Rugby Union: England Name EPS Squad For The Six Nations
Ball In Touch: The RFU announced the new England Elite Performance Squad on Wednesday, revealing the names of those expected to take England forward into the Six Nations. We detail the squad and discuss the selections made
WhatCultures Ball In Touch expected with Nick Wood and Luke Narraway being probably the most unlucky to miss out. Conversely though Phil Dowson has been waiting for his chance for years now and hopefully will be able to make the step up after performing and captaining the Saxons so admirably for so long. The exclusion of the over thirties Nick Easter, Mike Tindall, Mark Cueto and Thomas Waldrom (flown in as cover at the World Cup) shows Lancaster is determined to build a team for the future and refuses to be held up by sentiment, something that Martin Johnson was guilty of and has thwarted Chris Robshaw and Tom Woods hunt for caps until now, by all accounts. The rawness of the side will be targeted by Englands Six Nations opponents,France in particular relishing the battle with a front row with an average age of less than 25 which in propping years is like nursery school. But there is genuine competition for places now, with all players no doubt been told they will be given a chance to assert themselves and stake a claim. The first game is on the 4th February against Scotland, in Scotland. The hard work starts here. England's 32-man Elite Player Squad for the Six Nations Championship: Forwards: M Botha (Saracens), C Clark (Northampton Saints), A Corbisiero (London Irish), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), T Croft (Leicester Tigers), L Deacon (Leicester Tigers), P Dowson (Northampton Saints), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), J Marler (Harlequins), L Mears (Bath Rugby), B Morgan (Scarlets), T Palmer (Stade Francais), C Robshaw (Harlequins), M Stevens (Saracens), R Webber (London Wasps), D Wilson (Bath Rugby), T Wood (Northampton Saints). Backs: C Ashton (NorthamptonSaints), B Barritt (Saracens), M Brown (Harlequins), L Dickson (NorthamptonSaints), O Farrell (Saracens), T Flood (Leicester Tigers), B Foden (NorthamptonSaints), C Hodgson (Saracens), J Simpson (LondonWasps), C Sharples (GloucesterRugby), D Strettle (Saracens), M Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins), B Youngs (LeicesterTigers). England Saxons 32-man squad for fixtures against the Ireland Wolfhounds and Scotland A: Forwards: *D Attwood (Bath Rugby), C Brooker (Harlequins), P Doran Jones (Northampton Saints), M Garvey (London Irish), J Gaskell (Sale Sharks), J Gibson (London Irish), J Gray (Harlequins), T Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), J Launchbury (London Wasps), M Mullan (Worcester Warriors), L Narraway (Gloucester Rugby), D Paice (London Irish), *G Parling (Leicester Tigers), G Robson (Harlequins), A Saull (Saracens), H Thomas (Sale Sharks), T Waldrom (Leicester Tigers), N Wood (Gloucester Rugby). Backs: N Abendanon (Bath Rugby), A Allen (Leicester Tigers), D Armitage (London Irish), M Banahan (Bath Rugby), F Burns (Gloucester Rugby), K Dickson (Harlequins), *A Goode (Saracens), J Joseph (London Irish), R Lamb (Northampton Saints), J May (Gloucester Rugby), U Monye (Harlequins), *H Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), B Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers), M Young (Leicester Tigers). *denotes players who are providing temporary injury cover in the elite squad.