England World Cup squadEngland's quest for World Cup glory will soon begin in earnest but the dream died yesterday for Austin Healey and four other outstanding candidates when Clive Woodward announced a 30-man squad including the Bath playmaker Mike Catt, who has crept in via the back door and will now appear at his third World Cup.
For Healey and his Leicester colleagues Graham Rowntree and Ollie Smith, as well as the Wasps lock Simon Shaw and the Gloucester wing James Simpson-Daniel, the sense of despair could hardly be greater, given the real prospect of England doing something special in the weeks ahead.
Catt's elation, though, will be shared by Martin Corry, Stuart Abbott, Dan Luger, Iain Balshaw and Andy Gomarsall, who will also be on board when England fly to Perth on October 1st.
Healey may have 51 caps and represented his country in every position behind the scrum, yet even that pedigree has failed to win him a place among Woodward's elite. Instead the in-form Gomarsall goes as the third specialist scrumhalf and Catt will cover any midfield holes.
"It's tough on Austin and I've had a long chat with him," admitted Woodward. "The thing everyone has got to get their minds around is that I'm not taking a squad of utility players. We must have the best 22 available for the key games."
Catt seemed out of the equation when the management declined to fly him to the warm-weather training base in Provence prior to England's game in Marseille. But Woodward has been monitoring his fitness over six months and his presence strengthens an area where England could be vulnerable.
Woodward admitted leaving out Rowntree and Shaw had been "the two hardest decisions I've had to make in my six years as head coach".
ENGLAND SQUAD: Full-backs/wings: I Balshaw, B Cohen, J Lewsey, D Luger, J Robinson. Centres: S Abbott, W Greenwood, M Tindall. Outhalves: M Catt, P Grayson, J Wilkinson. Scrumhalves: K Bracken, M Dawson, A Gomarsall. Props: J Leonard, P Vickery, J White, T Woodman. Hookers: M Regan, S Thompson, D West. Second rows: D Grewcock, M Johnson, capt), B Kay. Back rows: N Back, M Corry, L Dallaglio, R Hill, L Moody, J Worsley.
