Eddie Jones has named his first training squad since the Covid-19 pandemic brought rugby to a halt, as England begin preparing for their autumn campaign.
With six Premiership teams’ seasons still unfinished, Jones was limited in who he could select for the first of two three-day camps at The Lensbury in Teddington, beginning on Tuesday.
The squad is a mix of experienced campaigners, such as Saracens’s Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje, and fresh faces. There are 12 uncapped players, including six called up for the first time.
Saracens have seven players involved, including wing Ali Crossdale, who receives his first England call-up. Harlequins have four, with three — Nathan Earle, Alex Dombrandt and prop Simon Kerrod — uncapped.
Alongside Crossdale and Kerrod, the new faces are Gloucester back-rowers Jack Clement and Lewis Ludlow, Leicester prop Joe Heyes and Northampton lock David Ribbans.
England’s autumn campaign begins with an uncapped match against the Barbarians on October 25 (the day after the Premiership final), before they complete this year’s Six Nations campaign in Rome six days later. They then play four matches in the autumn Nations Cup from November 14.
“Our preparation to build the team for the Italy game starts now,” said Jones. “We’ll be slowly building up, working on the basics and working on team cohesion.”
Jones is without players from Exeter, Wasps, Bristol, Bath, Sale and Worcester.
