Abbott and Volley win England call

13 April 2012

Stuart Abbott and Paul Volley were today rewarded for helping Wasps to the brink of a league and cup rugby double by being included in England's 37-man squad to tour New Zealand and Australia this summer.

The uncapped pair are two of seven Wasps players chosen by manager Clive Woodward. The others are Alex King, Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley, Simon Shaw and Josh Lewsey.

Woodward said: "I have been watching Stuart Abbott for a long time, and since Christmas he has been outstanding in a Wasps team that has been playing exceptionally well. He and Volley deserve their call-up.

"I have been really pleased with Alex King, too, and he has been kicking especially well.

"He's at the top of his form and has the experience, along with Paul Grayson, to act as excellent back-up to Jonny Wilkinson at fly-half."

Gloucester openside flanker Andy Hazell was the only other uncapped member of a squad which will travel Down Under on 3 June as part of England's final preparations for the World Cup.

A match against New Zealand Maori on 9 June will be followed by full internationals against New Zealand on 14 June and Australia seven days later.

Bath lock Danny Grewcock has been included despite facing a two-week suspension at the start of June after being sent off for allegedly punching Dallaglio during Wasps' victory in the Parker Pen final on Sunday.

Wasps, who meet Gloucester at Twickenham on Saturday in the Zurich Premiership play-off final, also had Martyn Wood, Fraser Waters, Phil Greening and Will Green picked for the second string England squad to tour Canada and Japan next month.

Woodward plans to send half a dozen players on to Canada after the senior tour opener against the Maori, leaving both squads equally balanced at 33 players apiece.

TEST SQUAD

To face New Zealand and Australia

Backs: S Abbott (London Wasps), I Balshaw (Bath), K Bracken (Saracens), B Cohen (Northampton), M Dawson (Northampton), A Gomarsall (Gloucester), P Grayson (Northampton), W Greenwood (Harlequins), B Johnston (Saracens), A King (London Wasps), J Lewsey (London Wasps), D Luger (Harlequins), J Noon (Newcastle), J Robinson (Sale), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), M Tindall (Bath), J Wilkinson (Newcastle).
Forwards: N Back (Leicester), S Borthwick (Bath), M Corry (Leicester), L Dallaglio (London Wasps), D Grewcock (Bath), A Hazell (Gloucester), R Hill (Saracens), M Johnson (Leicester, captain), B Kay (Leicester), J Leonard (Harlequins), M Regan (Leeds Tykes), G Rowntree (Leicester), S Shaw (London Wasps), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), P Volley (London Wasps), D West (Leicester), T Woodman (Gloucester), J Worsley (London Wasps), M Worsley (London Irish).

'A' SQUAD

Backs: O Barkley (Bath), P Christophers (Bristol), M Cueto (Sale), M Horak (London Irish), H Paul (Gloucester), D Scarbrough (Leeds), D Walder (Newcastle), N Walshe (Sale), F Waters (London Wasps), M Wood (London Wasps).
Forwards: P Anglesea (Sale), A Brown (Bristol), M Cairns (Saracens), D Flatman (Saracens), W Green (London Wasps), P Greening (London Wasps), N Hatley (London Irish), D Hyde (Leeds), C Jones (Sale), T Palmer (Leeds), A Sheridan (Bristol), A Titterrell (Sale), H Vyvyan (Newcastle).

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Lawrence Dallaglio

Abbott and Volley win England call

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