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Sam Underhill is cut by England as Jones reduces his squad to 26

08 Mar 2022

(Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Eddie Jones has trimmed his England squad to face Ireland next Saturday in the Guinness Six Nations to 26 players, excluding the likes of recalled trio Sam Underhill, Nic Dolly and Alex Mitchell but keeping on board Joe Launchbury who this week has got the jump on the now excluded Nick Isiekwe.

It was Sunday evening – after the completion of the final fixture in round 19 of the Gallagher Premiership – when Jones named his top-of-the-week training squad of 36 which included recalls for the first time since November for Underhill, Dolly and Mitchell.

That announcement came with a covid warning that there was a doubt over the availability of Alex Dombrandt. He tested positive for the virus last Friday while part of the 25-man training week squad in Bristol and can only rejoin the squad later this week.

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Then came the Monday evening withdrawal of Louis Lynagh, Dombrandt’s Harlequins teammate, after a positive lunchtime lateral flow test was followed by a PCR positive later in the day.

This left Jones preparing with 35 players but that number has now been cut to 26 on Tuesday evening. Dolly, Isiekwe, Bevan Rodd and Underhill are the four forwards omitted while in the backs, Orlando Bailey, George Furbank, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Mitchell and Luke Northmore are the five who have not made the cut.

Eight of those who have been released – including Isiekwe, who started twice and had a third run off the bench in the three England games in February – will be available for their clubs in this weekend’s Premiership games but the RFU have added that the uncapped Bailey will “stay in camp to train with the squad for the rest of the week”.

ENGLAND SQUAD (26 vs Ireland, Saturday)
FORWARDS (16)
Alfie Barbeary (Wasps, uncapped)
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, 5 caps)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 39 caps)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 7 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 29 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 34 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 64 caps)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 54 caps)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 69 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 91 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 77 caps)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 50 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 18 caps)

BACKS (10)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 55 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 79 caps)
Max Malins (Saracens, 13 caps)
Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 10 caps)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 37 caps)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 4 caps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 46 caps)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 8 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 8 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 115 caps)

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Comments on RugbyPass

PR 34 minutes ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

MC missed out 2005 - England were the reigning RWC champions, not NZ where they toured.

In the pro era they've played the RWC champions on 6/9 tours (97-25) conversely they have only once played the RWC champions to be (21) so that's 1/9.

Given Lions happens midway between RWC most teams are rebuilding so whether you look at 6/9 or 1/9 it's a pretty meaningless statistic.

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Tom 1 hour ago

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Well that is scientifically correct but I've never thought of him as being especially short. He seems to be about the same height as Furlong, fairly average prop size. I think his massive quads give the illusion that he's shorter.

https://extra.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1-70.jpg

Even though squatting the same weight requires more force for someone with longer levers, his max squat may be significantly higher than some other props. There is a vid of him repping out 230kg for a set of 8 and he's reputed to have a 1RM of 350kg so by anyone's standards, regardless of how short you are, that's very strong.

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Koro Teeps 1 hour ago

Damning image of Lion emerges after series win with major backlash online

Lyrics that instantly remind me of the infamous Porter technique.

“Two trailer-park girls go round the outside. Round the outside, round the outside”

I think he’s a beast of a prop. But once you get a reputation for having suss technique, you’re constantly going to be scrutinized.

Razor dropped Wyatt Crockett after 202 Crusaders games, ending his career, before 2018 final because of concerns that ref would ping him.

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frandinand 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I was born in Elgin Scotland Mz. And also played a lot of Rugby in Scotland before playing in France.From memory you live up on the Darling Downs. How cold did it get up there when we had the snow m

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Koro Teeps 1 hour ago

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Red and White Dynamight 1 hour ago

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Red and White Dynamight 1 hour ago

Generation gap: Can we meaningfully compare players separated by half a century?

Time is irrelevant, Meads/John/Gerber/Campese would still have been great players irrespective of whether they trained full time or not. But its folly to compare era’s between a farmer/Dr/coal miner with a fulltime pro - Amateur era vs Professional era, and never the twain shall meet.

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LR 1 hour ago

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Women of colour, where you at?

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GS 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

What were your thoughts on how the Lions’ backs performed?

I thought they were average - Freeman was very average, Jones was passable, but and this is a big problem for Ireland going forward - Lowe (34 next birthday) and Aki (36 next birthday) look like they're starting to feel the effects of time.

Aki made more mistakes than I have seen recently and was challenged aerobically in finishing games 2 and 3. Lowe looked powerful but other than a nice pass to set up Beirne for a try, was mistake ridden and seemed ponderous. Do have to wonder exactly how long they have at the top level - given not many people can survive at the international level in their mid 30’s - especially in a position like wing.

145 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Failed NZ model? Number one for most of the period since rankings were introduced and currently top two despite our secondary school system which oversees a catastrophic loss of teenaged boys. You seem to have a very high bar for success.

Having said that, I'd be in favour of Australia relaxing their selection policy as they have so many of their best players overseas.

145 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Nice piece Nick! Big Skelton lifting big Frosty Boy is quite a weapon.

Btw I wouldn't limit the testing of the Lions to the last two matches, I'd say it was the last three. That First Nation and Pasifika team gave them a good going over and showed Joe how it had to be done. I was expecting big roles for Uru and/or LSL in green and gold but it never happened.

145 Go to comments

NH 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Agreed - Bell, Tupou, Hooper, Lukhan all could of made a difference game 1 as well as guys like paisami, pietsch and daugunu in the backs. I think Harry’s point of difference is his workrate and speed to next involvement and his hands. But, all in all I think the wallabies backrow will never quite be balanced with him and bobby on at the same time. Wallabies have wanted a fardy ever since he left and now we arguably have 4 in L Wright, Nick CDC, Uru and Hooper. I think those lot have a tight battle for the 6 jersey, and valetini, wilson, gleeson for the 8. Do you see Hooper as a 6 only, or do you think he can play in the 2nd row also?

145 Go to comments

GH 2 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Once upon a time the Lions were a team made up of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish rugby players. Now if I am even remotely accurate it’s a team of players from around the world, who might in fact not have made their own country’s side, and or players from the second and third tier nations moving to Europe for the bigger pay day (who could blame them?) . So for me the Lions tour has lost its lustre. Australia has never fared as well as NZ and SA with touring lions, but I feel they really stepped up, and are probably a wee bit unlucky not to have taken what is for me a closer series than the score board reflects. One could hardly image what a combined NZ , SA and Australian touring side would look like were it to head north and play a similar format. God forbid you even included Argentina into that mix. I’m even tempted to suggest a NZ PI side would be pretty formidable as well.

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JW 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Australia has much more player depth than New Zealand, though I’m mainly using raw professional numbers to determine ‘depth’.

The just aren’t able to retain then because a) the union/game in the country isn’t as profitable, and b) because the team doesn’t quite have the same status.

Agree with your points, though would get you to note that it happened before the Dutch timber came to the land of growth. The previous years with Darry and Lord offered great promise first (not even on year with short locks after Whitelock and Retallick retired).

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JW 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

It was cool having the birds eye cam in this test. Does Porter just have a complex for big dudes and angling in is his coping method, or was that actually a normal picture? Hate to pick on the guy but I do know he’s one of the most penalized props, so I guess has the worst technique?

As you say Australia were dominating everything, I’m not sure Tupou helped the scrum but him and Will definitely helped with the psychological battle of a test, which is probably the most important thing.

And you’re right regarding selection, if its good enough for France, it’s good enough for Australia. Joe should simply select these players regardless of their club commitments, they can leave it to the clubs to rest the players adequately to replicate an off season when they return from international duty, during the club season.

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GK 2 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Farrell probably didn't mix things up enough and probably had a bias towards Irish players but, then again, the Lions won the series. As for the last test, it was much more important for the Wallabies to win - not just for their own sake, but for the future of International Rugby Union!🇳🇬

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KC 3 hours ago

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Couldn’t get a game for Racing and a poor Lions tour

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PM 3 hours ago

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SadersMan 3 hours ago

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