Will Muir among players added to England A squad but club-mate ruled out

Bath winger Will Muir is one of three players who have been added to the England A squad to face Australia A on Sunday, but club-mate Vilikesa Sela has been forced to withdraw.

Sela was part of England’s U20 Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship success this year under head coach Mark Mapletoft, who will lead England A at Twickenham Stoop this weekend.

However, the prop picked up an injury during a cameo appearance in Bath’s 78-19 Premiership Rugby Cup win against Bristol and will return to his club to continue his rehabilitation.

Rassie Erasmus on facing England at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

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Rassie Erasmus on facing England at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

The Springboks will be bracing themselves for a huge showdown against an England team desperate to right the wrongs after suffering back-to-back home defeats.

Bristol winger and Premiership Player of the Month Gabriel Ibitoye had been a doubt having appeared to injure his shoulder in the latter stages of his club’s 10-10 draw with Australia A on Friday.

Ibitoye met up with the England A squad as planned on Tuesday, but with Tom Roebuck promoted to the seniors alongside Ted Hill, Mapletoft has bolstered his options out wide by calling up Muir, who scored for the side during their 91-5 defeat of Portugal in February.

The Bath winger missed three rounds of Premiership action with a knee injury but made a try-scoring return against Sale in the final round before the Autumn Nations Series.

And Muir has been joined in the squad by a pair of locks as Gloucester’s Arthur Clark and Saracens’ Hugh Tizard were also added to the group on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mapletoft has invited a further five players – Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints), Sean Kerr (Harlequins), Tom Burrow (Sale Sharks), Charlie Griffin (Bath Rugby) and Angus Hall (Saracens) – to train with the squad.

England A squad (club and senior caps)

Forwards:
Joe Batley (Bristol Bears)

Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby)

Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)

Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)

Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)

Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints)

Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins)

Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears)

Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)

Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

Hugh Tizard (Saracens)

Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)

Backs:
Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)

Oscar Beard (Harlequins)

Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks)

Fraser Dingwall (captain – Northampton Saints, 2 caps)

Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)

Archie McParland (Northampton Saints)

Will Muir (Bath Rugby)

Cadan Murley (Harlequins)

Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)

Will Porter (Harlequins)

Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)

Players invited to train in preparation for matchday:
Tom Burrow (Sale Sharks)

Charlie Griffin (Bath Rugby)

Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints)

Angus Hall (Saracens)

Sean Kerr (Harlequins)

England Men A coaching staff for Australia A fixture:
Mark Mapletoft – Head Coach

Andy Titterrell – Forwards Coach

Nathan Catt – Scrum Coach

Lee Blackett – Attack Coach

Haydn Thomas – Defence Coach

See England’s brightest young talent when England A take on Australia A on Sunday, 17 November at Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop – KO 14:00 GMT. Tickets are available from only £25 for adults & £15 for U16 (+booking fees) here.

View the match live and free on RugbyPass TV (exc. UK & Australia).