Danny Cipriani will be overlooked when England head coach Eddie Jones names his first elite player squad before next month’s Six Nations Championship.
Jones will name a 33-man squad on Wednesday, but is not set to reveal his captain for another 2 weeks.
Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley is a leading contender to replace Harlequins flanker Chris Robshaw as skipper, despite a poor disciplinary record.
Jones, 55, recently said he will select players who “express themselves”.
However, Sale flyhalf Cipriani is not expected to be a part of the Australian’s initial plans.
The 28-year-old, who has won 14 caps since making his debut in 2008, missed out to Saracens’ Owen Farrell and Bath’s George Ford in England’s doomed World Cup squad.
Ex-England head coach Stuart Lancaster was sacked following the World Cup, which saw hosts England eliminated in the group stage.
Who could miss out?
A lengthening injury list means Jones will be without Exeter centre Henry Slade and back row Dave Ewers, Bath lock Dave Attwood, Leicester lock Ed Slater, Northampton props Kieran Brookes and Alex Corbisiero, and Gloucester wing Jonny May, for some, or all, of the tournament.
Exeter wing Jack Nowell and Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan should recover from less serious injuries picked up at the weekend, while Saracens lock George Kruis was taken off on a stretcher against Harlequins with concussion.
However Morgan, 26, who started England’s opening World Cup match against Fiji, is unlikely to be picked.
Away from fitness issues, there are question marks over the inclusion of several World Cup squad members. Saracens centre Brad Barritt, Northampton flanker Tom Wood, Harlequins pop Joe Marler, Exeter lock Geoff Parling and Saracens scrumhalf Richard Wigglesworth could all be left out as Jones looks to add more pace into the team.
Who should we look out for?
The 33-man group is very likely to include exciting newcomers Elliot Daly, the Wasps centre, Saracens forward Maro Itoje and Harlequins flanker Jack Clifford.
Exeter back Sam Hill and Sale Sharks No 8 Josh Beaumont – son of England’s 1980 Grand Slam-winning captain Bill Beaumont – have also been mentioned as potential squad debutants.
Leicester centre Manu Tuilaigi – not considered by Lancaster for the World Cup after an assault conviction – could return after 15 months out with a groin injury.
And Saracens’ in-form, prolific try-scorer Chris Ashton, who won the last of his 39 caps in June 2014, plus once-capped winger Semesa Rokoduguni, of Bath, are both thought to be in Jones’ plans.
Under Rugby Football Union rules, Jones can change 11 players – including code convert Sam Burgess who left rugby union after the World Cup – from Lancaster’s last squad.
bbc
While the reasons and circumstances may be different it seems England Rugby coach is not completely free to pick his squad if this part is true “ Under Rugby Football Union rules, Jones can change 11 players – including code convert Sam Burgess who left rugby union after the World Cup – from Lancaster’s last squad. “
Why that silly number?
2 @ Lion4ever:
Hi Lion4ever, why that number at all? Is what I wonder, don’t know if it is down to contracting issues or what it is.
Here is England’s 33 man squad:
Forwards: Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby) *injury replacement for Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens).
Backs: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs) *injury replacement for Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
Quite a few newbies in the England squad: Josh Beaumont (Bill’s son), Maro Itoje, Sam Hill, Jack Clifford, Elliot Daly, Ollie Devoto and Paul Hill.
No place in the squad for : Tom Youngs, Brad Barritt, Tom Wood, Geoff Parling and Danny Cipriani
Captain still to be named, a lot of talk about it being Dylan Hartley let’s see how that works out…
ARGHHH two points dropped at Anfield! Congratulations robzim.
@ Bullscot:
It was a great game to watch.. action packed as both teams were going flat out for it.
For me it was quite a relief that there were no further hamstring injuries to any Liverpool players… i see some blame Klopp’s “gegenpressing” style for the injuries as they claim it takes too much out of the players to be sustainable in English football where the teams play so many games.
Arsenal must learn to concentrate till the last seconds… its the second time over the last year that Liverpool snatched a point in the 90th minute against them.
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