By Mitch Phillips
LONDON (Reuters) – Saracens hooker Jamie George was named as the new England captain on Wednesday as coach Steve Borthwick included seven uncapped players in his 36-man squad for the Six Nations championship, which begins for his team on Feb. 3 away to Italy.
George, who has 85 caps, is one of the few players absolutely assured of his place as England undergo a period of transition in the wake of regular captain Owen Farrell’s decision to stand down from international rugby.
The uncapped players are Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks) and Fin Smith (Northampton Saints).
There is a recall for Northampton’s in-form back George Furbank and Bath scrumhalf Ben Spencer, whose last appearance was as a late replacement in the 2019 World Cup final, but prop Kyle Sinckler, reported to be on the brink of securing a move to France, is a notable absentee.
“Building on the foundations of what the England team achieved in the Rugby World Cup, I have selected a squad that provides strong continuity and experience, whilst at the same time providing an opportunity to develop the talent of a number of new and less experienced players,” Borthwick said.
On George’s appointment, he added: “Jamie has been a respected leader in this group for a number of years now. He is a quietly influential character who has an excellent tactical understanding and who sets high standards, whilst building strong relationships with the people around him.
“This, together with his previous experiences of captaining Saracens and the British & Irish Lions, leave him well-placed to lead the team.”
After their opening trip to Italy, England then host Wales, play Scotland in Edinburgh, host Ireland before finishing off away to France.
England training squad.
Forwards:
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 107 caps)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 41 caps)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, uncapped)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 5 caps)
Theo Dan (Saracens, 7 caps)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 15 caps)
Ben Earl (Saracens, 25 caps)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 58 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 85 caps) – captain
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 11 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 76 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 88 caps)
Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, 3 caps)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)Backs:
Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped)
Danny Care (Harlequins, 96 caps)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 64 caps)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
George Ford (Sale Sharks, 91 caps)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 57 caps)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 30 caps)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)
Rehabilitation: George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Peter Rutherford)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.