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The 9 significant omissions from England's touring party
Leaving aside the raft of injuries to key England players, there will be plenty of disappointment for fringe squad members who haven’t made the Eddie Jones cut for Australia.
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The ‘Unavailable for selection due to injury’ is a lengthy one of late and it includes George Ford, Joe Launchbury, Nic Dolly, Alex Dombrandt, Louis Lynagh, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson.
Yet there are plenty of up and coming players who may feel particularly miffed at missing the tour Down Under, with Jones opting for tried and trusted in many cases.
BEN EARL
Has been in superb form for Saracens and must now be wondering what he has to do to break back into Eddie’s good favour. Sam Underhill and Tom Curry remain the Australian’s preferred options.
MAX MALINS
The Premiership’s top scorer this season might have a right to feel most aggrieved not to have made the squad. The Saracens fullback appears to have lost out to George Furbank, who might be seen as a better cover option at 10, with George Ford sans combat.
ALFIE BARBEARY
Despite a hugely impressive season for Wasps, often playing at No.8, Barbeary will have to wait to make his England debut, with Jones preferring the known quantity that is Billy Vunipola, a specialist in the position.
TED HILL
Ted Hill’s on again, off again relationship with the wider England squad continues. The Worcester Warriors back row is cut from the squad, despite having been in the wider squad mix for the Barbarians game.
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MARK ATKINSON
The tall Gloucester centre clearly failed to impress in England’s heavy defeat to the Barbarians in Twickenham, a game that may well have been the 32-years-old’s final call.
ADAM RADWAN
The jet heeled Newcastle Falcons flyer misses out yet again. Jones – as with Vunipola – preferred the tried and trusted and went with the 32-year-old Jonny May.
JAMIE BLAMIRE
Despite a couple of strong cameos during the Guinness Six Nations, Blamire hasn’t made the cut, even with Luke Cowan-Dickie carrying an injury into the tour.
CALLUM CHICK
Another Falcon who’s had his wings clipped. Called up as a replacement following Dombrandt’s injury but didn’t do enough against the Baabaas to warrant inclusion in the summer showpiece.
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BEN YOUNGS
It’s not totally clear if Youngs opted to stay at home given his family circumstances or if the veteran is being rested ahead of a final Test season. Danny Care – two years Youngs’ senior – has been given the nod after a fine season for Harlequins.
England squad for Australia tour:
Backs: H Arundell (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins), J Cokanasiga (Bath), F Dingwall (Northampton), O Farrell (Saracens), T Freeman (Northampton), G Furbank (Northampton), W Joseph (London Irish), J Marchant (Harlequins), J May (Gloucester), J Nowell (Exeter), G Porter (Leicester), H Randall (Bristol), J van Poortvliet (Leicester), M Smith (Harlequins), F Steward (Leicester).
Forwards: O Chessum (Leicester), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), T Curry (Sale Sharks), C Ewels (Bath), E Genge (Leicester), J George (Saracens), J Heyes (Leicester), J Hill (Exeter), N Isiekwe (Saracens), M Itoje (Saracens), C Lawes (Northampton), L Ludlam (Northampton), B Rodd (Sale Sharks), P Schickerling (Exeter), W Stuart (Bath), S Underhill (Bath), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), J Walker (Harlequins), J Willis (Wasps).
None of this makes sense... at all.
Playing Youngs up to 12 months before the WC, then not playing him... Randall could have been starting for the last 12 months.
This pack is the same pack that got tot he final of the last WC. Pretty much. It's not got any ex-factor in it, not if the objective is to play a more open game. If the game plan is to kick and chase, then there's a fan chance it goes well, but Eddie has been talking about this new way of playing for a long time. This pack isn't it.
The backline is relying on big Joe Cokanasiga to get over the gainline on first phase, otherwise it all feels a little disjointed.
We should be putting Australia to the sword, with the amount of talent we have, but I fancy Austratlia based on how flat England feel right now.
I'm pretty sure Ben Youngs played his last international against France in the 6N and knew it. When the rest of the team ran out for the second half, he walked out, looking around, taking it all in. I thought then that we would not see him again in an international. With what the Youngs/Sands family have been through, there cannot be much incentive to keep going when you have been there and done it already. A great player, just a shame that successive coaches have stopped him playing with his natural flair and made him comply with a formula.
Shaping up to be a dominant summer series victory for all the Southern Hemisphere giants.. cue panic stations by the press.. this can all be fixed with a global season it’s not rocket science.. everyone was quick to right off the RC teams in the autumn not taking into account an end of long campaigns, physical and mental fatigue stuck in bio bubbles ect.. normal service will resume by the end of the summer
I think they'll struggle against the Wallabies Plenty of experience but not of recently playing together well. Youngsters a mixed bag and apart from the young Tigers lack big game experience/success.