Corry: new-look England to deliver

MARTIN CORRY has declared England’s record World Cup defeat against South Africa must not be a “a terminal hammer blow” for the struggling Webb Ellis Trophy holders.

England head coach Brian Ashton yesterday predictably reacted to the 36-0 thumping by changing more than half his starting line-up for next Saturday’s critical Pool A appointment with Samoa.

Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, centres Olly Barkley and Mathew Tait, wing Mark Cueto, scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, hooker George Chuter and flanker Joe Worsley have all been called up for a tournament-saving mission in Nantes.

Josh Lewsey, meanwhile, moves from wing to full-back instead of hamstring injury victim Jason Robinson, but Mike Catt, Shaun Perry and Tom Rees also miss out, together with centre Jamie Noon, who went home yesterday for further treatment on a knee problem.

And skipper Corry has also underlined the importance of a heart-to-heart players’ meeting barely 24 hours after England’s shambolic defeat at Stade de France.

He said: “It was a necessary meeting. You can imagine the anger and hurt we were feeling, especially given how well we had trained.

“It was an open forum when people expressed their views, which is much better than a whispering campaign.

“The game against South Africa must not be a terminal hammer blow for us.

“We are totally aware that we are a team playing below our potential.

“I don’t think we will ever eradicate the pain of that defeat, but we have to make it a motivating factor, rather than a demoralising one.”

And Ashton added: “We decided South Africa would be dealt with on Saturday. It was done and dusted, finished, out of the way.

Wilkinson will make his first start of the tournament after an ankle ligament problem, sustained less than 24 hours following his arrival in France a fortnight ago, ruled him out of the appointments with America and South Africa.

Barkley — who missed the Springboks game due to a hip problem — is also back, lining up at inside centre instead of Andy Farrell, who drops to the bench.

But Lawrence Dallaglio has failed to force his way in, with Ashton retaining Harlequins number eight Nick Easter in the back row alongside Corry and Worsley.

Ashton’s major surgery has taken place behind the scrum, where only Wasps wing Paul Sackey remains in his original starting position from the South Africa debacle.

England must beat Samoa to keep themselves in the qualifying picture from Pool A, although their appointment with Tonga in Paris on Friday week will still effectively be an eliminator for the quarter-finals.

Cueto, meanwhile, reverts to the wing following a couple of runs at full-back, with Lewsey in a number 15 shirt he has not worn for England since last season.

ENGLAND (v Samoa, Saturday): J Lewsey, P Sackey, M Tait, O Barkley, M Cueto, J Wilkinson, A Gomarsall; A Sheridan, G Chuter, M Stevens, S Shaw, B Kay, M Corry, capt, J Worsley, N Easter.

Replacements: M Regan, P Freshwater, S Borthwick, L Moody, P Richards, A Farrell, D Hipkiss.