England call up 13 losing PREM semi-finalists including previously snubbed star

Bath centre Max Ojomoh has been recalled to Steve Borthwick’s England squad as one of 13 players from losing Gallagher PREM semi-finalists Leicester Tigers and Bath that will prepare to take on a France XV on Friday in Vannes, live on RPTV, but there is still no place again for captain Maro Itoje.

The two-cap Ojomoh, who was a surprise omission from Borthwick’s England squad named last month for a three-day camp, is one of five Bath players in the 33-man squad, which includes seven uncapped players. The other four members are all in the pack – loosehead Beno Obano, uncapped tighthead Billy Sela, lock Charlie Ewels and lock/ back-row Ted Hill.

That means there is still no place in the squad for Henry Arundell or Ollie Lawrence from Bath, who have also missed out on any squads named since the Guinness Six Nations, as well as Alfie Barbeary, who beat an impressive 13 tacklers in Bath’s 26-27 loss to Exeter Chiefs at the Rec on Saturday. Ben Spencer has also been omitted on this occasion, although this may be a rest as England have Jack van Poortvliet, Harry Randall and Raffi Quirke available.

With Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman all featuring in the PREM final this weekend at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, Ojomoh will vie for a place in England’s midfield with Seb Atkinson and Benhard Janse van Rensburg, though both Cadan Murley and Tom Roebuck have shifted to outside centre in recent weeks.

From Leicester Tigers, who were defeated by Northampton Saints 45-31 on Friday, uncapped loosehead Archie van der Flier, tighthead Joe Heyes, hooker Jamie Blamire and locks Ollie Chessum and George Martin, are the forwards that have been named in the squad, while scrum-half van Poortvliet, wing Adam Radwan and full-back Freddie Steward are the backs.

Fixture

Rugby Union Hybrid Friendlies

France XV

35 - 19

Full-time

England A

All Stats and Data

With Alex Coles set to feature in the PREM final for Northampton and Itoje expected to be rested over the coming weeks, Chessum and Martin will likely reform their club second-row partnership in England colours.

Arthur Clark, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge and Guy Pepper will be in camp for rehabilitation.

Following the uncapped fixture with France, England get their Nations Championship campaign underway against world champions South Africa in Johannesburg on July 4, followed by Fiji and Argentina.

England Training Squad
Forwards
Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Ted Hill (Bath Rugby)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Jack Kenningham (Harlequins)
George Kloska (Bristol Bears)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby)
Hugh Tizard (Saracens)
Archie van der Flier (Leicester Tigers)

Backs
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
Noah Caluori (Saracens)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
Cadan Murley (Harlequins)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks)
Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)