Fowler represent the Cheshire club.
"The tour is a big opportunity for a number of players who have shown up well in the A team and the squad is also liberally sprinkled with people who have played successfully for England," acknowledged Jack Rowell, the England coach, who has yet to negotiate a new contract with the Rugby Football Union.
"The fact that we are awarding - caps for the Tests should be a very strong motivating factor - not that I have ever seen anyone in an England shirt short on motivation."
England's elite squad for the 1999 World Cup will be in place by the start of next season promised Rowell whose over riding ambition is to see an England team contest the World Cup final at Cardiff Arms Park.
Bar one or two players on the margins we should be able to get our arms around the World squad by the end of the summer, he said. Individual rivalry for the
England number 10 shirt "remains an issue," suggested Rowell who has oscillated between Mike Catt, Paul Grayson (another Lions choice) as well as briefly recalling the 34 year old Rob Andrew as a substitute last month.
Next season Alex King, the Wasps and England A out half, should be a more significant contender particularly if he makes his Test debut against Argentina on May 31st or June 7th. An opportunity for King could be created by picking Catt at fullback where the Bath player has won the majority of his caps. The development of Gloucester's Mark Mapletoft in international terms could he as a fly half or a fullback suggested Rowell.
"His place kicking skills are also very welcome," said Rowell who will use the tour to add technical polish to the kicking out of hand and off the ground of both Catt and King.
"Catt has bounced back after getting found out in some aspects of his game before Christmas," Rowell added.
The England coach declined to forecast how many Lions would be chosen by England for their international against Australia in Sydney on July 12th which comes just seven days after the Lions third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
"By then there could be a lot of people limping with their arm in a sling - no decision on the England team has been taken yet," explained Rowell.
In fact, the RFU have reserved only 12 seats on a scheduled flight from Johannesburg to Sydney for July 7th, Rowell was also coy about the terms he is seeking for a new contract with the RFU which would keep him in place as coach for the next two and a half years.
"I'm hoping someone will offer me XY and Z so we can go on from there the situation will be reviewed at the end of August when my current contract expires," he said.
