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England's six big Rugby World Cup selection casualties
Eddie Jones named his 35-man training squad for the Rugby World Cup on Thursday, as England gear up for their trip to Japan next month.
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The Australian had already named two training squads over recent weeks, although with Saracens and Exeter Chiefs players assured of their minimum five-week offseason and absent from prior squads, this group represents the first that Jones has had the full player pool at his disposal.
The much-talked about Danny Cipriani finds himself in the squad for now, whilst Northampton Saints flanker Lewis Ludlam and Bath wing Ruaridh McConnochie have been rewarded for their form last season with spots.
Nathan Hughes
His omission from the early training camps raised eyebrows but with Jones having relentlessly gone to the Fijian-born number eight as Billy Vunipola’s understudy – and given Vunipola’s recent track record of injuries – his exclusion is still somewhat of a surprise.
Possibly a victim of Mark Wilson’s excellent season, where the new Sale Shark also looked comfortable at the base of the scrum, Hughes’ absence will be welcome news for Bristol Bears and Pat Lam at the least, who could now get their £500k man for the entire season.
Danny Care
Not surprising, given Care hadn’t been involved in the prior training squads, despite being eligible, but his experience in international rugby and impact under Jones in previous seasons made it feel as though the door was still open.
Outside of Ben Youngs, England’s scrum-half options have next to no experience of test rugby and Jones has shown no willingness to give it to them, having stuck by Youngs and Care fervently through his first three seasons, before sending the majority of minutes the Leicester man’s way over the last campaign.
Ollie Thorley
The Gloucester wing had seemed to be the next man up for England earlier in the season, although it seems as if McConnochie’s dazzling end to the campaign has pushed the 22-year-old out of the equation.
With Chris Ashton having withdrawn for personal reasons, Nathan Earle out with an ACL injury and Jack Nowell in a race against time to be fit following ankle surgery, Thorley’s absence still comes as a surprise.
Alex Lozowski
Although he hasn’t regularly featured in matchday squads under Jones, Lozowski has still been a frequent member of his training squads.
His ability to cover 10, 12, 13 and even the wing spots makes him ideal for training squads, but it seems as though Piers Francis has edged in front of him.
Ollie Devoto
Similar to Lozowski, Devoto has been a regular go-to man for training camps at the least. Francis’ form has clearly been enough to make Jones think otherwise.
It only further reinforces the comfort the Australian has with his options at 12 in Ben Te’o and Manu Tuilagi.
Mike Brown
There’s no space for the specialist full-back, as Jones forges ahead with Elliot Daly at 15 and is able to welcome back Anthony Watson into the group, after the Bath man missed most of the 2018/19 season with injury.
The Rugby World Cup seems to have come a year too late for the Quins trio of Brown, Care and Chris Robshaw.
Watch: Steve Hansen talks about his selection of Sevu Reece
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Comments on RugbyPass
Hey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
2 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
44 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
2 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
44 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
44 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
44 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
8 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to comments