Dave Attwood has been chosen for the England side to face the All Blacks at Twickenham at the weekend after his wife gave birth to his first child on Wednesday night.
Attwood, 27, became vital to England’s plans when Joe Launchbury, the Wasps forward, was ruled out of England’s four autumn Tests with a neck injury on Sunday.
Attwood had to leave training earlier in the week after his fiancée Bridget went into labour on Tuesday morning, but the Bath forward eased England’s worries when he posted a picture of his newborn baby on Twitter on Wednesday.
— Dave Attwood (@Dmjattwood) November 4, 2014Massive thanks from everyone. @briewhelan was a superstar. Everyone is doing amazingly well. Couldn't be happier pic.twitter.com/kyX3hBq7Rb
His return comes as welcome news for the England coach Stuart Lancaster who has already lost Alex Corbisiero, Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Geoff Parling, Ed Slater and Tom Croft to injuries.
Attwood’s Bath team-mate Semesa Rokoduguni makes his debut on the right wing. The Fiji-born flier, a lance-corporal in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, is qualified for England as a serving member of the British army.
The 27-year-old was once unable to make the bench of his school team but now finds himself acting as England’s main threequarter weapon in the injury-enforced absence of Manu Tuilagi.
Lancaster said: “I’m delighted for Roko. Wing is an extremely competitive position, but he has pushed himself forward with his form this season and it’s great to be able to give him this opportunity.”
Rokoduguni is one of three uncapped players in the 23 with Bath team-mate Anthony Watson offering back-three cover from the bench and George Kruis of Saracens the second-row replacement.
England team
M Brown (Harlequins); S Rokoduguni (Bath), B Barritt (Saracens), K Eastmond (Bath), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), D Attwood (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: R Webber (Bath), M Mullan (Wasps), K Brookes (Newcastle), G Kruis (Saracens), B Morgan (Gloucester), B Youngs (Leicester), G Ford (Bath), A Watson (Bath).
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