Bath centre Shontayne Hape
England could have another dual-country cross-code international lining up for them in the Six Nations in the spring.
Former Bradford Bulls and New Zealand rugby league player Shontayne Hape qualifies to play for England through the three-year residency rule in January, and would fit in one of the Martin Johnson’s problem areas - centre.
Hape won 13 caps in the 13-man code for the Kiwis before joining Bath on a three-year deal in May 2008.
And now he’s been handed a creditable testimonial by Bath’s coach, Steve Meehan.
Meehan said: “It’s possible. Come January they get the opportunity to change the EPS squad, and come January Shontayne will be eligible to play for England.
“If his form leading into January and through January is at the top then we’d expect to see him there.
“He is a mature player with a lot of experience and wouldn’t suffer from the same sort of bright lights that have got some of the younger guys in the past.”
Dual-code internationals have had mixed success in the England team. The most obvious example is that of Jason Robinson, a massive success in both sports, who scored England’s try in the 2003 World Cup Final.
However, failures such as the big-money transfer of Andrew Farrell from Wigan leave the cross-code argument up for debate. Of course England aren’t the only nation to experiment with this - players such as Iestyn Harris (Wales), Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor (Australia) have all switched from the 13-man code to union (and back again) with varied success.
Hape would follow an increasingly long line of former Kiwi, and Bradford Bulls, stars in making an appearance for England - Gloucester winger Lesley Vainikolo and current Leeds Carnegie inside centre Henry Paul.
With injuries hampering the progress of Riki Flutey, Hape might well be the man to call in the new year as England look to improve on last season’s second place in the Six Nations.
Tags: england, henry paul, iestyn harris, jason robinson, lesley vainikolo, martin johnson, riki flutey, shontayne hape, six nations, wendell sailor
