Borthwick in for injury-hit England

ENGLAND have been hit by a second-row injury crisis for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against Ireland at Twickenham.

Bath lock Steve Borthwick will make his first Six Nations start since 2001 after England boss Clive Woodward was denied the services of Danny Grewcock and Simon Shaw.

Woodward has made two other changes from the side that defeated Scotland in Edinburgh, recalling scrum-half Matt Dawson instead of Andy Gomarsall and flanker Joe Worsley at the expense of Chris Jones.

But only Mark Regan and Olly Barkley survive on the bench, after Woodward named a 22 that does not include world record cap holder Jason Leonard, but features another 35-year-old Neil Back.

Back was the highest-profile casualty when Woodward named the pre-tournament England squad last month.

The 114 times-capped Leonard, meanwhile, is replaced by a player 14 years his junior South Africa-born Bath prospect Matt Stevens.

Grewcock , Woodward's man-of-the-match at Murrayfield, would have been an automatic selection to face an Irish side seeking a first Twickenham victory for 10 years.

But he suffered a heel problem during Bath's Powergen Cup quarter-final defeat against Leeds, and Wasps lock Shaw has a facial injury.

Borthwick, who recently served a two-week suspension after being cited for use of the knee on England captain Dallaglio during a Zurich Premiership game, will win his ninth cap, but the first since last summer's World Cup warm-up loss to France in Marseille.

"Steve is a good player. With him and Ben Kay it's a strong second row, and we have Chris Jones to cover," said Woodward.

"But it's been a bad position for injuries this weekend. Danny Grewcock was injured playing for Bath he's got an Achilles heel problem and Simon Shaw is out with a facial injury. He has had an x-ray and they think that he's cracked one of his bones in his face. In a very short space of time, we've lost Martin Johnson, Danny Grewcock and Simon Shaw at lock, but we are very excited about Borthwick."

The other switch up front sees Worsley, now fit again following a hamstring strain that ruled him out of the Calcutta Cup, replacing Jones, whose versatility as a second-row or back-row alternative has undoubtedly helped Back's cause.

Behind the scrum, a back division that has contributed nine of England's 11 tries in this season's competition, remains intact apart from Dawson ousting Gomarsall.

It means Jason Robinson again features at outside centre alongside Will Greenwood, who wins his 50th cap, and Iain Balshaw is retained at full-back.

But James Simpson-Daniel's appearance among the substitutes instead of his Gloucester colleague Henry Paul, has significantly increased pressure on England's back three notably Balshaw and Ben Cohen to perform.

Woodward restored World Cup scrum-half Dawson to the number nine role, claiming that he just had an edge on Gomarsall.

"I've been very pleased with Andy in the first two games, but I think Matt is just a little bit ahead only a small bit, but he still has the edge."

Leonard's omission from the 22 will inevitably raise questions about his international future.

The front-row war-horse was a subject of weekend speculation that he could call time on an illustrious Test career after this season's Six Nations, and Stevens' elevation suggests Woodward is planning ahead.