England head coach Eddie Jones has called up 38 players for England’s third official Rugby World Cup training camp in Treviso, Italy (22 July until 2 August).
The squad will spend 12 days in Italy for a heat camp to help acclimatise players to conditions expected during the tournament in Japan.
Bath Rugby’s Sam Underhill and Anthony Watson will travel with the squad after spending last week doing specialised strength and conditioning work separately off site while Joe Marchant (Harlequins) joins the group for the first time.
Jones said: “Treviso is a hard yards camp with conditions similar to Tokyo. Team training will be about being adaptable and off the field enjoying each other’s company.”
On squad selection Jones added: “Selection is absolutely challenging, we have left some good players doing work at their clubs and they must be ready if called up.”
England will play Wales (11 August) and Ireland (24 August) at Twickenham Stadium and Italy (6 September) in Newcastle as part of the Quilter Internationals as well as an away fixture against Wales (17 August) in Cardiff.
England will begin their Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan against Tonga in Sapporo (22 September, KO 11:15am UK time) before playing USA Rugby in Kobe (26 September, KO 11:45am UK time), Argentina in Tokyo (5 October, KO 09:00am UK time) and France in Yokohama (12 October, KO 09:15am UK time).
Forwards
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 37 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 27 caps)
George Kruis (Saracens, 32 caps)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 58 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 71 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 59 caps)
Brad Shields (Wasps, 8 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 22 caps)
Jack Singleton (Saracens, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 9 caps)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 41 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 53 caps)
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps)
Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons / Sale Sharks, 13 caps)
Backs
Mike Brown (Harlequins, 72 caps)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 30 caps)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 70 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps)
Piers Francis (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)
Joe Marchant (Harlequins, uncapped)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 45 caps)
Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 33 caps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 22 caps)
Ben Spencer (Saracens, 3 caps)
Ben Te’o (unattached, 18 caps)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)
Danny Cipriani is a notable absentee from this squad – does that mean his RWC hopes are over? What other surprises are there here?
If you need to chop 7 from this group then surely the front runners for the axe are
Ewels, Ludlam, Francis, Joseph & McConnochie
with a decision to be made between Marchant and Teo
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Sorry missed 1 another choice between Watson Brown and Cockanasiga
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My personal choice vs what i expect Eddie to select
Eddie Me
Jamie George Jamie George
Luke Cowan Dickie Luke Cowan Dickie
Jack Singleton Dylan Hartley
Joe Marler Joe Marler
Ellis Genge Ellis Genge
Mako Vunipola Mako Vunipola
Kyle Sinkler Kyle Sinkler
Harry Williams Harry Williams
Dan Cole Dan Cole
Joe Launchbury Joe Launchbury
Maro Itoje Maro Itoje
Courtney Lawes Courtney Lawes
George Kruis George Kruis
Mark Wilson Mark Wilson
Brad Shields Ben Morgan
Tom Curry Tom Curry
Sam Underhill Sam Underhill
Billy Vunipola Billy Vunipola
Ben Youngs Ben Youngs
Ben Spencer Ben Spencer
Willi Heinz Dan Robson
Owen Farrell Owen Farrell
George Ford Danny Cipriani
Manu Tuilagi Manu Tuilagi
Ben Te’o Henry Slade
Henry Slade Joe Cockanasiga
Joe Cockanasiga Johnny May
Johnny May Anthony Watson
Anthony Watson Jack Nowell
Jack Nowell Elliot Daly
Elliot Daly Mike Brown
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Would it be possible to take four centres, especially if only five props are going?
Btw, is Hughes injured? I would have thought it sensible to include Morgan or Kvesic etc , just in case…………
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Ruaridh McConnochie, Lewis Ludlam, Piers Francis, Marchant and Ewels are most likely to be cut. I dont think Cips was ever going to make the squad, too much has been invested in to Ford and Farrell. Unsure whether Jones will take a third SH, if he doesn’t heinz is out, I think this would be unwise as we have plenty of versatile players for the pool games who are capable of multiple positions from 10-15. Faz is always an option at 10/12, if fit Nowell can play anywhere 11-15 if pressed. Daly can do a job through out the back 3 as can Watson. Teo and Tuilagi are fine at 12 or 13 depending on game plan etc.
Up front Lawes is a credible option at 6 as is Maro, playing them together is more line out options and we have seen Lawes pack down on the side of the scrum despite Maro wearing 6. Similar situation with Wilson, can do a job at 6-8 but we know Billy is first choice, therefore I imagine Sheilds may miss the cut.
Having a third option at FH would be nice, Cips will be called up if there is an injury and im sure Slade could play 10 against an opppsition such as the USA if someone else has taken a knock.
I for one am confident about this squad and am not bothered about Cips, he is a player like many others who is obviously talented enough but wont make the squad for reasons out of their control.
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Well, neither Ford nor Farrell were P o t Yr & it wasn’t much of an Investment in Farrell v Wales or the Jocks. I’d understand Cipriani’s making himself unavailable for Japan given the appalling way Jones has sodded him about. It’s more likely that 3 1/2’s are taken to the WC. If Youngs gets crocked, England are down to 1. The notion that certain players can cover certain positions like 6, 8, 10,12, 11-15 may work in the early stages. However, would you want to start with Lawes @ 6 or Nowell @ 12 for instance, in a semi? Wouldn’t be so sure about Shields either. Jones presumably doesn’t read TRB too often. He’s kept faith with BS thus far. Also, you must be confident if you’re unconcerned about the P o th Yr’s omission, the aforementioned Welsh & Scots’ games notwithstanding!
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Well im only worried about player versatility because its a world cup squad and we will need to mix the teams up in at least one if not two pool games, just for rest puposes. Im not in favour of players out of their natural posistion and i want Wilson to have the 6 shirt, but if he took a knock, we all know say Lawes at 6 wouldn’t be a huge set back.
George Ford came on against the Scots and prevented us losing, he played well when he came on, scored a try i think or at least set it up. The idea that we would have won the Wales or Scotland game with Cips involved is baseless, how do you know we wouldnt have lost the Ireland game?.. its all hypothetical. I feel at times like the only George Ford supporter, is it really just Eddie and I?
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TRB James
Worried? You stated that you had confidence in yr team. Agree it’s better to have Wilson @ 6, but why replace him with Lawes, a lock, when Shields, an actual 6, is available? In an ideal world, each position would have 2 players covering it. All posi’s are pretty much specialist these days. Nowell, for instance, may cover wing, centre or f/back, but he’s a wing. He’s hardly (ever?) played in the latter 2 posts for England. If you start fudging with players out of posi from now on, it’s a bit late & courting trouble. More so during the business end of the WC, during which injury could dictate whom plays. If England want (need?) another fullback, then there’s the rock in Mike Brown. Maybe Watson? I mean Daly’s really a centre. So you already have a fudge there. I didn’t state that England would have won v Wales, Scotland if Cip had played. However, it’s not in his nature to kick it all away like Farrell (& Youngs) did & which surely cost England the match v Wales. Regarding yr last ?, no. It’s Eddie & ‘me’. Only kidding. Ford was top pts scorer last season & in a dodgy team. I think he’s better in a winning team (who isn’t?), but under pressure he has tended to choose wrong options. Ford did make a difference v Scotland. However, any team worth its salt, with a minute to go, would have closed that game out, Ford or no Ford. Personally, I’d take all 3 aforementioned fly 1/2’s.. & start with Cipriani!
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Hasn’t Barrett been switched to fullback v the Boks?
I don’t know if he’s ever played there for his club, mind you. Plead ignorance m’lud (if so).
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EC. Which Barrett?
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Obviously saw yr comment before I did the AB team, but just how does this detract from anything I’ve previously stated? Do you think NZ will start the WC with BB @ 15; as England will likely do so with Daly?
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I personally would be starting with Shields at 6 and Wilson at 8 and avoid having Lawes at 6 unless there were no other options. Shields isn’t just great at the breakdown but he reads the game well and has great leadership qualities. I really rate him.
As for fly half, Cips wins it for me as I think he is best at playing whats in front of him,Farrell is a liability and IMO overrated. Ford I do rate as well and would have him on the bench. I used to think he was too liable to go awol under pressure but I think playing for Tigers last season when they were terrible has really helped him with that. Towards the end of the season he was the stand out player and definitely saved their bacon in a few games by seemingly being one of the few players actually trying to play.
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and within minutes of posting this I read Shields is now out of the squad injured…
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Yes, crook toe. Dombrandt in.
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Assuming Shields fails to make the cut,will Dombrandt be the right selection to replace him? I know he’s had a storming season at ‘quins but he’s very young and a rookie at Int’l level. Would say kvesic, ewers or even Robshaw be better (safer) choices?
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Re: Ford closing out the Scotland game to save us from a loss, as I was slowly losing my will to live and not so slowly losing my sobriety, being directly behind the posts I could see our build up for the final score and if you watch it back, there was an opportunity to score in the corner several phases before the actual try, I could see it and knew that would leave a difficult kick for the draw and I found a new level of respect for Ford who I believe knew that too and persevered for a score between the post to secure the maximum 7 points. Very, very bold, composed and committed. Seriously watch that last few phases and you will see it!
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Interesting that you point out that Cips was Prem player of the year, but Goode was European player of the year, and hasn’t had a sniff of getting picked.
Cipriani has looked good in a solid Gloucester team this season, but he still gets flustered when on the back foot. Ford has been the best player for Leicester this season, by some margin, and they’ve been rubbish. I suspect if Ford had been playing behind the Gloucester pack it could easily have been him getting Prem player of the year.
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Well if Cipriani got so flustered, how come he got the gong? Maybe the people judging him missed his flusteredness?
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Not a fan of locks at flanker tbh and I don’t see the need. two eights, two o/sides two b/sides. Simples!
If cover is needed for an injury then you fly someone in not dick around putting square pegs in round holes. Lawes will be going anyway at the expense of Hill who must surely be in the ’20 six nations squad?
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