TEENAGER Tom Briscoe will make his England debut in the Gillette Fusion international against Wales in Bridgend.
The 19-year-old Hull winger missed four months of the season with an ankle injury but was included in coach Tony Smith’s elite training squad earlier this year and played in his club’s last four matches of the season.
Wigan half-back Sam Tomkins, Super League’s young player of the year, is the other new cap – while Tony Clubb, Stefan Ratchford and Ben Harrison are the players omitted from Smith’s original 20-man squad.
Full-back Shaun Briscoe and prop Eorl Crabtree will sit out tomorrow’s game, along with the contingent from Leeds and St Helens.
“There were a few tough calls, but I’m very excited,” said Smith. “The game on Saturday is primarily there to give the guys going through to the Gillette Four Nations an opportunity to get a game under their belt and get some combinations going.
“They will all feel the benefit of the experience, especially the younger players. People like Tom Briscoe won’t be going through to the Four Nations squad. But it’s important that we give people like him a taster, just likeRichie Myler a year ago.
“The young guys who were involved against Wales last year have all kicked on, and we hope everyone else has too.”
There are seven survivors from the team that beat Wales 74-0 at Doncaster a year ago.
In Briscoe’s absence, Paul Sykes will play full-back - while Wigan captain Sean O’Loughlin, a specialist loose forward or stand-off, displays his versatility by being chosen at centre.
The side includes Warrington prop Garreth Carvell, who played for Wales in the 2000 World Cup. He has since represented Great Britain, but this will be his first appearance in an England shirt.
ENGLAND: P Sykes (Bradford); P Fox (Hull KR), S O’Loughlin (Wigan), M Shenton (Castleford), T Briscoe (Hull); S Tomkins (Wigan), R Myler (Salford); A Morley (Warrington, capt), S Moore (Huddersfield), G Carvell (Warrington), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), B Westwood (Warrington), S Burgess (Bradford). Subs: L McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Harlequins), M Higham (Warrington), D Tickle (Hull), C Bridge (Warrington).
