Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson and Sam Underhill are all set to make their return to the international stage after they were selected for Eddie Jones’ first World Cup training camp.
The Bath trio, all of whom missed this year’s Guinness Six Nations through injury as England finished second behind Grand Slam champions Wales, were named among the 29-strong group who will congregate at Pennyhill Park from June 30-July 4.
Joseph starred for England in the 2016 and 2017 Championships, grabbing a trio of tries in each as his side won back-to-back titles after having finished as top-scorer with four dot-downs in 2015, while Watson and Underhill have both been important cogs in Jones’ outfit over the years.
Also included in the squad are uncapped trio Alex Dombrandt, Lewis Ludlam and Ruaridh McConnochie, who will all look to impress the coach ahead of the first official Rugby World Cup training camp on July 7, as Jones outlined.
“The first two England training camps are designed to improve individual players’ fundamentals to allow them to compete for a place in the Rugby World Cup squad,” he said. Missing from the group are those who were involved in Premiership Rugby semi-final action, with England captain Owen Farrell among them, although Saracens’ George Kruis and Mako Vunipola will join the camp for treatment.
England are set to play Guinness Six Nations rivals Wales and Ireland in a pair of Rugby World Cup warm-up fixtures at Twickenham in August, before facing Italy in Newcastle in September.
England training squad
Forwards Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks) Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins) Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby) Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby) Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers) Joe Launchbury (Wasps) Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints) Val Rapava Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby) Nick Schonert (Worcester Warriors) Brad Shields (Wasps) Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins) Jack Singleton (Worcester Warriors) Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby) Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
Backs Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Joe Cokansiga (Bath Rugby) Elliot Daly (Wasps) George Ford (Leicester Tigers) Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby) Jonny May (Leicester Tigers) Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby) Dan Robson (Wasps) Marcus Smith (Harlequins) Ben Te’o (Worcester Tigers) Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers
*In for medical treatment George Kruis (Saracens) Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
