FORMER Sale forward Pat Sanderson has been handed the England captaincy for next month's two-Test tour of Australia.

Worcester flanker Sanderson, capped nine times, replaces Martin Corry as skipper after England head coach Andy Robinson opted to rest the Leicester number eight.

Robinson plans to announce his 30-man tour squad at Twickenham on Monday, but he has confirmed Corry and a "number of other players" will sit out the trip, which features clashes against Australia in Sydney on June 11 and Melbourne six days later.

Northampton pair Steve Thompson and Ben Cohen have already announced they will not be travelling, while props Andrew Sheridan and Matt Stevens are injured and the likes of Josh Lewsey and Lawrence Dallaglio are also expected to take a breather.

Corry led England in all eight of their Tests this season, but the captaincy role now goes to 28-year-old Worcester skipper Sanderson, who missed the entire RBS 6 Nations Championship campaign because of injury.

Debut

Sanderson skippered England A to victory in last summer's Churchill Cup, and made his senior debut during the 1998 so-called `Tour from Hell' when England suffered comprehensive defeats against Australia, New Zealand (twice) and South Africa.

Sanderson, who made his Test debut against the All Blacks in Dunedin almost eight years ago, will lead a squad which is likely to include young guns such as Leicester wing Tom Varndell, Newcastle centre Mathew Tait and Sale Sharks flanker Magnus Lund.

'Martin led England well last autumn when I was playing with him in the back row, and my aim now is to take his own high standards with me to Australia,' said Sanderson.

'I was privileged to lead England in winning the Churchill Cup last summer, and this is another huge honour for me and my family.

'I will do everything I can to help England perform well against the Wallabies.'

What do you make of the news? Have your say.