England Prepare for First Test
.jpg "Danny Care will have to part lead England as the team's most senior back")
Danny Care will have to part lead England as the team's most senior back
©PA
Ahead of Wednesday night’s starting team announcements for the first Test in Auckland, it looks as though rugby league convert Kyle Eastmond will line-up at inside centre.
The Bath centre looks set to win his third international cap in the absence of Billy Twelvetrees, who has lost his race to be fit for the series opener.
Twelvetrees' ankle injury prevented him from training on Tuesday in the final practice session before head coach Stuart Lancaster names his team on Wednesday night.
The Gloucester back has been out since May 3 and his ongoing absence offers Eastmond the chance to start against the world champions.
The former rugby league player has impressed for Bath since his conversion and England during last summer’s tour of Argentina; however, he has recently fallen out of favour with his club and has not played since the end of April.
Supplying Eastmond with the ball against the All Blacks will most probably be Freddie Burns – another player who is fourth choice in his position.
Leicester-bound Burns has been desperately short of form when picked by Gloucester, but he appears to have edged out Danny Cipriani in the absence of preferred fly-halves Owen Farrell, Stephen Myler and George Ford.
England will otherwise select a familiar backline with Danny Care at scrum-half, Manu Tuilagi outside Eastmond at 13, Marland Yarde and Jonny May on the wings and Mike Brown at full-back.
The key talking point in the forwards concerns who will partner Joe Launchbury in the second row, with Geoff Parling's line-out expertise likely to see him chosen ahead of the more abrasive Dave Attwood.
The front row picks itself with Rob Webber, who has overcome a knee problem, packing down alongside Joe Marler and David Wilson.
The back row that finished the RBS 6 Nations will almost survive intact with the physicality of James Haskell likely to see him fill the shoes of Tom Wood, with Chris Robshaw at openside and Ben Morgan at number eight.
New Zealand also name their 23 on Wednesday, with Jerome Kaino in pole position to replace number eight Kieran Read, who has been ruled out with concussion.
