Eddie Jones has explained the biggest decisions in his latest England squad.
The head coach named the selection that will travel down under to take on Australia in a three-match series.
After two poor Six Nations in a row, England need to win in Australia and inject some momentum into the World Cup cycle
Jones said: “Though we have nine 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.”
Unavailable for selection due to injury: Alex Dombrandt, George Ford, Joe Launchbury, Louis Lynagh, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Nic Dolly and Anthony Watson.
Meanwhile, Ben Youngs has chosen not to travel due to personal reasons.
ENGLAND’S BIGGEST OMISSIONS:
#1. Ben Earl
- Age: 24
- Club: Saracens
- Position: Flanker
The dynamic back-rower, named Premiership player of the season, has been superb for Saracens and would have added some ball-carrying to the back row options with Sam Simmonds and Alex Dombrandt injured. Reports suggest the Aussie doesn’t think Earl is big enough for international rugby.
DID YOU KNOW? At school level Earl played much more cricket than rugby; he was an all-rounder and played for Kent until he was 15.