NOVEMBER INTERNATIONALS:ENGLAND HAVE called up uncapped 21-year-old prop Mako Vunipola for their four-match November international series and also handed a recall to Ugo Monyne more than two years since the winger won the last of his 13 caps.
Hooker Tom Youngs, brother and Leicester team-mate of England scrumhalf Ben, is also in line for his first cap having completed a remarkable mastering of his new specialist position three years after switching from centre.
Flanker James Haskell, who impressed in the final game of England’s South Africa tour in the summer, is also included in the 32-man squad, as are fit-again Tom Wood and Courtney Lawes, who missed the tour through injury.
Coach Stuart Lancaster has stuck with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) policy of not selecting any French-based players for the four Tests which begin against Fiji on November 10th and continue with matches against Australia (November 17th), South Africa (November 24th) and New Zealand (December 1st).
France have recalled hooker Guilhem Guirado for the November Tests after Christopher Tolofua was banned for six weeks by European Rugby yesterday, the French rugby federation said in a statement.
Tolofua (18) was sent off while playing for Toulouse in their Heineken Cup match against Italian side Treviso last Saturday for a dangerous tackle on Fabio Semenzato. Toulouse said they will appeal against the decision which rules the hooker out until December 3rd.
ENGLAND(squad for November internationals): Forwards: M Botha, D Cole, J Haskell, P Dowson, D Hartley, T Johnson, C Lawes, J Marler, B Morgan, T Palmer, G Parling, C Robshaw, M Vunipola, T Waldrom, D Wilson, T Wood, T Youngs. Backs: A Allen, C Ashton, B Barritt, M Brown, D Care, L Dickson, O Farrell, T Flood, A Goode, J Joseph, U Monye, C Sharples, M Tuilagi, J Turner-Hall, B Youngs.
