England test a Rotorua high school reunion

Dylan Hartley still has a Kiwi twang.

Seven years after he left Rotorua Boys' High School and headed to England the stocky hooker's accent, like his feisty reputation, won't disappear completely for some time.

The 23-year-old has been recalled by England coach Martin Johnson to play his 12th rugby test against the country of his birth on Sunday in what is a triumph of sorts for his old school.

"I played first XV with Liam [Messam], he was my captain," Hartley said yesterday. "Tom Donnelly and Mike Delaney were leaving school as I was joining, so they are a bit older.

"But yeah it's quite a thing for the school having four boys involved with the All Blacks in international rugby. It's quite an achievement."

Hartley shifted to Crowborough, East Sussex in 2002.

These days he flats with his two brothers in London and plies his rugby trade at Northampton, but admits he dreamed of being an All Black growing up.

The hairs stand up on the back of his neck when he hears the haka and his mother Caroline and his father Guy, a builder, still live back in Rotorua.

"If you want to ask me if it's special to play against the land of my birth I would say it is a bit of added pressure because I know mum and dad will be watching," he said.

"I've got all these friends who haven't actually seen me play before because I left [New Zealand] at such a young age."

Hartley has faced the All Blacks once before, in last year's 32-6 loss at Twickenham, but for only 13 minutes as a replacement.

Now he's hoping he can make his former school mates sit up and take notice of his progress.

"I'm a bit nervous [this time] but pretty excited on the whole."

Veteran lock Simon Shaw has also been recalled by England for its match against New Zealand.

But flanker Tom Croft was demoted to the bench yesterday – just two days after being named as one of the six nominees for the International Rugby Board player of the year award.

Shaw replaces Louis Deacon while in the backs Ayoola Erinle, who made his debut off the bench against Australia but didn't feature at all in last week's unconvincing 16-9 win over Argentina, makes his first test start in place of Shane Geraghty, who struggled at Twickenham last weekend.

The powerful Erinle is set to be deployed in a bid to counter the threat of Ma'a Nonu, although critics of England's lack of guile against Argentina will bemoan the fact the talented Mathew Tait is on the bench.

Experienced flanker Joe Worsley returned in place of Croft.

England: Mark Cueto, Matt Banahan, Danny Hipkiss, Ayoola Erinle, Ugo Monye, Jonny Wilkinson, Paul Hodgson, James Haskell, Lewis Moody, Joe Worsley, Steve Borthwick (capt), Simon Shaw, Duncan Bell, Dylan Hartley, Tim Payne. Reserves: Steve Thompson, David Wilson, Louis Deacon, Tom Croft, Danny Care, Shane Geraghty, Mathew Tait. Fairfax-AFP

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