Included: Joel Tomkins
England have called in Joel Tomkins, Elliot Daly and Will Fraser to their squad as injury cover ahead of the match against France at Twickenham.
The trio arrived at Pennyhill Park on Sunday, with Daly set to provide training cover for Ben Foden, who is on a post-match recovery programme.
Fraser comes in as cover for Ben Morgan as he continues his rehabilitation from an ankle injury, while Tomkins is an injury replacement for Jonathan Joseph, who will remain with London Irish for treatment on a foot injury.
England squad: Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Mouritz Botha, Mike Brown, Danny Care, Dan Cole, Alex Corbisiero, Elliot Daly, Lee Dickson, Owen Farrell, Toby Flood, Ben Foden, Will Fraser, Alex Goode, Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Matt Kvesic, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Ben Morgan, Geoff Parling, Chris Robshaw, David Strettle, Henry Thomas, Joel Tomkins, Manusamoa Tuilagi, Billy Twelvetrees, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Thomas Waldrom, David Wilson, Tom Wood, Ben Youngs, Tom Youngs.
Comments
lawynd says...
I appreciate your sentiment, ArmchairGeneral, but Mike Catt is one of the most successful rugby players of all time and has also proven himself in the last few years to be a very astute tactician. Sinbad is absolutely none of those things. If it's experience and success you want to bring to the group from more senior players and/or former players then Mark Cueto, Ben Cohen or Austin Healey would all be far better options than JSD. I'm sure there are plenty of others, too.
Posted 12:13 19th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Views split on Simbad. Note I was recommending him as a training replacement. He could really assist Catt in the thinking as a temporary training replacement which is how Lancaster announced these call ups. Yes give a young guy a glimps if he's a precocious talent like Launcbury last year. But if there is no standout candidate lets not dismiss anyone who's slightly wise. Lancasters next job will be with Dignitas.
Posted 09:33 19th February 2013
lawynd says...
I bloody detest Stuart Barnes.
Posted 18:18 18th February 2013
bullitt says...
@lawynd
You are Stuart Barnes AICMFP
Posted 17:11 18th February 2013
jestnation says...
@lawynd very good point about the art of the offload.
the whole point of an really effective offload game (ie the ABs at their very best) is the assumption that their will be somebody their to pick it up and England are starting to run support in pods very effectively, uping the chance of offloads yeilding breaks.
Posted 14:21 18th February 2013
markpat says...
Good to see Daly in, although I agree that Tomkins shouldn't be ther at this moment in time. May would be a much better option.
Lawynd, unless I'm very much mistaken, SBW wasn't instrumental in NZ wining the World Cup, Nonu was still the #12 and SBW exploded the following year for the Chiefs and All Blacks, when his game improved leaps and bounds beyond running into the nearest player and constantly trying to offload (as bullitt suggests Tomkins is currently doing). I do whole-heartedly agree with your comment about Simpson-Daniel though :-).
Posted 14:14 18th February 2013
TVaddict says...
Solid call-ups. It looks like Lancaster is bringing players to prepare for those who are probably going on the lions tour. Probably Fraiser and Kvesic battling it out for the 7 shirt in the summer, and Daly expected to get somewhere in the back three even if it's just as a replacement.
I really hope Vunipola gets the place on the bench over the plodding Waldrom. Even though it's not hard to see him, it is hard to see what he brings that Vunipola does not. Both are weak at controlling the ball at the base of the scrum, but Vunipola is more mobile, bigger (maybe not if you count blubber) and better at beating the first man. I cannot see where Waldrom wins in that contest.
@lawynd
Tomkins just doesn't have enough strings to his bow for my liking. He's pretty good in defence, an ok step, an ok pass, etc... he's ok, he's solid. I think his style of play would be more suited to 12 than 13. Plus we have so many good options at 13 with Tuilagi, Joseph, Daly ahead of him, followed by Trinder and Lowe close to him. Also, Daly would always make the bench before him because of his utility so I don't see where he's going to get his chance.
As for Simpson-Daniel he was one of the most wasted talents of English rugby. The fact we persisted with such a dull back three for so long is laughable, seeing the likes of Monye, Strettle, and Cueto picked who make hard work of the easiest of tries. He brings that bit of magic to a team and his defence is at least average, he isn't a liability like you are suggesting.
Posted 13:49 18th February 2013
heart_of_oak says...
Strettle..... Why ?
It's quite obvious Varndell could score a hundred tries and wouldn't get a look in. Strettle does bugger all and gets recognition.
Is there anyone on the planet, other than presumably Farrell and SL, who rate Strettle ?
The other thing that struck me is that Corbs is in this squad but not Croft. Not sure what's happening with Corbs any more. But I thought that his injury was more serious than that of Croft who has recently had some game time.
But the nucleus of the team that beat Ireland plus a few more reasonable additions, is still there.
Posted 12:45 18th February 2013
lawynd says...
@bulitt - sounds like you have zero appreciation for the fine arts in the centres, nor rugby league. Tomkins is an intelligent operator, in a similar mould to SBW (no chaps, calm down, I didn't say he *IS* SBW) whom, you might have noticed, was instrumental in the All Blacks winning the RWC. He's a good stepper, has a great offload (most offloads are fairly speculative by the way) and runs very good support lines. As another string to the England midfield bow, he's a welcome addition to any rugby fan with at least half a brain.
Posted 11:51 18th February 2013
bullitt says...
Tomkins has done nothing to warrant a call up, even in an un-exciting team he's managed to look dull and predictable. He's a typical mungoball convert in the centre - catch a ball deep, run at the nearest defender, chuck a speculative offload in a random direction. Repeat. Think HMS Banahan without the boat jokes.
Posted 10:46 18th February 2013
lawynd says...
What's anyone going to gain from Simpson-Daniel, apart from how not to tackle? He's a vastly overrated player and how he is a shoe-in for Gloucester every week I'll never understand. He should have stuck with sevens.
Posted 10:30 18th February 2013
sirtidychris says...
It's hard to fault lancaster, but i'm starting to wonder if he was bullied by wingers back at school cause he don't seem to like them, I reckon we have more chance of seeing mako vunipola start on the wing than christian wade, johnny may, tom varndell, charlie sharples etc etc maybe Wade should start wearing the 15 shirt for wasps then he might get a shot, SL loves fullbacks.
Posted 09:57 18th February 2013
jestnation says...
Young and in form players spending time with the squad can only be a good thing.
I know there will be a reluctance to blood inexperienced player agains les bleus but if Morgan doesn't recover in time I'd much rather see Fraser or Billy V on the bench than Waldrom.
And yes, shame Simpson's not in the mix. Something different and can cover wing proficiently but I think he maybe needs to prove he's over his injury jinx.
I think Daly will gain a lot from this.
As we juggle the best way to structure our back three and midfield to get the best mix of playmakers and strike runners he could be the ideal bench man. Pacey enough for the back three and smart and direct enough for 13. And what a boot!
Posted 09:38 18th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
As far as cover for morgan goes, I'm convinced that Billy Vunipola will come into the england squad sooner rather than later. It'll happen some time this year. Maybe not in time for the six nations though.
Posted 09:29 18th February 2013
Andy1969 says...
Very well deserved, Kyle Eastmond also putting in good performances at centre, would like to see him in Englands plans
Posted 08:25 18th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Dickson ahead of Simpson? How did I miss that first time around. That's not going on form. Maybe Simpson is injured? Can't debate the squad as this is mid campaign but I missed that one. Re replacements May strikes me as more of an international than Daly. And if its for training a few old head can impart some useful stuff as well as young guys gaining... Simpson-Daniel.
Posted 07:57 18th February 2013
melkdave says...
Deserved call ups imo.
Posted 06:08 18th February 2013