Rugby Union: Back falls short of England's requirements

ENGLAND'S back row is suddenly like the police force: those below a certain height need not apply. In a shatteringly candid justification for his selection for the New Year training weekend in Lanzarote, Geoff Cooke, the manager, yesterday announced that players of the modest stature of Neil Back and Andy Robinson were literally not up to international rugby.

Back's exclusion, coupled with the inclusion of Steve Ojomoh in the squad of 30 as a prospective open-side flanker after spending his career with Bath and England B at blind side and No 8, perfectly reflected the new priority. Ojomoh is 6ft 2in and 15st 2lb; Back is generously given by the Rugby Football Union as 5ft 10in and 13st 10lb.

'Our belief is the role of the open-side flanker is changing,' Cooke said. 'The line-out is becoming important and you have to have the ability to be dynamic in carrying the ball forward in congested areas. That's why we are looking differently at the traditional image of an open-side flanker in this country. We are looking to break the mould and Steve could possibly be an answer.'

This was a seminal moment. Back's consistently good performances for Leicester and England B appeared to have put him next in line to Peter Winterbottom. But these days it is not getting to the ball but hanging on to it that is officially important. The best thing Back, 24 next month, could do is turn himself into a hooker.

'We have to be honest and say we have serious doubts about whether that can work against the world's best,' Cooke added. 'The lad can't help his size. It's just unfortunate for him: we don't see him as the No 1 alternative to Winterbottom at the moment. That doesn't mean he won't play for England but it's becoming harder for the good little 'un to shine at the very highest levels.'

Back's own self-assessment has always been that more height and weight would make him less of a player. 'For the game I play, my size is a massive advantage in that a bigger guy would have to be extremely agile to get up and down and make all the tackles that I get through during a game. I just can't see why this should place a question mark against my ability to perform at international level. You're either good enough or you're not, and if you're good enough you're big enough.' In which case, Cooke is saying he is neither.

Dean Richards was unavailable to be in the Canaries from 31 December to 5 January, and that probably means the great No 8's England days are over after 34 caps. On the other hand, the injury-prone John Hall has been restored, not least to undergo a punishing fitness schedule while away.

The next generation of England players is defined by the promising likes of the London wing Darren O'Leary and the South-West prop Chris Clark, newcomers who have earned their places on the strength of impressive introductions in the Divisional Championship.

The locks Andy Blackmore and Martin Johnson, though not quite so new and unspoiled, have also emerged from this month's divisionals but the one player who has not is the 23-year-old Harlequin - but not London - stand-off, Paul Challinor. England's team to play France on 16 January will be named on the 3rd.

ENGLAND TRAINING SQUAD: Backs: J Webb (Bath), I Hunter (Northampton), D O'Leary (Saracens), R Underwood, T Underwood (Leicester), W Carling (Harlequins, capt), P de Glanville, J Guscott (Bath), D Hopley (Cambridge Univ), R Andrew (Wasps), S Barnes (Bath), P Challinor (Harlequins), S Bates (Wasps), D Morris (Orrell). Forwards: C Clark (Swansea), J Leonard (Harlequins), J Probyn (Wasps), V Ubogu (Bath), B Moore (Harlequins), J Olver, M Bayfield (Northampton), A Blackmore (Bristol), W Dooley (Preston Grasshoppers), M Johnson (Leicester), J Hall, S Ojomoh (Bath), M Teague (Moseley), P Winterbottom (Harlequins), B Clarke (Bath), T Rodber (Northampton).