Big name axed as Borthwick confirms new 36-man England training squad

Head coach Steve Borthwick has named a 36-man England squad for a 3-day mini training ahead of next month’s Quilter Nations Series.

The headline news is the omission of Tom Willis following confirmation on Saturday night of his move from Saracens to Bordeaux at the end of the season.

Willis has effectively made himself ineligible as a result of the decision, although Borthwick could have technically included him in this and further squads prior to the end of the season.

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It would seem that Leicester Tigers’ back-row Emeka Ilione has benefited from the axing of Willis.

In the backs division Henry Arundell, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Max Ojomoh, Raffi Quirke and Adam Radwan are all included in the squad despite not featuring in last month’s training group, for various reasons.

Saracens’ teenage sensation Noah Caluori is also included, although not named as one of the official 36-man squad. The 6’4 winger has been called in “as part of a development agreement with Saracens” and “will join the squad for training”.

The 19-year-old has been rewarded for his explosive form after scoring five tries on his first Gallagher PREM start against Sale Sharks this weekend – a feat that turned heads across English rugby on Saturday night.

Captain Maro Itoje is back in the squad after returning from injury, while Theo Dan and Lions and Bath prop Will Stuart also return.

There is no place for Owen Farrell, despite his return to Saracens from Racing 92 over the summer. It suggests that Borthwick is now looking beyond the 112-cap England veteran, even after his solid showing for the British & Irish Lions in Australia over the summer.

Tom Curry, Elliot Daly and Jack van Poortvliet are listed as undergoing “rehabilitation”, while Seb Atkinson, Arthur Clark, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Charlie Ewels, George Furbank, Ted Hill, Curtis Langdon, George Martin, Will Muir, Harry Randall and Ollie Sleightholme are all listed as ‘not considered for selection’.

England open their campaign against Australia at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday 1 November, before facing Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina in successive weeks.

The full, official England Quilter Autumn Series squad will be named next weekend.

FORWARDS:
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)

BACKS:
Henry Arundell (Bath Rugby)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks)
Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)