Dorian West, who understudies Cockerill at Leicester, steps up to the bench along with Tim Rodber, the Northampton captain and last summer’s Lions No 8.ENGLAND (v France, Five Nations’ Championship, Paris, Saturday): M Catt (Bath); D Rees (Sale), W Greenwood (Leicester), J Guscott (Bath), A Healey (Leicester), P Grayson (Northampton), K Bracken (Saracens), J Leonard (Harlequins), M Regan (Bath), D Garforth (Leicester), M Johnson (Leicester), G Archer (Newcastle), L Dallaglio (Wasps, capt), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester) Replacements to be named.. I rate Mike as a massive talent, a world-class attacking player and I’d have been happy to see him in any one of three or four positions.”The real debate surrounded the inside centre position, where Phil and Will Greenwood were in for one place. The Bath youngster took a stinging slap in the face for the second week running yesterday when Woodward informed him that, like De Glanville, he had conceded his shirt to a club-mate. They have seen quite enough of Guscott down the years to fear his predatory instincts but, if anything, they are even more concerned about the state of the pitch at the brand spanking new Stade de France in the north of the city.

The surface is frost-bound and, given the absence of undersoil heating, there is an outside chance of an embarrassing postponement.Guscott’s recall relegates Phil de Glanville, his Bath colleague, to the replacements’ bench – something of an irony, given that Jack Rowell’s decision to award De Glanville the England captaincy last season resulted in similar frustration for Guscott. Not any old club-mate, either, but his close friend Mike Catt, whose lamentable goal-kicking against Richmond 10 days ago effectively cost Perry his place in Bath’s Heineken Cup-winning side.It has not been the greatest few days for the 21-year-old and when he reaches England’s palatial Versailles Hotel tomorrow evening, it will be no particular surprise if he finds his room double-booked.”I didn’t expect Matt to jump up and down with joy and he was naturally very disappointed to be among the replacements, but he took the news well and he’ll be all the bigger for it,” Woodward said.”To be honest, it’s the first time I’d been involved in a really difficult England selection meeting. The other back division change sees the temporary demise of Matt Perry after four consecutive Tests at full- back.If Perry was to be deprived of all his bad luck, he would have no luck at all. Nevertheless, Woodward yesterday named him in his starting line-up for Paris, one of Guscott’s favourite rugby cities.All of which gives the Tricolors two things to panic about. The national coach has made three changes, only one of them enforced, for his opening gambit in the Five Nations against the French in Paris on Saturday. England may have played out of their skins against New Zealand last December, but Clive Woodward wants more.

We say to him every week that you learn this game all the time and you can keep improving.Subsequent conversations with Evans have convinced Hoddle of the error of his phrase and his call-up to the England squad is an acknowledgement of that. Now, at 18 years 59 days there is the prospect of his becoming the youngest player this century to make his debut for England, surpassing Duncan Edwards six days after the 40th anniversary of the Munich air crash that ultimately cost the young Manchester United player his life.. “He’s a model professional for a young lad, who has a level head on his shoulders and does the right things for himself and the football club. Quiet and studious, a Spice Boy he is not, even if his boyish good looks mean he is overtaking Peter Andre as a pin- up for the teen generation.”We have no problem whatsoever with Michael Owen,” Evans said in response. A solid, uncomplicated performance was enough to take Celtic level with Rangers and Hearts at the top of the Premier Division.

To be in contention at this stage remains the aim for Celtic as they look to end Rangers’ stranglehold of the title, and once again they showed character in coming from behind to win. Aberdeen played better than they have done against Celtic for some time and for a while they looked capable of causing an upset with Eoin Jess driving forward from the midfield. David Rowson scored with a deflected shot in the eighth minute by which time alarm bells were ringing in the Celtic defence.
It took the promptings of Craig Burley and Morten Wieghorst to turn the game, although Celtic could point to an Alan Stubbs header and a Jackie McNamara shot both striking the woodwork.Wieghorst equalised in the 21st minute, winning a tackle against Derek Whyte and sending a low drive past Jim Leighton from 18 yards Ten minutes from the break Celtic took the lead. He got another goal in the final against West Ham as Liverpool won the competition for the first time.The goals have continued to flow at every level – including his Liverpool and England Under-21 debuts – and, but for a sending off against Yugoslavia playing for England Under-18s at Rotherham last year and a surprising questioning of his character by Hoddle two months ago, his progress has been nearly flawless.Hoddle’s criticism – “There are certain things he needs to stamp out of his game and out of his off-the-pitch situation as well” – was greeted with astonishment at Anfield. In a flash he turns and uses extraordinary balance and speed to get away.”You can’t talk about potential with Michael any more,” Roy Evans, his manager, said “He’s there already, the full player He’s like Alan Shearer in many ways.

He’s focused like Shearer, he works hard and is strong mentally.”It was always the case. Unlike most gifted young footballers, who can flower as a schoolboy then wilt away in a season, there have hardly been any doubts about Owen. The fact that Fowler had to step down to make way for Owen merely underlines how the pecking order has changed at Liverpool in six short months.In 32 first-team games he has scored 13 times, but that statistic does not do him justice because so many Liverpool goals stem from Owen’s ability to beat players. There is no obvious trick, no Ryan Giggs-like blur of the feet, just a precocious awareness of the possibilities around him. Born in Chester and the son of a striker, Terry, who played nearly 300 League games (scoring 70 times) with six clubs including Everton and Chester, he was noticed after breaking Ian Rush’s record of 72 goals for Deeside Schools.Graeme Souness brought him to the club and within months of signing apprentice forms he was scoring a hat-trick against the holders Manchester United in the Youth Cup.