Danny Cipriani’s form for Sale this season has been rewarded by England’s head coach, Eddie Jones, with selection for a 26-man training camp in Brighton next week. The fly-half has yet to feature under Jones but has been included alongside eight uncapped players for the three-day gathering before England’s summer tour to Australia.
Players from the country’s top four clubs still involved in the Premiership play-offs have not been considered and it remains unlikely Cipriani will feature in the three three-Test series against the Wallabies. Jones, however, says he will consider anyone who performs outstandingly during the camp at Brighton College between 17-19 May.
“Tour places are still up for grabs and I expect the players in this camp, as well as those involved in the play-offs, to continue to make their case for selection,” Jones said.
Among the uncapped players to get the nod are Northampton’s lively back-row forward Teimana Harrison and the 21-year-old Sale full-back Mike Haley, who has been attracting interest from Ireland. The Sharks hooker Tommy Taylor, the London Irish wing Alex Lewington, Bath’s second-row forward Charlie Ewels and the Harlequins prop Kyle Sinckler have also been included.
There is no place at this stage for the highly-rated Ospreys flanker Sam Underhill who is firmly on England’s radar. Jones is poised to announce a development squad to tour South Africa on 23 May, the day after he announces his senior squad for the game against Wales at Twickenham on 29 May and the subsequent Australia trip. “There’s lots of hard work to be done if we are going to play with the intensity needed to beat southern hemisphere teams,” Jones stressed. “We know the speed of the game in Australia will be considerably higher than the Six Nations so this short camp, as well as the preparation time ahead of Wales, is going to be vital to our progression.”
England training squad
Backs - M Brown (Harlequins), L Burrell (Northampton), D Care (Harlequins), D Cipriani (Sale), O Devoto (Bath), G Ford (Bath), J Joseph (Bath), M Haley (Sale), A Lewington (London Irish), S Rokoduguni (Bath), A Watson (Bath), M Yarde (Harlequins), M Young (Newcastle).
Forwards - D Attwood (Bath), K Brookes (Northampton), J Clifford (Harlequins), C Ewels (Bath), D Hartley (Northampton), T Harrison (Northampton), P Hill (Northampton), M Kvesic (Gloucester), C Lawes (Northampton), J Marler (Harlequins), C Robshaw (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Harlequins), T Taylor (Sale).
