Shontayne Hape may have improved his odds of being chosen for the Investec Internationals after being chosen to make his debut for England.
When he plays against Australia tomorrow (June 12th 2010), he will become the third former New Zealand rugby league player to have represented England, preceded by Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo.
The 29-year-old has been praised by Martin Johnson, the England coach, who described the centre as "one of those guys that seems to have a bit more time than most".
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Chris Robshaw was to be made captain for England when they played the Australian Barbarians.
He had been capped just once before when England played Argentina in 2009. England triumphed over their opponents in that match.
Johnson described the Harlequins flanker as an "industrious, hard-working player" and expressed confidence in his leadership qualities.
His captaincy could improve his own chances of being selected for the Investec Internationals, which are due to begin later on in the year with a match against New Zealand on November 6th.
Posted by Sandie Banwait