Ayoola Erinle’s number comes up after Countdown star makes selection

Chris Jones
18 Nov 2009

Ayoola Erinle was today handed the task of giving England's back division some much-needed power and pace when they host New Zealand on Saturday.
For Erinle, who left English rugby to try to save his career in France with Biarritz, this will be his second cap but his first England start in place of Shane Geraghty.

The change is one of four — one positional — from the team that stumbled to a 16-9 win over Argentina.

Simon Shaw is fit to return to the second row for Louis Deacon, Joe Worsley takes over from Tom Croft at flanker while Mark Cueto moves to full-back and Ugo Monye is back on the wing.

Erinle, 29, left London Wasps two seasons ago to seek regular first-team rugby at Leicester but could not grab a starting position and opted to join the increasingly large group of English-qualified players in France at the start of this season.

Having made his debut as a replacement for Dan Hipkiss in the defeat by Australia, Erinle is now tasked with shoring up the England midfield against the dangerous All Blacks back division controlled by the outstanding Dan Carter.

Significantly, the move is an acceptance that playing Jonny Wilkinson and Geraghty as dual outside-halves has been a failure. Erinle is an outside- centre by choice but has been named at No12, a role that requires the kind of passing skills that he has yet to display at the highest level.

A double winner on the Countdown television programme — he won a teapot before losing on his third appearance — Erinle said: “If I am brutally honest, my prospects of playing for England were a dream that had been and gone. You try to hold onto it but as time goes on it fades away.

“When I went to Biarritz I just thought, At least I will be playing rugby and enjoying myself'.

“Before that I was in a pretty dark place. I was questioning what the point was but thank God I am in this position now. The Leicester coaches were apologetic about the fact I wasn't really given a chance and I had to make a decision.

“The opportunity came up at Biarritz and I took it with both hands.

“I used to watch Countdown and play along and then one day the email address came up to apply and my housemate said I should go for it.

“I came through the audition and before I knew it they asked if I would go on the show.”

The return of Shaw was expected after he recovered from a foot injury that has restricted him to two full appearances for Wasps this season following his heroics for the Lions in South Africa.

Deacon has failed to fill the void left by Shaw and England's reliance on the 36-year-old is worrying for the future of the squad as they build towards the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Shaw will be under pressure to win line-out ball — not one of his major strengths — against New Zealand as England have dropped Tom Croft.

But England cannot find the right balance to allow Croft to show off his talents and his line-out presence has been sacrificed to bring in Worsley, one of the best tacklers in the sport.

England line-up

M Cueto (Sale)
M Banahan (Bath)
D Hipkiss (Leicester)
A Erinle (Biarritz)
U Monye (Harlequins)
J Wilkinson (Toulon)
P Hodgson (Lon Irish)
T Payne (Wasps)
D Hartley (N'hampton)
D Bell (Bath)
S Shaw (Wasps)
S Borthwick (Saracens)
J Worsley (Wasps)
L Moody (Leicester)
J Haskell (St Francais)

Reps: S Thompson (Brive), D Wilson (Bath), L Deacon (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), D Care (Harlequins), S Geraghty (N'hampton), M Tait (Sale)