England name Six Nations squad for Italy decider as injured Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie miss out

REUTERS
Will Macpherson26 October 2020

England are set to be without a clutch of injured key players for their Six Nations super Saturday meeting with Italy in Rome this weekend.

Coach Eddie Jones today named his 36-man England squad for the final match of the 2020 campaign and the Autumn Nations Cup that follows, and is without the injured Exeter pair Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie for the entire campaign.

George Ford, Elliot Daly and Joe Marler are not named in the group of 36 but are with the squad in Teddington for “reconditioning”, so are set to miss the Italy game.

Nowell and Cowan-Dickie miss out after helping Exeter to a European and Premiership double over the last fortnight. There is no space in the squad for their Exeter team-mates Sam and Joe Simmonds, but Harry Williams is recalled and lock Jonny Hill is one of nine uncapped players in the squad.

Also among that number are Jack Willis, the star of the Premiership season, and his Wasps team-mate Jacob Umaga. With Ford absent, Umaga and Owen Farrell are the only fly-halves in the squad this weekend.

Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson also makes the squad, but there is still no space for Bath’s in-form No9 Ben Spencer. There is also no space for Harlequins’ No8 Alex Dombrandt.

Worcester’s Ollie Lawrence, the Bath duo Beno Obano and Tom Dunn, Northampton’s David Ribbans, Gloucester’s Ollie Thorley and Max Malins, who is on loan at Bristol from Saracens are the other uncapped players.

England were already missing Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes for the campaign through injury, and they have been joined by Newcastle’s Mark Wilson and the uncapped Saracen Ali Crossdale on the sidelines.

“It was a tough squad to pick and I know there are a number of disappointed players that have just missed out,” said Jones.

“With nine players out injured, it does create some opportunities for the younger guys to show what they can do.”

England need to win handsomely in Rome in their first match for almost eight months if they are to win their third Six Nations title under Jones. Their preparation for the match was disrupted by the cancellation of their fixture against the Barbarians yesterday after Barbarians players twice broke Covid-19 protocol last week by socialising in London.

“We were obviously disappointed with the postponement of the Barbarians game but we moved to plan B, had a highly competitive training session instead of the match and now we are fully focused on the Italy game and the goal of winning the Six Nations,” Jones said.

England sit a point behind leaders Ireland, who beat Italy 50-17 in Dublin on Saturday and will be guaranteed the title if they record a bonus-point win over France in Paris this week.

France are just two points behind England on points difference and remain very much in the hunt for the title if they beat Ireland. France beat Wales 38-21 in a friendly on Saturday night.

Ireland updated their squad for the autumn this morning, with centre Garry Ringrose ruled out of the campaign with a facial injury. Scrum-half John Cooney has been called up.

After the conclusion of the Six Nations on Saturday, there is a week’s break in the international calendar before the inaugural four-match Autumn Nations Cup.

England squad in full

Backs

  • Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 9 caps)
  • Owen Farrell (Saracens, 83 caps)
  • George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
  • Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 13 caps)
  • Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 50 caps)
  • Ollie Lawrence (Worcester Warriors, uncapped)
  • Max Malins (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
  • Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 3 caps)
  • Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 56 caps)
  • Dan Robson (Wasps, 2 caps)
  • Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 29 caps)
  • Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
  • Jacob Umaga (Wasps, uncapped)
  • Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 43 caps)
  • Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 99 caps)

Forwards

  • Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 23 caps)
  • Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
  • Ben Earl (Bristol Bears, 3 caps)
  • Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
  • Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)
  • Jamie George (Saracens, 49 caps)
  • Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
  • Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors, 1 cap)
  • Maro Itoje (Saracens, 38 caps)
  • Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 65 caps)
  • Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)
  • Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
  • David Ribbans (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
  • Jack Singleton (Gloucester Rugby, 3 caps)
  • Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 35 caps)
  • Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 3 caps)
  • Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 18 caps)
  • Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 51 caps)
  • Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 59 caps)
  • Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
  • Jack Willis (Wasps, uncapped)

England face Italy on Saturday.

Coverage in association with QBE Insurance. QBE Insurance helps businesses build resilience through risk management and insurance. For more information go to QBEEUROPE.COM

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