Eddie Jones reveals injury-ravaged England squad for Test rugby tour of Australia
Eddie Jones has revealed an injury-ravaged squad for England’s Test tour of Australia, though there was one surprise recall that the coach had suggested couldn’t happen.
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Billy Vunipola has earned a surprise recall to the England squad for the tour to Australia despite Eddie Jones suggesting that he would not be able to select the Saracens No.8 after he sustained a head injury in the Gallagher Premiership final.
It is Vunipola’s first call-up since the 2021 Six Nations but there is no place for the Leicester Tigers scrum half Ben Youngs or the Harlequins prop Joe Marler.
Vunipola is in a 36-man group after Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt was ruled out with a knee injury. Dombrandt was hurt in training on Friday and was seen in a knee brace at England’s 52-21 defeat by the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday. With him out, Vunipola is the only specialist No.8 in the squad, though Tom Curry has played there for England before.
“[Vunipola] needed to find his best,” Jones said of the 29-year-old. “He wasn’t at his best the last Six Nations he played with us, he was a bit up and down. I asked him to go away and find his best. I think consistently for Saracens he has been close to that.
“I thought in the final he was exceptional, he looked like a Test No.8. I hope he’s not too hungry. He can put on weight. We were in regular contact, I would go and see him before each selection and have a chat about where he was at. I value him highly as a player but he wasn’t at his best, and he has found his best now and deserves to be back in the team.”
Despite Jones seeming to rule out Vunipola on Sunday, The Times understands he was not actually concussed in the Premiership final and has passed all the necessary medical checks to fly to Australia on Tuesday.
Vunipola left the field with five minutes left to play, replaced by Jackson Wray, having been hit in the face by Matt Scott, the Leicester Tigers centre. Referee Wayne Barnes showed Scott a yellow card, and Vunipola went off for a head injury assessment.
On Sunday, Jones said: “He would be [in contention] if he was fit, but he’s not fit. Did you watch the game yesterday? Well you saw what happened at the end of the game, he got knocked out which means he’s got a mandatory stand down. And if he’s had concussions before he’s got a longer mandatory stand down. So we’ll need to consult the medical staff about that.”
Vunipola’s brother, Mako, is in the squad, but his Saracens teammates Elliot Daly and Max Malins are not. The Leicester Tigers centre, Guy Porter, wins his first call-up and London Irish 19-year-old duo Henry Arundell and Will Joseph go down under marked as “apprentice” picks.
Jones believes Arundell will be able to learn from Jonny May, the winger with 69 caps. “He [Arundell] has a lot to like, but the next step is the big step,” Jones said. “To go from a part-time club player to a fully-fledged international is a big step. He’s taking good steps towards it, he has a good attitude, he works hard, learning from senior players. Lucky he has a guy like Jonny May to learn from, an ultimate professional.”
With Youngs left out, after his sister-in-law Tiffany died following a long illness this month, Danny Care travels, with the 35-year-old having made his return to the England fold for the first time in four years on Sunday against the Barbarians. Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet are the other scrum halves.
Asked about Care’s inclusion, Jones said: “It’s more about the speed of the ball. He’s very good at playing on top of teams. We experimented playing a bit flatter. He is very good at taking the ball to the defence line. When the ball is quick he can engage those ruck defenders which creates space on the outside. We saw a bit of that yesterday [v the Barbarians].”
Nic Dolly, Dombrandt, George Ford, Joe Launchbury, Louis Lynagh, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson are all out injured.
Jones said he would decide on his captain once the squad are in Australia, though Courtney Lawes is likely to get the nod over Owen Farrell.
“Though we have 10 players unavailable due to injury, we have picked a very strong squad capable of winning the series,” Jones added.
“This squad is a real mix of young, talented players and some very experienced, senior players. 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 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 have not lost to Australia under Jones, the head coach winning all eight of his Tests against the country of his birth since 2016.
“It’s another step towards the World Cup,” Jones said. “The balance for the World Cup is about good experienced players with youth and enthusiasm. It’s a nice balanced squad.
“Guys like Billy and Danny Care deserve their recall. They will add experience to the squad, then you have guys like Arundell, Joseph, [Patrick] Schickerling. There’s a whole cast who will add experience to the squad.”
England squad
Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 34 caps), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 40 caps), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 30 caps), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps), Jamie George (Saracens, 66 caps), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps), Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 7 caps), Maro Itoje (Saracens, 56 caps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 93 caps), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 11 caps), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps), Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 20 caps), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 28 caps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 61 caps), Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 67 caps), Jack Walker (Harlequins, uncapped), Jack Willis (Wasps, 3 caps)
Backs: Henry Arundell (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player, Danny Care (Harlequins, 84 caps), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 11 caps), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped), Owen Farrell (Saracens, 94 caps), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, uncapped), George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 6 caps), Will Joseph (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player, Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 12 caps), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 69 caps), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 39 caps), Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, uncapped), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 6 caps), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, uncapped), Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 10 caps), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)
England vs Australia summer tour
1st Test: Saturday 2 July, Optus Stadium (Perth)
2nd Test: Saturday 9 July, Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane)
3rd Test: Saturday 16 July, Sydney Cricket Ground (Sydney)
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