Boot power lands Barkley on wing

Austin Healey has acknowledged more than once that his extraordinary versatility has had a negative effect on his international career, and the equally flexible Olly Barkley may find himself in a similar boat over the coming seasons. Barkley does not have an enormous amount in common with the Leicester Lip – apart from anything else, he keeps himself to himself – but Bath's decision to run him on the wing, rather than in one of the three other positions in his portfolio, could leave the 20-year-old goal-kicker without a role to call his own.

Barkley, capped by England in the United States as a teenage outside-half, has spent a good proportion of his senior club career in the centre. Recently, he dropped to full-back to cover the gap left by two injured Lions, Matt Perry and Iain Balshaw. But Perry is now fit and Bath also have a full hand of international midfielders available for selection. If the West Countrymen want Barkley on the field to kick the points, which they most certainly do, they will have to play him on the wing.

Bath have yet to confirm their side for this weekend's highly significant Premiership match with Leeds, but the signs are that Barkley will wear the No 11 shirt, as he did in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup victory over GRAN Parma last Saturday, a game in which he scored one try and converted six. Quite how this move will benefit his representative chances is a moot point.

"The first thing we need to do is select our best seven backs and Olly has been our best back-line performer this season," Bath's co-coach, the former Wallaby Brian Smith, said. "We then need to work out our best combination, in terms of how the players enhance the games of their colleagues. Ultimately, Olly will play his rugby at outside-half or inside centre, but in the short term we need his assistance as a wing. He's a good athlete with a good understanding of defensive patterns; you won't see him caught out of position. He will also have the freedom to roam. I think he will handle this and see it as another part of his rugby education."

Smith's Australian countrymen will arrive in England next month without their first-choice full-back, Chris Latham, who damaged ankle ligaments while playing with his daughter at home in Brisbane. The New South Wales wing Scott Staniforth has been drafted into the squad in his stead and the full-back position will be contested by Matthew Burke and Mat Rogers. Toutai Kefu, the outstanding No 8 in the last World Cup, has joined Burke as joint vice-captain to George Gregan, who is about to become a father and is not expected to complete the tour.

Rudi Straueli, the Springbok coach, has confirmed that Corne Krige will lead South Africa on their autumn tour, which includes a Test at Twickenham on 23 November.

The Bridgend captain, Gareth Thomas, has been added to Wales' squad for the autumn international series.