Steffon Armitage to miss out on England’s Rugby World Cup training squad
|
Version 0 of 1. England will not name Steffon Armitage in their 50-man training squad for this autumn’s Rugby World Cup but are set to include Sam Burgess in their preliminary list of names. The Saracens pair of Chris Ashton and Maro Itoje are also in the frame as Stuart Lancaster prepares to unveil his selection at Twickenham on Wednesday. Related: Stuart Lancaster takes no chances with 50-man World Cup training squad Despite winning last year’s European Player of the Year award and being shortlisted for the same prize this year, the Toulon-based Armitage has fallen foul of the rule barring overseas-based players from representing England other than in “exceptional circumstances”. Instead, Lancaster has opted to retain his faith in home-reared back-rowers such as Northampton’s Calum Clark and Gloucester’s Matt Kvesic. While the former South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league star Burgess will also be confirmed in the squad for this summer’s training camps in Bagshot and Colorado, his Bath team-mate Francois Louw has questioned the wisdom of England ignoring their France-based players, such as Armitage and Clermont Auvergne’s Nick Abendanon, who was named this season’s European Player of the Year. “Every country has their own policies but there are some outstanding English players playing abroad at the moment who could have a massive impact on England’s campaign,” said Louw, who will represent South Africa at the World Cup despite being based in England. “My game has massively improved from playing overseas. I’ve learned so much and I would recommend it to anyone. I think it’s becoming more of a global game. For us in South Africa it’s a case of: ‘May the best man play.’” Australia and Wales, who are in England’s World Cup pool along with Fiji, will also be fielding overseas-based talent. England’s counter-argument is that the domestic game benefits if players are incentivised to stay at home, where it is easier to control their physical workload and ensure they are available for national training sessions. Squad members have also made clear they feel it would be unfair to pick players from the Top 14 ahead of others who have rejected lucrative French contracts to remain in England. Related: Sam Burgess equipped for England blindside flanker role, says Mike Ford Lancaster, meanwhile, will fill the gap left by Manu Tuilagi’s absence from the tournament by finding room for Wasps’ Elliot Daly and Exeter’s Henry Slade in his wider squad. The 20-year-old Itoje is the nearest thing to a bolter but the former England Under-20s captain’s late-season form for Saracens has been eye-catching. Ashton has not featured for England since last year’s tour to New Zealand but has scored 13 Premiership tries this season, including four against London Welsh last Saturday. Other beneficiaries look set to be the Exeter hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and, potentially, Ed Slater, despite the Leicester captain missing virtually the entire season after undergoing knee surgery last August. England’s final 31-man squad is due to be confirmed on 31 August. The tournament kicks off on Friday 18 September with England’s Group A game against Fiji at Twickenham. |