Breaking News: Lancaster backs Dowson’s big game experience
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ENGLAND boss Stuart Lancaster says Phil Dowson’s big match experience for Saints saw him edge the No.8 battle with Ben Morgan.
At the age of 30 Dowson will make his debut for England in the Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday with Saints team-mates Chris Ashton, Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley also starting, while scrum-half Lee Dickson is on the bench.
And Lancaster explained it was Dowson’s experience of big matches for Saints like the Heineken Cup final against Leinster at the Millennium Stadium and Premiership semi-finals that saw him edge ahead of 22-year-old Morgan.
“Phil Dowson will get his first cap and it is a great opportunity for him,” said Lancaster. “Ben will be on the bench and he is a player who I am sure will come on and make an impact. Phil has gained that big match experience with his club in the Heineken Cup and in the Premiership and we feel he will be able transfer that to the Test arena.”
And after Chris Ashton was dropped by Saints for the Heineken Cup clash with Munster over concerns with his form and attitude, Lancaster has had no such worries.
“Both Ben Foden and Chris Ashton are on their day world-class players and both have trained that way since they came to camp,” said Lancaster. “Mike Brown has pushed Ben hard, but we will leave him on the bench for this game.”
And Lancaster is expecting to bring on Dickson for his England debut at some point in the second half.
“Ben (Youngs) has struggled with his knee this season, but he is now back to real good form for Leicester,” said Lancaster. “Dickson will make an impact in the second half.”
The top four Premiership sides make up the majority of the England 22 and Lancaster says that is how it should be.
“You look at the make up of the side and Sarries, Quins, Leicester and Saints make up a significant number of those players in our side,” said Lancaster. “At international level it is about picking players in form and we believe the players we have picked are in form.
“Scotland have had a lot more time together and their coaching staff have been doing this for a lot longer than 10 days. Put that together with being at Murrayfield and it will be a big challenge.”
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