Catt gets chance in a lifetime

England boss Clive Woodward today thrust Mike Catt into the World Cup semi-final spotlight, and declared: “He deserves his chance.”

Bath star Catt has been rewarded for an outstanding super-sub display against Wales last weekend, when his second-half appearance turned the game England’s way.

And he will line up against France on Sunday as one of four personnel changes from the Welsh quarter-final clash.

Catt replaces his Bath colleague Mike Tindall, partnering Will Greenwood in midfield, with Josh Lewsey returning in the full-back position, prop Trevor Woodman taking over from Jason Leonard and flanker Richard Hill back for a first appearance since England’s opening World Cup game a month ago.

With Lewsey reclaiming the number 15 jersey after recovering from a hamstring injury, Jason Robinson switches from full-back to right-wing duties and Dan Luger drops out.

Leonard, meanwhile, is on the bench. If required for duty, he will win his 112th Test cap and break Frenchman Philippe Sella’s world record.

Catt though, is the main selection talking point of what Woodward rightly feels is his strongest starting XV of the tournament.

It will be only his second England start in two years, and comes after a prolonged battle to overcome injury problems.

“Clearly, Mike Catt has been playing very well – he deserves his chance,” said Woodward.

“It is very tough on Mike Tindall, Jason Leonard and Lewis Moody. They have done nothing wrong, but I just believe this is the right balance. I have no doubt that Tindall will have a role to play on Sunday.

“Catty had to take a complete break in the summer, and he has now forced his way into the team for the biggest game of his life.”

Tindall will be on the bench, as Woodward has plumped for a midfield trio of Jonny Wilkinson, Catt and Greenwood, with England knowing they must produce more width in their game.

“Test match rugby is about winning, and we have got a winning mentality even though we have not been playing that well,” Woodward added.

“Clearly, France come into the match with a little more form than us, but on Sunday you can tear all the postscripts up. It will be 15 versus 15.

“We are not Torvill and Dean. We are not here to get marks out of 10, we are here to win a rugby game.

“We are going into the game with a full-strength side, and I don’t expect to lose. It is a complete one-off match.

“I have never gambled or panicked on selection. You don’t gamble on a World Cup semi-final, and we are not gambling.”

Woodman’s return was widely anticipated after a powerful second-half display against Wales, but it is Hill’s comeback that is most eagerly anticipated.

England have missed his all-action presence over the past month, as he sat out appointments with South Africa, Samoa, Uruguay and Wales during a prolonged recovery process from hamstring trouble.

And with Hill reunited alongside Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio at Moody’s expense, England’s revered back-row unit know they face a potential match-winning battle opposite the French breakaway trio of Serge Betsen, Olivier Magne and Imanol Harinordoquy.

“One of the great things about playing the French is that they have the ability to destroy your set-piece,” said England forwards coach Andy Robinson.

“Every scrum, every lineout is going to be a massive occasion in this game. We have total respect for the French scrum, they have shown that they are the world’s best scrummagers.”

Dallaglio added: “The French back-row has played very well, as has their whole pack, They have been physical and they have been dominant.

“France and England know each other very well – there are no secrets – and we will have to be at our very best. It will be a different game to anything we have seen so far in the World Cup.

“France play a very territorial game, and they have a very strong, attacking front-five. Confrontation in the pack will be the telling point of the game.”

England trained under the Telstra Stadium floodlights yesterday, and will have another session at Brookvale Oval in Manly today as the countdown towards Sunday gathers momentum.

England have won 20 of their last 21 Tests, defeating New Zealand (twice), Australia (twice) and South Africa (twice), among others.

But their last four meetings with France have been shared 2-2, confirming just how tough Sunday’s clash is to call.