Eddie Jones has announced the England squad to prepare for the Autumn Internationals fixtures against Argentina, Australia and Samoa.
BACKS
Full backs
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Inside backs
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
Piers Francis (Northampton Saints)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins) *
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
FORWARDS
Back five
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Nathan Hughes (Wasps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby) *
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
Front row
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
*Apprentice players
Players unavailable due to injury or suspension
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Eddie Jones, England Head Coach said: “Our first match against Argentina in the Old Mutual Wealth Series is a significant game for England and everything we have been doing in our training camps so far this season has been geared around getting the detail right in our preparation on how we want to play and win against them next month.
“This will be the fourth time we have played against Argentina in the last 12 months and the last time we play them before 2019, so we want to make sure our record against them is 4-0.”
Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Simmonds receives his first call up into the England squad. The 22 year-old has made 27 appearances for his club, scoring 13 tries and was a key member of the side that won the Premiership title last season.
Jones has also included 18 year-old Marcus Smith (Harlequins) and 20 year-old Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby) as apprentices in the England squad. Both players won’t be named in match day squads but will be involved in England’s training and preparation for the three-match series.
What do you think of this selection?
Haskell seems to be the biggest absentee, with Sam Simmonds jumping above him in the pecking order.
Tom Curry, Nick Isiekwe and Sam Underhill are notable inclusions for me…
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Think Underhill is probably the closest player to Haskell that EJ could choose.
Wouldn’t be suprised to see a Robshaw/Underhill combo at 6 and 7
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Yeah, I’m thinking that Eddie will go with that combination. Underhill is so destructive in the tackle but he’s great over the ball as well.
Given he’s intending on resting at least some of his Lion, I think we *might* see a starting line up of: Genge, Hartley, Cole, Launchbury, Itoje, Robshaw, Underhill, Hughes, Youngs, Ford, May, Lozowski/Francis, Slade, Daly, Brown.
Ideally would want Farrell in at 12 and Mako starting with Genge to come on and wreak havoc later on, but would still be happy with that starting line up.
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Nice to see Mercer and Smith in there for the experience. Also good to see Simmonds and Underhill selected
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Strange how this article is published within an hour of the England squad being announced yet the Wales & Scotland squads were announced yesterday & not a mention of either ? I think the Blog needs to realise it is not only England fans use it ….
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Surely you can ask for a refund then?
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Bud. Please get over yourself.
You have to remember that with England they are servicing over 50 million people compared to around 3 million for Wales.
Also with rugby being the national sport there are so many articles etc written by people in Wales that this should not be an issue.
I think there should be a English version of Scrum V (great rugby programme), but there isn’t. So it is not always fair on both sides. But we just have to get on with it.
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Have I missed something has Hughes been cleared at the citing?
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He got two weeks so will only miss Wasps games and will return in time for the AIs
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Cheers, how did I miss that?
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disappointed for Don Armand but there’s some good back rowers there, not sure who should lose out for him.
I don’t watch Sale enough but is Tom Curry significantly better than his brother? or will they be pulling some Prestige-esque swapping trick to have a fit Curry on the pitch for 80 minutes?
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Henno. I just think Tom played so well in Argentina that he has got the nod on his brother.
There is no doubt that they both have quite a future with England.
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Remember that Ben was due to start and got injured last minute, so Tom came in and played so well (if i remember correctly). Seems harsh on Ben that he hasn’t been involved at all since (admittedly I know nothing of their relative form/fitness).
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Could be interesting to see where Maro ends up. We’ve been playing him at 6 and not sure if that’s because Jones asked for it or if its to help Isiekwe develop quicker?
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Ben H. They have named 6 locks. So a very good chance he or Lawes will play 6, at some point in the AI’s. Though I think Robshaw is still the No.1 6 in Jones eyes.
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I hope not. Lawes and Itoje are locks and whilst they can interchange at club level, at international level they get found out.
I don’t mind them covering 6 if they are on the bench but I want a proper 6 starting that position, not some lock//flanker hybrid
I don’t think its any concidence that England’s breakdown work was not great in the 6 Nations just gone – and that the backrow was outplated by Ireland – something that I doubt would have happened had Robshaw played.
Robshaw himself may be a hybrid 6/7 but he is a flanker through and thrrough and knows how to play that position. Not something that is true of either Itoje or Lawes.
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Itoje and Lawes both had heavy lions involvement, I can see them only playing in one maybe two games and then Isiekwe and Ewels being brought in for the rest. There’s enough quality backrow players there to not need Lawes/Itoje at 6
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With this squad and based on current form I would choose a 23 of:
1. Genge, 2. George, 3. Cole, 4. Itoje, 5. Lawes, 6. Robshaw, 7. Underhill, 8. Simmonds, 9. Youngs, 10. Ford, 11. May, 12. Farrell, 13, Slade, 14. Watson, 15. Brown.
16. Hartley, 17. Mako, 18. Williams, 19. Isiekwe, 20. Curry, 21. Care, 22. JJ, 23. Daly.
Personally I’m not sure there is enough bulk in England’s back line and I would have picked Yarde over Solomona. Solomona doesn’t go looking for work in the midfield like Yarde does and (as proved in Argentina) Solomona is woeful in defence!! For me Launchbury has not been in great form recently and neither has Kruis. Isiekwe has and deserves a spot on the bench.
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Just realised I only have one option at 8 here so swap Curry for Hughes.
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Dazza. I think you either have Hartley starting or not in the team at all. George makes a big difference off the bench.
I would also start with Hughes, who has been in good form. Though I do want to see what Simmonds can offer.
I think Solomona offers lots of bulk, he just needs to work on his defence (and the differences from league) and I sure he has been doing that. Though you are right he has to be more switched on and had Nowell, been fit then he would have been there.
Yarde although ok in defence is not brilliant and you talk about form, but he has been really off his game. So they should def leave him out.
I would rather see someone like Olly Woodburn given a chance. He has been brilliant since he has been at the chiefs and offers a good try return and excellent defence.
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Definitely echo your thoughts on Woodburn and I think there are others just as good, if not better than Solomona. Bassett, Marcus Watson, Roko, hell even Banahan. We can’t get much more bulky for a winger than Banahan!!
On the Hughes/Simmonds choice, I just think that whilst Simmonds is playing so well and with so much confidence get him in and see what he can do. Start him for the Argentina game, but have him on the bench for the others, unless he is really good and then keep him as the starter.
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Dazza. You could well be right. Not sure we should go down the Banahan route 😉 Though he is an excellent player for Bath.
I think Roko has had a bit of rough ride. But I think it will be between Solomona and May for once of the wing berths. To be fair to solomona, going forward he is imperious, but he does have some major issues to sort on defence. Which to be fair if that is the case then, a certain Mr Wade, should also have been given a chance and obviously Roko.
However, Jones has done such a good job so far and there are always going to be picks we don’t agree with. Though I think we can all agree, that in Jones we trust. He has done an amazing job so far. But with our player base, so should have so many other recent coaches.
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I think Solomona might get a bench spot, but I expect the back three to be May, Watson and Brown. Daly would be my bench option as he covers wing, full back and outside centre.
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Yeah, you have to question why Solomona gets the chances he does when the likes of Wade and Roko don’t.
Solomona has far and away the worst defence of those 3.
Hey ho. Guess we’ll never know whether Wade could have cut it internationally. Shame as i think he could have been England’s Shane Williams. One to go down in the books of ‘could have been great’ along with the likes of JSD and Tom Rees
Would have liked to see Lewington given a chance
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Yes of course Lewington. A shining light in for the Exiles. Probably not big enough for Eddie!!!
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Careful Pablito, now you’re beginning to ‘talk’ like a Kiwi! Blimey!
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Solomona does need to work on his defence, but one piece of individual brilliance from him has already won England an otherwise lost test match with his first test try against Argentina.
He showed in 20 minutes of international rugby that he could be a real threat. Jones is right to persist.
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Rob he also showed in 10 mins how he can lose a test by leaking 2 soft tries. I hate bringing in foreign talent unless their is no home grown option and on the wing we have plenty so don’t see why we persist with him
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Ben H. Although I do not disagree with your sentiment about home grown players. Solomona has chosen to play for England and he his now an England player. That should not mean though that he automatically goes into the England team, but he should have the same rights as everyone else.
It is not as if he could now go and play for another country as he has selected England as his team. Unless he went back to league of course 😉
He does have issues defensively, but going forwards he is a menace. If he does not improve his defence then he will be out. I am sure Jones won’t persist if he keeps making mistakes. Especially with good young (big) wingers coming through.
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The concern Hux is that the philosophy of he will be given chances until he starts making mistakes is that one of those mistakes could cost us a game
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Leon. It is a concern and better to find it out now in an autumn international, than in a match that matters.
The comment above btw is not just for Solomona, but for all newcomers. They have to be tried and tested in the heat of battle, but in games that in the long run no one will really remember.
We need to find the best players and now is the time to find the additional players that could make the difference between winning a final and just missing out.
For the 2 mistakes Solomona did make, he then made up for it with a finish that will have made Jones sit up and think, we may have someone to work with here. But then again, if his defensive issues are not sorted then people like May/Nowell will stay as 1st choices.
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Two minds with a single thought Dazza. No real heft in the centres,all very similar to each other. That’s ok if we are on the front foot but if the forwards struggle to secure ball we need a player who can make big defensive hits and carry the ball.
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I’m not too worried about the defensive hits as Farrell is more than capable of that but, he is not as good in the carrying department as someone like T’eo or Tuilagi but, then again I can’t think of many that are. At least not in the Premiership and England qualified?
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I take that back, the one I can think of is Joe Marchant. Whilst not being as big as T’eo or Tui he is still a big lad and capable of filling that role with plenty of pace.
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Isn’t it funny how much times have changed, remember when we were decrying having a partnership of Tindall and Noon, or how one dimensional Barritt was. Now we have surplus playmaking centres and not enough boshers!
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Agreed Henno. like Dazza and your good self, i can’t think of any real brutes after T’eo and Manu.
I know Faz likes a big tackle but he’s not a real heavy weight in the way those two are.
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Henno. You are right. I think the point is, that you need that balance. When you look at 2003, we had the biffer/defender in Tindall and clever thinking of Greenwood.
That is what Jones is looking for. However, I would rather be in our current situation, than have no play-makers in midfield.
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Hoping we see something like this for the Argentina game:
Vunipola, Hartley, Cole, Itoje, Lawes, Robshaw, Underhill, Hughes, Youngs, Ford, May, Farrell, JJ, Watson, Daly
George, Genge, Williams, Launchbury, Kruis, Simmonds, Care, Slade
I think with Slade and the starting backs we can afford a 6-2 split which EJ has used on more than one occasion. Without a Te’o or Tuilagi available there isn’t an option to change the style up so it doesn’t make sense to pack a bench with backs you likely won’t need.
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Jacob. I like your thinking. though if we are going down that route then I would probably give someone like Isiekwe a go ahead of Kruis (and give him a rest). He looks like he could be another Itoje and you can’t have too many of them 😉
I also think Slade is class and I think Jones just needs to encourage him a bit more. He could be our number 13 going forwards. It would also allow you then to have Te’o etc at 12 and then choose between Farrell and Ford at 10.
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Agree on Slade. The only thing I’m not so sure on is if he would work with Farrell and Ford – I think it would be overkill of ball-players. There is always talk of breaking up the Ford-Farrell axis and I’m not sure EJ will, or that we need to for that matter. It has served us well so far and there are no reasons why it should stop serving us well.
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I agree – as well as Slade is playing I don’t think he will start with Ford and Farrell. I’d be more tempted with a Farrell-Slade-JJ midfield is he was going to be picked. In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing that change made with a good half hour to go against Argentina.
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Well S Jones of the S Times reckons a guy called Luther Burrell has got his mojo back after his deletion in favour of Burgess in 2015.
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Wow. Did he really write that?
Stephen ‘if they’re big enough, they’re good enough’ Jones
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‘And only gnarled vets need apply’.Yep that’s the geezer alright.
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Lesson number 1
Never listen the Stephen Jones
Lesson number 2
Stephen Jones is Welsh so definitely don’t listen to his opinion on English rugby
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I do think it’s a shame that Eddie has chosen so many fly halves/centres when guys like Marchant and Whitten are playing so well. Marchant was excellent in the England U20’s team and has continued to progress at Quins.
Whitten always so comfortable with ball in hand and would provide some extra bulk in midfield.
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Annoyingly I think Whitten has a couple of Irish caps
Like him as a player though
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Completely agree about Marchant Dazza. Quick, getting stronger, soft hands and good awareness. With plenty of opportunities now he could be ready for the next WC, but EJ didn’t take him to Argentina in the summer and presumably doesn’t think he is ready. Good to see Mercer in the mix. At his size I see him as a potential six rather than eight at international level, but he is a real prospect.
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I would certainly like to see Marchant given a similar role to the other rookies, in that he could have been brought in to get used to the setup. He is going to be a class centre for sure.
I think Eddie feels he already has some good centres though and I feel this could be holding back his England progress so far.
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Problem is most of those centres are fly half hybrids. Even Slade is a fly half at heart. He’s doing a great job at 13 for Exeter but, i bet he would rather be playing at 10?!
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That’a a great way of describing those players,never thought of it like that! Speaking for myself, the ideal is a bosher who can play combined with an artist who can do a bit of physical when needed. I suppose EJ would love to find that combo too.
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Is there any significance in the fact Daly is named in the back 3? Does this mean EJ won’t play him at 13?
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Doesn’t look like Jones is considering him at 13 at all, which is no surprise. I think JJ or Slade will wear the 13 shirt for the foreseeable future, with Daly a wing or full back option.
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Does whatever squad or team that is picked really matter that much? I mean they’re only playing 1 potentially meaningful match v Oz anyway. Jones ought to pick the untried or unproven as much as poss for future cover if for nothing else. It’s all very well pasting The Argentines & Samoa, whom are non-contestables, when he ought to be gearing for the WC with alt combos now! Esp so when he himself has stated that England still lack an potent attack & which, when pressureised, still runs @ 45 degrees across the pitch.
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I suspect both Robshaw and Brown with not be in the mix by the next World Cup. There inclusion as the best in their respective positions is already questionable. Both have provided excellent service and Jones has his favourites. Time to bed in Watson and/or Daly at full-back. Too many young back row options too mention.
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Both Robshaw and Brown are reliable & exp however & these are commodities that will surely be required come WC time. Watson and/or Daly at full-back as well as Robshaw and Brown may, currently, all be sensible picks for 2019 though?
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I think both Watson and Daly should be given a chance at 15 and see if they are better options than Brown. 6 months ago I would def have said that we need to look at someone other than Brown, but he had an excellent tour to Argentina.
Robshaw is one man we need to keep for 2019. I think because he does not say much and gets on with it, he is often overlooked. Jones knows better. He himself was not convinced until he worked with him. Look at how we struggled in the 6 nations. Which was partly because we missed that hard working No.6. Something that Robshaw provides in spades. He is def someone you don’t realise you are missing until he is not there.
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Brown did play well in the summer. Apart from being robust in defence and reliable under the high ball, he also counter attacked well. Watson is in my view the better 15 on club form and would like to if this can be transferred to international level. I do get the arguments about Robshaw doing stuff you only notice when he is not playing. What can not argued is that from having limited back row options we have an abundance of riches. Wilson of Newcastle played in the summer and was outstanding – yet does not make the squad?Difficult decisions by Jones who will continue to be backed whist England continue to win.
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I strongly disagree with your assessment of Robshaw and Brown. Both (fitness and form permitting) will be around in 2019. Robshaw is our first choice 6 and is by far the best in his position.
Brown is not necessarily the best fullback available but given his experience and passion will likely be a starter come the World Cup. What i would like to see is some more depth being built as no one else has been given much time there as cover.
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Leon
Excellent adv on Stephen Jones BTW, altho he thinks he’s more English (presumably you are) than you!
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No he just likes to bitch about England and stir the pot.
Making wild statements about England to piss off everyone and anyone and turn them against us.
He know what he is doing
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Agree on Brown, but definitely not Robshaw. He’d have not long turned 33 at the next world cup which is definitely not ‘too old’ for a 6.
England struggled without him in the 6 nations I thought, particularly against Ireland. I think a back row of him Vunipola and Underhill provides a strong mix of attributes and would certainly be my first choice if everyone was fit.
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Mark Wilson?
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I feel a bit sorry for James Haskell who has clearly struggled all season. He has not been the same since he had a long break with a toe injury, and I suspect will not get back the drive off the mark that he once had. Terrific player at his peak, and it will be interesting to see who steps up to fill a big pair of boots.
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Always thought Haskell promised far more then he delivered at the international level – great bits of play would be mixed with awful ones. Always seemed like he relied too much on muscle at the expense of skill
So it was nice to see his renaissance under Jones and a reminder of just how much potential he had. It’s a shame he wasn’t able to consistently play at that level during his earlier career. Seeing his form in the last couple of seasons, it suggests that the fault may lay as much with the coaching at international level as it does with him
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Any news on the injuries from yesterday – a number of them looked like they could affect the AI squad?
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Matt Mullan and Elliot Daly are not travelling to Portugal and will stay at Wasps for scans; no replacements called up yet.
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