NANTES (Reuters) - Andy Gomarsall has seen a few ups and downs during an 11-year England career that has yielded just 28 caps and a frustrating flirtation with the World Cup.

Little more than a year ago Gomarsall was without a club and, at 32 and the new father of twin girls, facing the end of his rugby career. On Saturday, in a stunning reversal of fortunes, he will run out in Nantes as England's first-choice scrumhalf against Samoa.

At the end of the last English season Gomarsall was sacked by Worcester and unwanted by any of their rivals.

"Quite frankly I was so angry at rugby and so low that I could quite easily have given up," Gomarsall said this week.

A run-out with some friends in a low-key sevens event rekindled his desire and he was given a lifeline when Harlequins offered him a short-term contract.

So impressed was the London club's director of rugby and former England teammate Dean Richards that Gomarsall was quickly offered a three-year deal at his sixth club.

England still seemed something from the past but when first choice Harry Ellis was ruled out of the World Cup, Gomarsall, who had always sensed a "pinpoint in the horizon", was back in the picture.

"It was there (playing for England) but I don't think many believed I could do it. I certainly did but there were times when obviously I thought that I wouldn't," he said.

After an absence of nearly three years he returned, typically for Gomarsall, as a match-day stand-in for the ill Peter Richards against South Africa in Bloemfontein in May.

He also started the second test but arrived for the World Cup as most people's third choice.

However, he replaced the disappointing Shaun Perry at halftime in the 36-0 defeat to the Springboks and did enough to retain the jersey.

Never complaining, reliable and with a quick pass, Gomarsall deserves a taste of World Cup luck.

In 1995 we was called up as cover for the injured Dewi Morris but did not get on to the pitch and had to wait another year for his first cap.

He did not make the squad in 1999 while in the successful 2003 campaign he was back-up to Matt Dawson and Kyran Bracken, playing only against Uruguay and Georgia.

Consequently, it was no surprise when Gomarsall said one of his first thoughts on his latest call-up was for Perry, dropped from the squad altogether.

"All scrumhalves stick together, so of course I felt sympathy for him. When he congratulated me on being selected, I kind of apologised straight away," he said.

With the niceties out of the way, Gomarsall has been all business as England's new-look backline set about improving on their miserable start.

"As far as scrumhalf is concerned, it's the mediator between all positions and obviously that hasn't been working in previous games so it needed to be looked at," he said.

"I am excited about playing in this game. There is a lot on it, and we want to go out there, sort our performance out and get the win that's needed."