Thursday, 5 July 2012

Haskell Omitted from Elite of England

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England back-row forward James Haskell is the most notable omission from England's 32-man senior squad for the forthcoming season.

Haskell was in the starting line-up in the drawn final Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth last month.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has called up Anthony Allen, Geoff Parling, Thomas Waldrom, Danny Care, Alex Goode, Tom Johnson and Jonathan Joseph.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji face England in the autumn.

Despite his omission from the elite squad, Haskell could still feature for England at Twickenham in November and December, when the hosts face four Tests in three weeks.

The 27-year-old has been included in the Saxons squad, and Lancaster said: "Experience tells us that form and fitness will play a major role in selection prior to the internationals in November and December, and any of the players in the senior and Saxons squads could easily be involved.

"We saw this in January when Geoff Parling came in as an injury replacement for Louis Deacon and has played every Test since.

"There is always movement which opens the door for players and I am sure next season will be no different."

Haskell is on his way back from New Zealand, where he has been playing provincial rugby in Dunedin, to rejoin Wasps for the start of the new season.

Lancaster's senior squad shows seven changes to the last elite selection, with calls-ups for the Leicester trio Allen, Parling and Waldrom.

Harlequins scrum-half Care, 25, was dropped from the Six Nations after he was charged with drink-driving before being recalled to the England set-up by Lancaster for the tour to South Africa.

Twenty-six of the squad who toured South Africa last month are included, along with six players who did not tour because of injury - Tom Croft, Courtney Lawes, Charlie Sharples, Matt Stevens, Rob Webber and Tom Wood.

Among other notable absentees from the seniors are David Strettle, Paul Doran-Jones and Ugo Monye, all of whom have been included in the Saxons squad.

Both squads will take part in a three-day training camp in Loughborough next month.

England elite squad: Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins) Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Tom Palmer (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers) Rob Webber (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers), Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens),Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

England Saxons: Nathan Catt (Bath), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints), Carl Fearns (Bath), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Jamie Gibson (London Irish), Joe Gray (Harlequins), James Haskell (London Wasps), Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), David Paice (London Irish), George Robson (Harlequins), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Nick Abendanon (Bath), Miles Benjamin (Leicester Tigers), Tom Biggs (Bath), Freddie Burns (Gloucester), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), George Lowe (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester), Rob Miller (Sale Sharks), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), David Strettle (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens).

England's autumn schedule
10 Nov: Fiji, Twickenham
17 Nov: Australia, Twickenham
24 Nov: South Africa, Twickenham
1 Dec: New Zealand, Twickenham

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