Johnson defends World Cup ‘foreign legion’ selection

Luke Narraway captained England against the Barbarians at Twickenham less than a month ago but could not break into a 45-man party that contained 13 overseas-born players.

Narraway missed out to Leicester’s New Zealand-born No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who discovered he was eligible for England midway through the season.

The Gloucester captain, who has been in prime form, took to Twitter to vent his frustrations at being overlooked for Waldrom.

Narraway posted: “Good luck to Thomas the tank and his English nan. #notbittermuch.”

The England squad Johnson named features players born in eight different countries.

Waldrom is joined in the England squad by three other New Zealand-born players in Dylan Hartley, Shontayne Hape and Riki Flutey.

Saracens lock Mouritz Botha joins fellow South Africans Hendre Fourie and Matt Stevens, who has returned to the senior England squad after serving a two-year drugs ban.

Johnson defended his decision and insisted the only message it sent to young English players was the need to continually strive for improvement.

Uncapped Gloucester wing Charlie Sharples, Harlequins captain Chris Robshaw and Saracens scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth have all been rewarded for impressive seasons.

“There are a lot of good players coming through the academies,” said Johnson. “If you want to play for England, play well in the Premiership and be good enough to come in here because it is a competitive place.

“Those two guys (Waldrom and Botha) come in for the first time and, it’s the same for Charlie Sharples, you have to establish yourself in this group.

“The other members of the team need to understand you are there to work hard, fit in and contribute. I have seen guys born abroad who have done that and guys born in England do that – and the same who haven’t done it.”

England training squad – forwards: M Botha (Saracens), G Chuter (Leicester), D Cole (Leicester), A Corbisiero (London Irish), T Croft (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), P Doran-Jones (Northampton), N Easter (Harlequins), H Fourie (Sale), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Unat), C Lawes (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Bath), T Palmer (Stade Francais), T Payne (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale), M Stevens (Saracens), S Thompson (Wasps), T Waldrom (Leicester), D Wilson (Bath), T Wood (Northampton), J Worsley (Wasps).

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale), T Flood (Leicester), R Flutey (Wasps), B Foden (Northampton), S Hape (London Irish), C Hodgson (Saracens), U Monye (Harlequins), C Sharples (Gloucester), J Simpson (Wasps), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), D Strettle (Saracens), M Tindall (Gloucester), M Tuilagi (Leicester), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), J Wilkinson (Toulon), B Youngs (Leicester).