Joe Launchbury faces missing the start of the Six Nations after being left out of the England squad who assemble in Brighton on Sunday for a two-day training camp. The second-row missed Wasps’ win over Newcastle on Friday because of a calf strain and the Premiership club are waiting for a scan to determine how long he will be out of action. Launchbury has been ruled out of the 33-man squad for the Brighton camp, while being included in the 45-strong elite group.
The Bath lock Charlie Ewels, who won his first cap as a replacement in the autumn, replaces Launchbury, chosen ahead of his club-mate Dave Attwood.
Dylan Hartley, currently serving his latest suspension, which ends just before the England squad gather to start preparing for the Six Nations, will be among the 33 players in Brighton and is set to retain the captaincy.
Manu Tuilagi has been included in the squad for Brighton after making a successful return from injury for Leicester. The 25-year-old centre has been dogged by groin problems for two years and has not started for England since June 2014. His only international appearance since then came as a replacement in the Six Nations meeting with Wales in March.
Anthony Watson is poised to resume his international career after missing the entire autumn series with a fractured jaw sustained when England last trained in October.
The second-row Maro Itoje, who missed all four autumn internationals because of a hand injury, returns but the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy, have been left out of the 33 with knee problems that are likely to keep them out of the first month of the Six Nations.
Jones is taking two loosehead props to Brighton in addition to Joe Marler, namely Matt Mullan and the uncapped Nathan Catt, while picking only two tightheads, Dan Cole and Kyle Sinckler.
Jones has chosen four second‑rows, backed up by the Sale No8 Josh Beaumont, who can play at lock, and six back-rows with James Haskell, who is expected to return for Wasps against Leicester next Sunday, included along with Leicester’s uncapped Mike Williams.
Jack Nowell is also back from injury. Henry Slade is in the 45, along with the Bath wing Semesa Rokoduguni. Mike Brown is the only specialist full-back going to Brighton, backed up in the elite squad by Sale’s Mike Haley, with Alex Goode, who played against Fiji in November, left out altogether.
The last time England were in Brighton, at the beginning of October, Jones introduced judo sessions and a number of players returned to their clubs with injuries, including Watson and Nowell. That sport is not expected to be on the menu following a busy festive period for players.
“The short camp allows us to do some of the organisational work we need for the Six Nations,” Jones said. “We have France first up who are one of the most improved sides in Europe. They should have beaten Australia and could have beaten the All Blacks in November, so they’ll come into the Six Nations with a lot of confidence.
“We’ve got to make sure that we use this training camp to get an understanding of how we’re going to beat France. We want to see a good attitude from the players and, as always, we’re looking for players who are desperate to play for England. The thing that struck me about last year’s Six Nations is that sides were scared to lose and we want to make sure in this Six Nations, right from the word go, that we’re daring and we have the courage to play our game.”
Jones has said he wants England’s attacking game to improve, although they averaged four tries a match in the second half of 2016. Tuilagi is an option at 12 and 13, Elliot Daly covers outsidecentre, the wing and full-back and while all four centres in the 33 have played at 13, the inclusion of Harlequins’ Joe Marchant in the elite squad puts him in contention for the Six Nations.
Jones will announce his squad on 20 January for the championship England are defending after last year’s grand slam. He will know more by then about Launchbury, who missed the final two matches in the autumn because of suspension having shown in the opening two that he was a rival to Itoje and George Kruis.
