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Last Updated: Tuesday, 7 February 2006, 14:11 GMT
Voyce replaces Lewsey for England
Tom Voyce
Voyce scored a try against Wales on Saturday
England have called up Wasps winger Tom Voyce to play full-back in the Six Nations game against Italy on Saturday.

Voyce replaces injured club colleague Josh Lewsey, while Gloucester's James Simpson-Daniel comes onto the bench.

The 22-man squad is otherwise unchanged after Saturday's comprehensive victory against reigning champions Wales.

Martin Corry, who has been carrying a rib injury, is fit to captain the side from number eight, with Lawrence Dallaglio among the replacements.

Voyce, 25, came on against Wales after Lewsey suffered a shoulder injury midway through the first half and went on to cap an impressive display by scoring England's final try.

"He did well when he came on Saturday, he's been in the squad for the first three games and I felt his performance merited selection," said England coach Andy Robinson.

Voyce usually plays on the wing for Wasps but Robinson stressed he had no qualms about selecting a non-specialist full-back.

I see the back three role as one - to me it's all the same
Tom Voyce

"When I was at Bath [Voyce's former club] he played at full-back and he's played a number of games there," he said.

"We see now that the back three are interchangeable and Tom said to me in January he would play at full-back if required."

Voyce said: "I'm pretty confident about it. I see the back three role as one. To me it's all the same.

"It's quite nice playing full-back because you get the chance to run the ball back. You don't always get that on the wing.

"Being able to play two positions also gives you a better chance to get into the team and I wanted to show I could play in two positions confidently."

Lewsey's absence from the England side ends an unbroken sequence of 22 successive starts since he missed the World Cup quarter-final victory over Wales in Brisbane more than two years ago.

But Robinson is confident Lewsey will be fit to face Scotland at Murrayfield on 25 February.

"It's a two-week injury. He's a fit guy and he heals quickly," he said.


England team to face Italy:
T Voyce (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Thompson (Northampton), M Stevens (Bath); S Borthwick (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath); J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), J White (Leicester), S Shaw (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), M Dawson (Wasps), A Goode (Leicester), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester).



SEE ALSO
Injured Lewsey to miss Italy game
06 Feb 06 |  Six Nations
England 47-13 Wales
04 Feb 06 |  Six Nations
Dominant England 'on right track'
04 Feb 06 |  Six Nations


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