
BROOKES NAMED IN SQUAD FOR NEW ZEALAND TEST
23 year-old Brookes is the only uncapped player in a match day squad which includes five changes to the starting line up from last weekend’s game.
Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards said: “It’s been a difficult few years for Kieran and I’m delighted to see him come through his injuries and back to playing at the top level.
“Kieran is someone of great potential and it’s great to see him get the opportunity to represent his country and play at the top level of the game.”
Having previously spent two seasons in the North East, Brookes returned to Kingston Park in early 2013, following a stint at Leicester Tigers.
Elsewhere in the England side, the RBS 6 Nations centre partnership of Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby) and Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints) and half-backs Owen Farrell (Saracens) and Danny Care (Harlequins) are reunited, while there is a recall for Northampton Saints’ Tom Wood at blind-side flanker in place of London Wasps’ James Haskell.
There are two positional switches with Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) moving from outside centre to right wing and Marland Yarde (London Irish) lining up on the left wing in place of Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby).
Northampton Saints’ Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes and Saracens’ Chris Ashton and Billy Vunipola are named on the replacements’ bench, while Newcastle Falcons’ Kieran Brookes comes into the match-day squad for the first time.
England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: “It’s been evident in training all along just how intense competition for places is but especially now we have the guys who arrived at the end of last week.
“We knew selection for this Test was always going to be tough, with the players who played at Eden Park putting their hands up and those who watched from the stands.
“I am sure it will be a fantastic occasion in Dunedin and we are really looking forward to challenging ourselves against the All Blacks. With the Crusaders game coming up around the corner and the third Test in Hamilton, all our squad will get opportunities which will be great experience as we continue to develop our depth in the build up to the World Cup.”
England (v New Zealand, 2nd Test, Steinlager Series, Forsyth Bar Stadium, Saturday, June 14, 7.35pm NZST/8.35am BST)
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins, 27 caps)
14 Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
13 Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
12 Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby, 13 caps)
11 Marland Yarde (London Irish, 3 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 24 caps)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins, 47 caps)
1 Joe Marler (Harlequins, 20 caps)
2 Rob Webber (Bath Rugby, 6 caps)
3 David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 35 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (London Wasps, 20 caps)
5 Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers, 20 caps)
6 Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 28 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt, 26 caps)
8 Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 21 caps)
Replacements
16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints, 55 caps)
17 Matt Mullan (London Wasps, 3 caps)
18 Kieran Brookes (Newcastle, uncapped)
19 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 30 caps)
20 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 8 caps)
21 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps)
22 Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby, 4 caps)
23 Chris Ashton (Saracens, 37 caps)