Sale’s Joe Marchant and Gloucester’s Will Joseph are two notable inclusions among Steve Borthwick’s 36-man England squad, announced on Sunday, for the conclusion of the Nations Championship in November, with both boosting the head coach’s midfield options.
The 30-year-old centre Marchant last appeared for England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and spent two seasons at Stade Français in the Top 14, before returning to the Prem with Sale Sharks for this season.
Will Joseph, the 24-year-old younger brother of the former England player Jonathan Joseph, has illuminated the table-topping Gloucester’s strong start to the domestic season. He was called up by Eddie Jones for the tour to Australia in 2022, making one brief appearance off the bench in a second-Test win against the Wallabies in Brisbane.
Henry Slade, Max Ojomoh and Fraser Dingwall are Borthwick’s other centre options, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg of Bristol sidelined by a concussion sustained against Northampton this month. The Gloucester centre Charlie Atkinson is among three players called up to continue their injury rehabilitation, along with Manny Feyi-Waboso of Exeter and Bath’s Guy Pepper.
The scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, who helped Leicester to defeat their local rivals Northampton at Welford Road on Saturday, is included along with the Saints pair of Alex Mitchell and Archie McParland.
Quick Guide
England training squad
Show
Forwards: F Baxter (Harlequins), O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), A Clark (Gloucester), A Coles (Northampton), L Cowan-Dickie (Sale), B Curry (Sale), T Curry (Sale), B Earl (Saracens), G Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), J George (Saracens), E Genge (Bristol), J Heyes (Leicester), M Itoje (Saracens), E Iyogun (Northampton), G Martin (Saracens), A Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), T Pearson (Northampton), H Pollock (Northampton), W Stuart (Bath), K Tuipulotu (Bath).
Backs: N Caluori (Saracens), F Dingwall (Northampton), G Ford (Sale), T Freeman (Northampton), G Furbank (Harlequins), W Joseph (Gloucester), J Marchant (Sale), A McParland (Northampton), A Mitchell (Northampton), C Murley (Harlequins), M Ojomoh (Bath), H Slade (Exeter), F Smith (Northampton), M Smith (Harlequins), F Steward (Leicester), J van Poortvliet (Leicester), Rehabilitation: S Atkinson (Gloucester), I Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), G Pepper (Bath).
The 21-year old McParland is uncapped, while there is no place in the squad for Ben Spencer of Bath. Kepu Tuipulotu, the Bath hooker, is another uncapped 21-year-old called up by Borthwick.
Fin Smith, Marcus Smith and George Ford are the specialist fly‑halves – while in the forwards the captain, Maro Itoje, having been rested in the summer, will return to the international stage. Alex Coles, Ollie Chessum, George Martin and Arthur Clark, another player flourishing at Gloucester, will be candidates to start with Itoje at lock. But there is no place for the 37-year-old lock Courtney Lawes, who like Marchant returned from a spell in France to sign for Sale.
Tom Pearson (Northampton) and Ben Curry (Sale) return to a squad packed with back-row talent, and will compete for starting spots with Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Henry Pollock and Greg Fisilau.
The prop Fin Baxter, who impressed for Harlequins in their victory against Saracens on Sunday, is back after almost a year sidelined with a foot injury. His clubmate Marcus Smith made a strong case to start in November by dismantling Saracens in Quins’ 33-15 win.
after newsletter promotion
Borthwick’s squad assembled on Sunday at Pennyhill Park for a three‑day training camp, with the players due to return to their clubs for the Prem’s fifth round next weekend.
England begin their November programme against Australia at Twickenham on Sunday 8 November, before facing Japan on Saturday 14 November. A high-stakes encounter against the All Blacks follows on Saturday 21 November, with fixtures for the concluding Nations Championship weekend, on 27/28/29 November, to be confirmed.
Leave a Reply