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.
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With Chris Ashton having withdrawn for personal reasons, Nathan Earle out with an ACL injury and Jack Nowell in a race against time to be fit following ankle surgery, Thorley’s absence still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
Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to comments