England head coach Eddie Jones has revealed the reasons for Sam Underhill and Manu Tuilagi’s omission from his Six Nations training squad.
There are six new faces in the squad: Orlando Bailey, Alfie Barbeary, Ollie Chessum, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Luke Northmore.
However, what made the headlines was the omission of a number of high-profile stars, including George Ford, Underhill and Tuilagi.
Despite not mentioning Ford, Jones explained the current situation of the other two players.
“Sam is not quite ready,” explained Jones. “He has had a fairly truncated period since the autumn but we are hopeful he will get himself fit and match ready for later in the tournament.”
As regards Tuilagi, Sale boss Alex Sanderson had recently suggested the midfielder was close to a comeback but that no longer appears to be the case.
Nevertheless, Jones revealed: “He has had a wee setback but we will just have to wait and see what he is up to. He needs to get some training, needs to play a few games.
“If we are 100 per cent optimistic we’d say yes (he will feature in the Six Nations). If we are realistic it’s probably about a 50/50.”
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The alternative England XV ‘that would win the Six Nations’
BACK-THREE:
- 15 Elliot Daly (Saracens)
- 14. Louis Lynagh (Harlequins)
- 11. Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons)
CENTRES:
- 13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath RFC)
- 12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks)