Stuart Lancaster has announced the England squad that will be travelling to their training camp in Denver, with five players culled from the original wider group. The unlucky quintet are Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje, Stephen Myler, Nick Easter and Ed Slater.
Daly, Slater, Itoje and Myler will return to their clubs to be on standby, while Easter is suffering from a back injury and will return to Harlequins for treatment, before rejoining the squad on August 2nd after the Denver trip.
Lancaster said: “Elliot and Maro have fitted in and trained well and it’s been great for them to be in this environment. They are both young players who have bright futures. They have made a great impression and I am sure other opportunities will come for both of them further down the line.
“Steve and Ed, likewise, have contributed greatly. Ed has done well to recover from his knee injury having missed the majority last season. However, there is a lot of competition in the second row.
“Steve, who is in another really competitive position, has only recently been able to take a full part in training having injured his knee towards the end of last season. But he is getting up to speed now and I am sure he would be ready to come back in should the opportunity arise.
“I have spoken to all the players to explain that things can change very quickly and they can come back in at any point.
“Nick will stay for treatment on his back rather than risk aggravating it further with travel and we look forward to him re-joining the squad in August when we will review the squad and also consider those who have been unable to begin the camp after suffering injuries at the end of last season.
“The players have worked very hard for the past three weeks and there is a really good feel about the group. Denver is the next stage in our training, a chance to develop further in a different environment.”
ENGLAND TRAINING SQUAD FOR DENVER
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints)
Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jamie George (Saracens)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Rob Webber (Bath Rugby)
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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Not surprised to see Myler, Itoje & Slater return to their clubs, considering what position they all play, and the other players involved. But I really thought Daly would be in with a shot considering the other options.
It seems to me we have far more inside centre options than outside, and he’s just let go of one of the few outside centre options?!
Interesting point. Seems JJ is now the only out and out 13 in the squad, which is quite a surprise given it’s still a very big one! I suppose Barritt & Burrell are the obvious other options (although neither natural 13s), while Slade, Nowell (& May at a push) could all do a job there. But if JJ gets injured they definitely look short of 13 cover.
Couple this with the fact that Daly can play wing and FB, and it makes even less sense.None of the other options will give you anything like the style JJ or Daly can offer from 13.
It would be interesting to see who SL thinks would have the 22 & 23 shirts? If Ford is starting I would suspect Farrell wears 22? But if we’re working on the assumption that he wants to keep the preferred backline of Ford, Nowell, Burrell, JJ, Watson and Brown. Who gets the 23 shirt?!
Barritt probably… JJ can cover wing and both Watson and Nowell can do 15. Either that or someone like May who can do wing and 13. Benefit/problem of utility backs playing on the wing I suppose.
Gutted Daly is in the first cull
Personally I think dropping one of the best players in the premiership in Itoje and a probable future England Captain is stupid. SL loves people that can play several postions which Itoje can and is in fantastic form so do not understand SL’s logic at all!?! Am I alone in that thinking??
You’re not alone in you’re thinking, but I can see some logic. Itoje is a second rower first, and SL has plenty of cover in this area. Parling, Lawes, Attwood, Kruis & Launchbury. All top quality players and line out performers, and all more experienced at both club and international level. Experience is key!!
Itoje is still only 20, and will have thrived on this experience and come back better from it. Now he’s been involved, if anyone gets injured, him and Slater will be first in contention as replacements.
Personally I would rather have either Slater or Itoje in for Atwood. Think his form has really tailed off. And if I really had to commit, I would say for Kruis as well. He was good but not amazing. Both Slater and Itoje could be world class (I stress ‘could be’). Maybe a little early back from injury for the former and too inexperienced for the later? Anyway I would rather have kept one tried and tested, and one exciting potential bolter in the squad.
I actually had Itoje as a curveball 6 – offers the lineout presence of Wood (which I think we missed in the 6N) without sacrificing the ball carrying element. Seemed to do a pretty damn good job for Sarries against Clermont in the european cup…
This was all just musings but seems a shame to have cut two of the guys (along with Daly) who have such game changing potential
I would be of the same opinion, but we all know that SL loves “credit in the bank”, which Attwood will have plenty of.
Itoje has massive potential, and if he can stay fit, I’m sure he’ll be in the 6 Nations next year. As a lineout man he is very athletic, and as a ball carrier he can be a bulldozer!
I actually half expected Lancaster to take all 50 with talk of culling 5 players just designed to motivate them.
But barring that I had Myler and Daly nailed on to miss out. The reality is neither had much chance of making the final squad.
Slater is not too surprising although I think he would be in ahead of Attwood IF he had international experience by now. Itoje is more surprising, although there is so much competition for second row and he’s still so young. However, dropping both Itoje and Slater is extra surprising seeing as both can play 6 and lock, at least for club.
Biggest disappointment is Daly for me. Assume it ended up being a choice between him and Slade, which I can at least understand.
Itoje I’m surprised by, I expected to see him go over a Kruis or Attwood. Parling, Launchbury and Lawes are all guaranteed, so it’ll be Attwood vs Kruis for that final lock spot (or maybe even Easter?).
I had Daly in my final squad, so that one was a real shock to me.
In a 31 man squad, you effectively get 2 picks in each position and an extra prop, although I would sacrifice a winger to take 8 front rows (being in the union myself). I also want to take 3 10s, so Ford, Farrell and either Cipriani or Slade (Slade for me). Therefore I need a utility back to accomodate these selections.
With Slade covering centre as well, I would have picked 3 centres, 1 utility back, and 4 back three players, either 3+1 or 2+2.
With JJ being nailed on and a plethora of options at 12, Daly fits that utility centre option very well as he can cover 13, wing or full back. So my picks would then be 2 12s (Barritt and Eastmond) along with Joseph and Daly.
With Daly and Watson (one of my wingers) able to cover 15 and me not being a massive fan of Goode, I would have then gone with 1 full back in Brown. Watson, Nowell and May would then be my wingers. Not a bad set of backs!
Unsure where Lancaster goes now. He could pick Slade as 3rd FH/4th centre and pick 5 back three players, or go for Cipriani as 3rd FH/2nd FB and pick 4 out and out centres. Or alternatively I guess he could drop a FH or the extra front row and look to cover more bases in the backs?
Like that look of your back selection; but personally I never saw Daly getting in.
I think what you have suggested will be very close, but I’m thinking:
SH: Youngs, Wrigglesworth, Care
FH: Ford, Farrell
Centre: Burrell, Barritt, Slade, Joseph
Wing: Watson, Nowell, Ashton
FB: Brown, Goode
More than enough cover there across all positions. Slade has looked good at 13 this year but can also cover 10 and 12. Farrell can also slot into the centre. Three wing options plus Brown/JJ is more than enough too.
So essentially Goode is the other pick to what you have above. Personally I’d like to have seen Daly over him, but with Slade in there I don’t think we can take another non-cap.
I think you’re almost bang on, but Cipriani – provided there’s no more fallout from the drink driving episode – will be in over Slade. Farrell can cover 12 and Burrell/Barritt can cover 13 (as can Nowell at a push).
That would also allow another winger over Goode, potentially, but I think Lancaster likes him so will keep him in.
I actually had put Cipriani over Goode when I originally typed it out. They both offer that 10/15 cover which will be useful in the squad. SL has used Cipriani at 15 a few times and I’d like to think there was a longer term logic to that.
Cips over Slade might make sense though.
The reason I went Goode over Cips was simply that you’d then have 4 players in the squad that would say 10 was their best position if you asked them; which is probably too many.
I think SL will pick exactly that set of backs – and we will see Slade over Cips purely he offers a playmaking centre option much better than Farrell or Cipriani. Farrell might be able to cover 12 off the bench, but I don’t believe he is anywhere near good enough to be pushing for starting there. Farrell will definitely have the bench FH shirt, so Cips would just be in the squad for injury cover – Slade could genuinely compete for the 12 shirt.
Think we might see Yarde sneak in ahead of Ashton as well.