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Jones takes a back seat as Mitchell handed control for the England A team match
By Liam Heagney
England have announced a managerial rejig ahead of this Sunday's A team match versus Scotland A at Leicester. It had been thought that Eddie Jones would be in charge for the match but he has now ceded England matchday boss duties to his assistant John Mitchell.
An RFU statement on Thursday, just three days before the game, read: "England Rugby has appointed John Mitchell as head coach of England A in their one-off game this weekend.
"The defence coach will lead the England A side against Scotland A at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, Leicester, on Sunday, June 27 (2pm KO)."
Jones said: “John is very good with young players and will pass on his knowledge and experience to this group. The team selection will be a collaborative decision and John will be in charge on matchday.”
Mitchell added: “It’s exciting for us to be working with this new group of players and seeing them grow day-by-day. We have a responsibility to perform as an England team and I’m looking forward to leading this side in an international game against Scotland A.”
The England A team will be named on Friday following a two-week build-up to the game. Jones assembled a 34-strong squad in London on June 14 that contained 21 uncapped players and this selection was then updated last weekend and increased to 36 with the inclusion of players from beaten GallagherPremiership semi-finalists Sale and Bristol, along with a couple of more picks from Northampton.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Forwards (21)
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Will Capon (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Callum Chick (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Trevor Davison (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 28 caps)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors, 1 cap)
Curtis Langdon (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Josh McNally (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Chunya Munga (London Irish, uncapped)
Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, 1 cap)
Miles Reid (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 22 caps)
Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Backs (15)
Josh Bassett (Wasps, uncapped)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 9 caps)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
Dan Kelly (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Ollie Lawrence (Worcester Warriors, 6 caps)
Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 7 caps)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Dan Robson (Wasps, 12 caps)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Jacob Umaga (Wasps, uncapped)
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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