LONDON – New England coach Eddie Jones has included 7 uncapped players in his squad for the start of the 6 Nations in three weeks time. Despite a poor World Cup showing, England have been installed as favourites for the competition and have odds as short as 6/4 to win.
Josh Beaumont, Maro Itoje, Ollie Devoto, Matt Kvesic, Elliot Daly, Jack Clifford and Sam Hill will all be considered for selection for the first match against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 6 after all impressing in the Aviva Premiership.
Of the players returning to the squad after being left out for the 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign are Dylan Hartley, Chris Ashton and Marland Yarde. Manu Tuilagi, Henry Slade, Kieran Brookes and Dave Ewers were all ruled out due to injury.
Interestingly, there was no room for Tom Wood, Geoff Parling, Tom Youngs, Brad Barritt and Danny Cipriani, all who, with the exception of Cipriani, were regulars under Lancaster.
Forwards
Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby) *injury replacement for Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Backs
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs) *injury replacement for Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)