Seven uncapped players named in 19-strong England training squad
Steve Borthwick has named seven uncapped players – including Harlequins’ Fin Baxter, Exeter duo Greg Fisilau and Rusi Tuima, and Newcastle’s Guy Pepper – in his first England training squad ahead of the upcoming three-Test tour to Japan and New Zealand.
England signed off on their recent Guinness Six Nations with a third-place finish following a narrow March 16 defeat to France in Lyon.
They will now reassemble 10 weeks later at Pennyhill with an initial squad consisting of players whose club seasons in the Gallagher Premiership ended with last weekend’s final round of regular season fixtures.
No players from any of the four semi-final clubs – Northampton, Saracens, Bath, or Sale – were available to Borthwick for this first training camp.
Veteran props Dan Cole and Joe Marler were omitted despite their respective seasons for Leicester and Harlequins having ended on May 18, but both are fit and will be named in the squad for the second week of preparation beginning on Tuesday, June 4.
Five uncapped forwards – the four mentioned above and Bristol’s Gabriel Oghre – will be involved at this week’s initial gathering along with two uncapped backs, Gloucester’s Charlie Atkinson and Harlequins’ Luke Northmore.
However, their week one training squad inclusion doesn’t guarantee they will definitely travel to the Far East and on to New Zealand as the expectation is that some will be released by the time the official tour party is confirmed.
Of the six clubs represented this week, Harlequins and Exeter both provide five players, four are from Leicester, three from Bristol, with Newcastle and Gloucester providing one player each.
It was confirmed last Friday that Six Nations vice-captain Ellis Genge has been ruled out of the tour due to a calf injury, joining Ollie Chessum, another Borthwick selection favourite, on the unavailable list.
An RFU statement read: “Steve Borthwick has named a 19-player training squad to begin preparations for the forthcoming Summer Series against Japan and New Zealand.
“The squad – which does not include players involved in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs – will assemble at the Honda England rugby performance centre at Pennyhill Park on Monday for a four-day training camp.
“England’s Summer Series begins on Saturday, June 22, with a Test match against Japan in Tokyo before embarking on a two-Test tour of New Zealand to take on the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday, July 6, and in Auckland on Saturday, July 13.”
ENGLAND SQUAD
Forwards (10):
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)
Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Rusi Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
Backs (9):
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Max Malins (Bristol Bears)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)
England Summer Series schedule:
Japan vs England: June 22, National Stadium;
New Zealand vs England: July 6, Forsyth Barr Stadium;
New Zealand vs England: July 13, Eden Park.
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Pretty sad to read such a hatchet job from the Auckland media establishment just because the South of the Bombays coach didn't pick their poster boy. I feel sorry for Sotutu because he's put in the work but how can you leave out Sititi or Savea? And we can't carry three specialist 8s. Wanting to move Ardie to the flank to accommodate Hoskins is crazy. He's the best player in the world at 8, a position that gives him his best opportunity to use his ball in hand superpowers. Surely if there's one thing we learnt from the Foster era it's that you can't have two ball in hand loosies in the same trio. Does anyone remember the 8 mins Hoskins and Ardie played together at Twickenham, when England scored three tries? As for the Blackadder criticism, his Super Rugby form at the end of the season was off the charts, especially in the Blues match. If he's fit he's in the 23, if he's not we can replace him For pity’s sake we need to get behind this All Black coach far better than we did the last one.
Go to commentsScott Barrett is the right man as All Black captain. He is growing as a leader too. Great playerBring baclkScooter
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