England training squad offers glimpse into potential fresh look
When England head coach Eddie Jones announced his 36-man squad yesterday for a three-day training cap next week, eyebrows were raised.
This is not a binding squad for the imminent three-Test series against his native Australia, but it points to Jones’s thinking ahead of the last summer tour before his final World Cup.
The squad will meet on Sunday for a camp in London, and with a fixture against the Barbarians just a month away, there’s scope to experiment a little bit. Here are four talking points from the squad selection.
Return of the Mak
After a hiatus from the squad, Saracens loosehead prop Mako Vunipola is back. The 31-year-old Kiwi-born forward has been in solid form for his club this season and has been key in providing the Saracens backs with a stable platform from which to launch.
The former British and Irish Lion will add a level of experience to a squad that will have just five 50-plus cap players, the others being fellow Saracens players Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje, Bath’s Anthony Watson and Northampton’s Courtney Lawes.
Vunipola will always be sturdy on the big stage and his recall is testament to the work he has done with his club since being dropped by Jones last year.
Ten uncapped men
Though this squad remains just a training camp and included players remain uncapped, it shows a sense of a refreshed mindset to see 10 players without a cap included.
Among those are Scottish-qualified sensation Harry Arundell, back-row duo Tom Pearson and Alfie Barbeary and London Irish centre Will Joseph.
We have seen before, with the likes of Gary Graham, how players who train with England can still end up playing for other countries.
But what their inclusion does is allow Jones to see whether those youngsters would work in the squad environment and can adapt to international training.
England potential
Despite scoring over 100 on-field points against their West Country rivals Bath, Gloucester do not have a player inside this 36-man squad. Bath have six.
There was talk of Cherry and White back-row pair Lewis Ludlow and Jordy Reid being included but in the end they missed out.
It is fair to say that Jones is looking at individual rather than team performances and remains content that the likes of prop Will Stuart and uncapped Orlando Bailey can still be in the fold.
Jones isn’t one to listen to the loudest voices outside the camp and the inclusion of players from squads struggling proves belief in his own methods.
Jones offers hope
Jones has made it clear that those not included in yesterday’s squad aren’t out of the picture for the tour Down Under.
“We want to take a look at some younger players and prepare a base camp for the Barbarians game, particularly as we will be without the Premiership finalists, and also give some senior players a rest as we get to a crucial part of the season,” Jones said yesterday.
There are no Gloucester, Exeter or Worcester players in the squad – with the two former sides inside the push for the top four places – and there are notable absentees in Sam Simmonds, who is set for hip surgery in the coming weeks, and Ben Youngs, England’s record cap holder, among others.