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Max Malins the big casualty as England cut squad to 28 for France
Max Malins was the biggest casualty when Eddie Jones cut his England squad from 34 t0 28 on Tuesday afternoon ahead of this Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations finale away to the Grand Slam-chasing France. The winger had started all four of his team’s games so far in this year’s championship but he has now been dropped following last Saturday’s four-try loss to Ireland.
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It was early Monday when the England coach named the initial squad of 34 for two days’ training at Pennyhill. The omission of the hamstrung Tom Curry, the red-carded Charlie Ewels and Bevan Rodd – and the recall of Jack Willis 13 months after his horrible knee injury – were the changes from the squad of 36 named at the start of the round four matchweek versus Ireland.
That match was lost 32-15, leaving England fans fearing another Six Nations campaign that could finish with their team losing more matches than it wins as it heads to Paris having been beaten by Scotland and the Irish and with wins over Italy and Wales.
Now Jones has confirmed the 28 players that will travel to France on Tuesday, well in advance of next Saturday’s game where another damaging loss could potentially spell the end of the Australian’s long tenure in charge of England.
Of the six players omitted from the squad of 28 for Paris, Malins was the biggest absentee as he had started six of the seven England Test games in 2021/22 and had worn the No14 shirt against Ireland. There was no mention in the England squad update of an injury, so the Saracens player was unceremoniously dropped by Jones.
The other five players who haven’t made the cut to travel were hooker Jamie Blamire, back-rower Willis, scrum-half Alex Mitchell, out-half Orlando Bailey and winger Ollie Hassell-Collins. A week ago, the ten players omitted when the squad was cut after two days’ training were: Nic Dolly, Nick Isiekwe, Rodd and Underhill from the forwards and Bailey, George Furbank, Hassell-Collins, Mitchell, Louis Lynagh (out with a virus that Monday) and Luke Northmore.
The latest RFU statement read: “Eddie Jones has retained a 28-player squad to travel to Paris for England’s Six Nations match against France this weekend.”
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ENGLAND SQUAD OF 28 (vs France, Saturday)
FORWARDS (16)
Alfie Barbeary (Wasps, uncapped)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Nic Dolly (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 8 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 65 caps)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 55 caps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 6 caps)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 70 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 92 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 78 caps)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 51 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 19 caps)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 27 caps)
BACKS (12)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 56 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 80 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
Louis Lynagh (Harlequins, uncapped)
Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 11 caps)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins, uncapped)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 38 caps)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 5 caps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 47 caps)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 9 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 116 caps)
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
37 Go to comments