England recalls Barkley for summer tour

Johnson recalled Barkley to the side (PA)

England manager Martin Johnson has recalled Olly Barkley and included nine uncapped players in an expanded squad for the summer tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Barkley, who won the last of his 23 caps against the All Blacks in 2008, has been picked by Johnson for the first time after playing an integral role in Bath's march to the Guinness Premiership semi-finals.

England will be without locks Steve Borthwick and Louis Deacon, centre Riki Flutey and scrum-half Paul Hodgson for the five-match 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 RBS 6 Nations game against France, is set to continue in the role.

In the absence of those senior players, Johnson has rewarded Premiership form with recalls for Barkley, Bath prop Dave Flatman and Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson.

Gloucester lock Dave Attwood and Leicester second row Geoff Parling have both received their first senior calls and been given a prime opportunity to stake a claim for 2011 World Cup selection.

Highly-rated Newcastle prop Jon Golding has been included along with uncapped Leeds flanker Hendrie Fourie and Wasps hooker Rob Webber.

Wasps centre Dom Waldouck, an unused tourist with England in 2008, has also been rewarded after an outstanding season along with club-mate Joe Simpson.

Dan Ward-Smith and Shontayne Hape were both members of England's senior squad for the Six Nations but will travel Down Under chasing their first Test caps.

Saracens-bound winger Dave Strettle is also back in the frame along with Gloucester prop Paul Doran-Jones, who made his Test debut in the autumn when England were suffering a front-row injury crisis.

England play the Australian Barbarians ahead of both Tests against the Wallabies before travelling to Napier to face the New Zealand Maori.

Johnson confirmed he has delayed the official captaincy decision until after this weekend's Premiership semi-finals and before the game against the Barbarians.

Johnson said: "Borthwick needs a good off-season and the same applies to Louis Deacon, who will be fit before the end of the season but he has had 10 years of rugby and we feel it was the right call.

"Phil Vickery was never seriously considered for the tour because he has had major surgery.

"He has been a warrior for England for the last 12 years and we have good options at tight-head with Dan Cole and David Wilson.

"This is also an opportunity for Paul Doran-Jones to come back in after making his debut in the autumn.

"It is a tough call on Paul Hodgson but we feel Richard Wigglesworth suits what we are trying to do at the moment.

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

"It will be tough in Australia on and off the field. When do they ever not fancy knocking England over? But that's the fun. It's a great place to play."

Danny Cipriani was not considered for either squad because of his forthcoming move to the Melbourne Rebels.

England squad for five-match tour of Australia and New Zealand in June.

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), O Barkley (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton), S Geraghty (Northampton), S Hape (Bath), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), U Monye (Harlequins), J Simpson (Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), M Tindall (Gloucester), D Waldouck (Wasps), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), J Wilkinson (Toulon), B Youngs (Leicester).

Forwards: S Armitage (London Irish), D Attwood (Gloucester), D Cole (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), P Doran-Jones (Gloucester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Flatman (Bath), H Fourie (Leeds Carnegie), J Golding (Newcastle), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), C Lawes (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Palmer (Stade Francais), G Parling (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Shaw (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Ward-Smith (Wasps), R Webber (Wasps), D Wilson (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps).