KEY POINTS:
LONDON - Evergreen Mike Catt will captain an injury-hit England against France after coach Brian Ashton today named a team showing eight changes for Sunday's Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
Catt, 35, who came to the rescue as a stabilising midfield influence from the bench during the 2003 World Cup, has been asked to do a similar short-term job after regular captain Phil Vickery, first five-eighths Jonny Wilkinson and centre Andy Farrell were all ruled out by injury.
Ashton, seeking to rediscover some form and confidence after last month's 43-13 mauling by Ireland in Dublin, has also made two positional changes, including moving former skipper Martin Corry from number eight to the second row alongside Tom Palmer.
Catt replaces Farrell inside Mike Tindall in the centres and will provide an experienced head for Toby Flood, making his first start as a replacement for Wilkinson, who suffered a hamstring injury playing for club side Newcastle at the weekend.
Julian White comes in for Vickery, who suffered concussion after being punched in a weekend club game, with fellow prop Tim Payne also drafted in to freshen up the front row.
Tom Rees makes his first start in a mobile-looking back row alongside Joe Worsley and number eight Nick Easter.
Jason Robinson, who missed the Ireland game with a neck injury, returns to the wing, with Josh Lewsey shifting to fullback to allow Ashton to retain David Strettle, who had a promising debut in Dublin.
Four players have been dropped from the pack -- Perry Freshwater, Louis Deacon, Danny Grewcock and Magnus Lund.
Catt won the last of his 67 caps against Australia last year but is an old favourite of Ashton -- his former club coach at Bath -- and played for England's developmental Saxons team against Ireland last month.
"I have known Mike Catt since 1992 when he came across to this country from South Africa and if there is one player who knows the way I want to develop this game it's him," Ashton said after announcing his team.
"He is full of experience and enthusiasm and I am putting my money on him to help deliver the type of game I want England to play.
"The captaincy is not a long-term thing and he knows that but I just feel that with the situation we are in, we need someone with his experience.
"Martin Corry has a change of position and although he has played in the second row for England before, he'll have enough on his plate without the captaincy."
Corry was in charge of England when they lost eight out of nine tests last year but looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders in this year's Six Nations after Vickery took over the captaincy.
England team to play France:
15-Josh Lewsey; 14-David Strettle, 13-Mike Tindall, 12-Mike Catt, 11-Jason Robinson; 10-Toby Flood, 9-Harry Ellis; 8-Nick Easter, 7-Tom Rees, 6-Joe Worsley, 5-Tom Palmer, 4-Martin Corry, 3-Julian White, 2-George Chuter, 1-Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16-Lee Mears, 17-Stuart Turner, 18-Louis Deacon, 19-Magnus Lund, 20-Shaun Perry, 21-Shane Geraghty, 22-Mathew Tait.
- REUTERS
