There have been times this season when Dan Hipkiss felt he was getting the rough edge in selection, both with club and country, so selection, however belated, for next month's tour to New Zealand will be a welcome affirmation that he has not left the selectors' radar completely.

Hipkiss and Peter Richards, the London Irish scrum half, were among the most underused players in England's World Cup campaign in France last autumn. The Leicester centre's two starts for his country came in the warm-up programme prior to the tournament, his other four caps as a replacement during it though he played the whole of the second half of the semi-final win over France and most of the second period of the final against South Africa.

In both games he showed the characteristic speed off the mark and strength in the tackle that earned him selection and which make him just that little bit different to other midfield contenders. But when he returned home the combination of a niggling groin injury and the chopping and changing at Leicester as Marcelo Loffreda settled in as head coach denied him any continuity.

His form in recent weeks has returned, most notably in last weekend's Guinness Premiership play-off victory over Gloucester, against the odds. Hipkiss surged powerfully through first-time tackles, giving his forwards a target. His restoration by England will give him the sense that everything is to play for next season.

It also gives England an interesting conundrum for the two internationals against the All Blacks. The first-choice centre pairing would probably be Mike Tindall and Olly Barkley but the one has a chequered fitness record this year and the other has almost been trying too hard to earn Bath a trophy before he leaves to join Tindall at Gloucester. Then there is the Newcastle Falcons trio, the reliable Jamie Noon, Toby Flood (who was inside centre throughout the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship) and the mercurial talents of Mathew Tait though he has been picked to cover full back, too.

Throw Hipkiss into that mix against a New Zealand side likely to introduce newcomers to their midfield and selection for the first game, in Auckland on June 14, will be delicate indeed. Remember, too, that Noon has played little more than a half-hour's rugby in the past six weeks and that Newcasle have been struggling for longer than they care to remember since the new year. Hipkiss may have timed his late run to perfection.