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England have fast-tracked the New Zealand-reared Brad Shields straight into their matchday squad for the first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday. The 27-year-old Hurricanes captain, who is qualified though his English parents, has been named on the bench after only a handful of training sessions with his new team-mates.
Only last Friday the uncapped Shields was playing Super Rugby against the Highlanders in Dunedin and, having grown up in Wellington, has yet to play rugby in England. Normally a back-row forward, he has been invited to provide second-row cover after Joe Launchbury, as expected, failed to recover in time from a calf problem.
Written by Robert Kitson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jun/07/brad-shields-bench-england-rugby-union-squad-test-match-south-africa under the title “Brad Shields on the bench for England Test match against South Africa”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
