Thursday 20 September 2018 16:30, UK
Sky Sports' Stuart Barnes believes Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi can consider themselves a little lucky to be named in the latest England training squad.
Barnes also believes that Danny Cipriani has good reason to be disappointed after being left out of Eddie Jones' 36-man squad for the training camp in Bristol that begins on Sunday.
Leicester Tigers' centre Tuilagi, who last played for England during the 2016 Six Nations, is named in the training squad for the first time in over a year that has been blighted by injury.
Sale Sharks winger Ashton is included despite currently being banned for a tip tackle in a pre-season friendly against Castres. The 31-year-old is suspended for the opening six rounds of the Gallagher Premiership and is not eligible to return until October 9.
"They are both long shots in a way," Barnes told Sky Sports News. "Tuilagi in the last couple of weeks has been showing something like his form of old but I would like to see another month of him playing.
"He has been hampered so much by injury and with England's record in training camps you worry what will happen there.
"As for Ashton, I think he is a bit fortunate. He's an outstanding player and one of the most skilful wingers in England but he does do some daft things under pressure.
"With Eddie Jones' record on calling out people who do daft things under pressure in Test rugby, I am a little bit surprised."
Cipriani fails to make the cut despite starting England's last Test in their summer tour of South Africa.
The Gloucester fly-half was charged with common assault and resisting arrest in Jersey last month and subsequently fined £2,000 at Jersey Magistrates' Court and a further £2,000 by his club.
However, Jones insists the decision to omit him was based purely on form.
"He can definitely feel hard done by," said Barnes. "When you think about it, the last game England played was against South Africa, they were on a five-match losing streak, Cipriani played a solid game and created a try and did everything that was required of him.
"He arrived back from South Africa as the incumbent number ten and he is not in the squad so he can certainly feel hard done by."
