Hodgson in to apply pressure on fly-halves

And team manager Martin Johnson has hinted this is his first squad selection made with next autumn's World Cup in New Zealand in mind.

Johnson has named a 44-man squad for the five-match tour which includes two Tests against Australia.

Among them is Otley-born World Cup winner Mike Tindall, who has 58 caps, and Leeds-born Danny Care, who established himself as Johnson's No 1 scrum-half in the Six Nations campaign. Halifax-born Charlie Hodgson has forced his way back into the reckoning with Johnson hoping to put pressure on first-choice fly-halves Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood. Hodgson last played for England in New Zealand in June 2008.

Bath centre Shontayne Hape – who won two Super League Grand Finals in six years at Bradford Bulls and also represented the New Zealand rugby league team – continues to press for a first England cap after being selected for the second successive squad.

Along with Leeds Carnegie flanker Hendre Fourie, Hape is one of nine uncapped players in the squad, with former Leeds academy product Rob Webber another untested player.

Webber, 23, was born in York, attended Pocklington School and joined Wasps in 2005.

The hooker, who can also play in the back row, has represented England at Under-19s, Under-21s and Saxons level and captained Wasps during the latter stages of the current campaign.

Saracens-bound winger Dave Strettle, formerly of Rotherham Titans, and ex-Leeds lock Tom Palmer are also in the frame.

England will be without locks Steve Borthwick and Louis Deacon, centre Riki Flutey and scrum-half Paul Hodgson for the trip.

Tom Rees will continue his return from shoulder surgery at the Churchill Cup with the Saxons while veteran prop Phil Vickery has been given the summer off.

Lewis Moody, who replaced Borthwick as captain for the

Six Nations game against France, is set to continue in the role.

Johnson said: "This tour starts the build-up to the 2011 World Cup and some selections are indicative of that.

"It's probably the strongest squad we have taken down there since 2003-04 in terms of depth."

Former Sedbergh School pupil James Simpson-Daniel, now at Gloucester, has been named in the Saxons squad along with another former Leeds lock Stuart Hooper.