Olly Barkley Gets Nod Over Toby Flood, Whilst Uncapped Topsy Ojo Starts

Olly Barkley has been selected over Toby Flood at inside center to partner Mike Tindall in England's first test against New Zealand this summer. The Six Nations inside center of choice, Flood has surprisingly failed to even make the bench with Jamie Noon being picked at the center replacement.

This in my opinion, even though it may not seem it, is a controversial decision. Flood was one of the England players who shone in the Six Nations—both in defense and attack. Along with Noon, throughout the championship it was a very small percentage of infield attacks that got through their two-man barricade.

Now that Mike Tindall is back from injury, a similar player in style to Noon but just generally more effective, creative, and with more experience, I believe this does warrant a drop of Noon to the bench. But Barkley is no more effective than Flood in the center and has been away from the international game since the World Cup. 

Whilst he has been a valuable asset for Bath recently, his claim to the number 12 shirt above Flood's remains a mystery to me. If you want to include him in the side, pick him at fly half.

Yes, it is true that Charlie Hodgson desperately needs some international experience having been sidelined by injury during the last three England campaigns. However we still want to win these tests against the All Blacks and I simple feel that Barkley would be the better player to start.

Bring Hodgson on in the second half if he needs time to get back into the international game. Although an all Sale Sharks half backs might be a good advantage against the All Blacks with Richard Wigglesworth returning to scrum half.

This is one of 11 changes since England's last international against Ireland back in March. One of which being the uncapped winger, Topsy Ojo. The London Irish player has been in good form recently, helping his side reach the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup.

However, even though the aim of this tour is to give some of the new and younger fresh players some international experience, I still have to wonder what more Matthew Tait has to do to warrant a place in the starting team.

His pace and agility make him a dangerous threat to any opposition back-line whether it be using his side step in the centre, lightning speed down the wing or his significant skill at a counter-attack from full back.  So the fact that Ojo and Brown have been picked ahead of him in the back three defies belief in my opinion.

(Although I am very happy to see the return of David Strettle to the number 11 shirt after an unlucky period of injury—The Six Nations, indeed the first match against Wales where he was injured, may have been a very different story had he not damaged his metatarsal.)

I am more optimistic however about England's pack. The front row picked here I am fairly sure will be the first choice one, two, and three come the next World Cup. You have the speed of Matt Stevens, an adjective not usually applied to a prop, which in my opinion makes him more valuable than Phil Vickery.

In Lee Mears you have a solid reliable hooker, and with Andrew Sheridan a sheer mass of a prop who personally I rate as one of the best scrummagers in world rugby today. I am perhaps a little questionable on the choice of Tom Palmer over Ben Kay but I don’t doubt that Palmer will give a good performance.

The back row shows some real promise. With Nick Easter injured it gives Luke Narraway a chance to show Rob Andrew and the to-be new manager Martin Johnson his potential as a future first team choice.

Along with Rees and Haskell at flankers, this I believe will make a formidable back row to play against, although their first test playing together being against New Zealand will really sort out the men from the boys.

All in all, a good side. Obviously not with all the choice we want to maybe face down Graham Henry's team, but showing some good young promise and certainly a team that will give the All Blacks a run for their money and at the very least, a good spectacle to watch.