Jason Woodward, the New Zealand‑born full-back who joined Bristol from the Hurricanes last autumn, has been included in an England training squad that will gather on Tuesday for a strength and conditioning camp.
Woodward, who spent two years with the Rebels in Melbourne but left before he qualified to play for the Wallabies on residency to have a tilt at the All Blacks, is one of nine players in the 20 who will gather in Teddington but are not in the squad for the summer tour to Argentina.
Eddie Jones, the England head coach, was unable to consider players from the four clubs who are involved in the Premiership play-offs along with those from Gloucester, who on Friday night face Stade Français in the final of the European Challenge Cup in Edinburgh, and Northampton, who will be involved in a play-off for a place in next season’s Champions Cup if Gloucester lose.
Woodward has a year on his contract left with Bristol but it is believed to contain a release clause and he has been linked with a move to Gloucester. A year in the Championship would hinder his England ambitions, with Jones saying this year that he is looking for competition for Mike Brown at full-back.
Jones ruled out Woodward before the start of the Six Nations Championship, saying that he was looking for a player with explosive pace and citing two three‑quarters, Anthony Watson and Elliot Daly, as potential alternatives, but the 26-year-old stood out for Bristol in a season that ended with relegation and he has played in the centre and on the wing.
Three Worcester players are in the squad, including the former Bath second row Will Spencer, while Marland Yarde has been recalled on the wing. Sale supply six players, including the wing Denny Solomona who will be available for the Argentina tour even if World Rugby decides this week to increase the residential qualification period for internationals from three to five years because the change would not be retrospective.
Danny Care, who missed Harlequins defeat at Northampton on Saturday – a 22-20 defeat – because of injury, is the only scrum-half in the squad, with Jones not minded to add another because the emphasis in the camp will be on strength and conditioning rather than rugby.
Care’s rival in the England squad, Ben Youngs, has pulled out of the British & Irish Lions squad for the tour to New Zealand because the wife of his brother Tom has a terminal illness. The Lions gather in London on Monday to be kitted out and the Scotland captain, Greig Laidlaw, will be present having been called up to replace Youngs.
“We fully understand and respect Ben’s decision to stay at home,” said Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach, said. “Family comes first and I know from having toured with Tom and Ben in 2013 how close they are. This is a difficult and important time for them and we send Ben, Tom and their family our heartfelt thoughts.”
Fears that another scrum-half, Ireland’s Conor Murray, would be forced to withdraw from the Lions squad because of a shoulder injury he sustained during the Six Nations lifted on Saturday when he came off the Munster bench during the 50-14 victory over Connacht that took them to the top of the Pro 12.
