England World Cup Training Squad Announced

Stuart Lancaster has named his 50-man training squad for the Rugby World Cup with a recall for Chris Ashton and the inclusion of rugby league convert Sam Burgess

There is no place in the squad for French based players Nick Abendanon or Steffon Armitage with coach Lancaster seemingly closing the door on both in-form players and sticking to the policy of picking only those plying their trade in the Aviva Premiership despite being able to pick players at teams abroad in ‘exceptional circumstances’

There are seven uncapped players in the squad including Burgess who looks likely to secure a spot in Lancaster’s squad when it is whittled down to 31 at the end of August.

Saracens Ashton returns to the squad after missing the last two previous Six Nations tournaments and will be looking to impress the England hierarchy and reclaim a place amongst the final 31-man squad.

England Training Squad 

Forwards: Dave Attwood (Bath), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), George Kruis (Saracens), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Rob Webber (Bath), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester).

Backs: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Sam Burgess (Bath – can also play in the forwards), Danny Care (Harlequins), Danny Cipriani (Sale), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Jonny May (Gloucester), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), David Strettle (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Anthony Watson (Bath), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester).