Billy Vunipola has been handed a recall for England’s summer tour of Australia by Eddie Jones, who has summoned the number eight into his squad for the first time since the 2021 Six Nations. Jones has also included the 19-year-old London Irish full-back Henry Arundell in his 36-man squad as an apprentice and as one of eight uncapped players for the series against the Wallabies.
Vunipola has been in impressive form for Saracens but Jones suggested he would be unavailable for the tour after suffering a concussion late on against the Tigers. With Alex Dombrandt ruled out with a knee injury, however, Jones has seen fit to call on the 29-year-old who is the only specialist number eight in the squad.
Elsewhere, joining Arundell as an apprentice is his London Irish teammate Will Joseph while Guy Porter is a surprise inclusion. Ben Youngs is not part of the squad but Danny Care has been selected after he made an appearance off the bench in Sunday’s humiliating defeat by the Barbarians. Jack van Poortvliet is also selected among the scrumhalves.
George Ford, who suffered an ankle injury in the Premiership final, is absent, as is Joe Marler and with Henry Slade, Joe Launchbury, Manu Tuilagi, Kyle Sinckler and Anthony Watson all sidelined, Jones is without a wealth of experience for the three-Test series which begins on 2nd July in Perth. He is, however, boosted by the return of Luke Cowan-Dickie, who has not played since suffering a knee injury during the Six Nations.
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The Northampton pair of Tommy Freeman and Fraser Dingwall are among the uncapped players, as is the tighthead prop Patrick Schickerling and the hooker Jack Walker, both of whom featured on Sunday. There is no room for either of Max Malins or Elliot Daly from Saracens with George Furbank recovering from a recent head injury.
Jones has not yet named a captain for the squad with Courtney Lawes, Owen Farrell and Tom Curry all possibilities. Curry captained the side against the Barbarians while Lawes was Jones’ preferred captain during the Six Nations in the absence of Farrell, who is one of 12 players who played in the Premiership final called up.
Jones said: “Though we have 10 players unavailable due to injury, we have picked a very strong squad capable of winning the series. This squad is a real mix of young, talented players and some very experienced, senior players and we’re looking forward to bring the group together.
“This tour will be a great experience for the group and a crucial part of the team’s work towards the Rugby World Cup in 2023. We will continue to develop the base of the squad and how we want to play. We’ve put a lot of work into preparation for the tour over the past few weeks but now the hard work really begins when we finally get the squad on the plane and to Australia.”
England squad to tour Australia
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).
- Guardian
