Twickenham hospitality news: Johnson defends Hape selection
14/01/2010
Martin Johnson has defended his decision to pick Shontayne Hape to appear in front of Twickenham hospitality ticketholders in the 2010 Six Nations.
New Zealand-born Hape, who has represented his native country as a rugby league player before converting to union, was brought into the squad ahead of the likes of Shane Geraghty and Dominic Waldouck as a replacement for the injured Mike Tindall.
During his league career, the centre was capped 14 times by the Kiwi national side.
Johnson said players such as Hape should not be judged for their decision to play for England despite being born overseas.
"It is what the players do when they are here, how they handle themselves, how they train, how they play and the commitment they have to that team," the England coach said.
He went on to point out that a number of former players, such as Mike Catt, have starred for England after changing their nationality.