England put faith in youth

International / Maxliu / 10 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Ojo wins first cap for new-look England

Stand-in England rugby coach Rob Andrew believes there is a healthy competition for starting places in his young squad.

Looking ahead to Saturday's first test against New Zealand, Andrew said:

"The average age of the side playing at the weekend is 24 - 25. We expect most of those players to be giving Martin Johnson a selection headache over the next three years."

Andrew underlined England's emphasis on looking to the future by naming London Irish winger Topsy Ojo in the starting line-up for the Auckland test.
The 22-year-old responded to the news by saying: " Rob Andrew read out the team, came over to me and said: 'Congrats Topsy, first cap.'
"I told my dad and brother straight away and they are on their way out."

Hear the full interview with England's new winger here: http://http://media.libsyn.com/media/betfairaudio/topsy_ojo.mp3

Ojo is part of a team that features sweeping changes with only four players surviving from the England side that defeat Ireland in the six nations in March.

England are [9.0] to win saturday's match while New Zealand are [1.6].