Stuart Lancaster to name England Rugby World Cup training squad
Wednesday 20 May 2015 13:03, UK
Stuart Lancaster will name England's World Cup training squad later today.
The head coach is set to include up to 50 players but there are likely to be three notable omissions.
Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon are missing due to his overseas-player selection policy while Manu Tuilagi is ruled out because of suspension.
Toulon flanker Armitage and Clermont full-back Abendanon, the last two European players of the year, have stood out in France this term, but Lancaster has resisted the temptation to recall the pair for the September tournament.
Tuilagi, the Leicester centre, was banned after last week being convicted of assaulting two female police officers.
Maro's a great player, he's got a lot of fight in him and I definitely think he's worth a shout
Lancaster has booted Tuilagi out of his plans until January, and the Samoa-born star's absence could open the door for Wasps' uncapped centre Elliot Daly to step into the squad.
Daly could swell the ranks of uncapped additions to five, along with rugby league convert Sam Burgess, Exeter duo Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie, and Saracens lock Maro Itoje.
"Maro's a great player, he's got a lot of fight in him and I definitely think he's worth a shout," said Billy Vunipola, Itoje's Saracens team-mate.
"He's very confident in his own ability and what he can bring to the team. He's one of those guys that I think will be a great leader one day, if not now.
"The coaches at Saracens have given him an opportunity to play in the first team quite early on, and he's taken it with both hands. He knows the coaches and players have confidence in him and I'm sure that helps him out."
Former London Irish back-rower Armitage has starred since his move to France and helped Toulon to an unprecedented third-straight European title this term.
The five-cap flanker chased a French passport at the height of his desperation in England exile earlier this season, keen to switch allegiance to Les Bleus.
The Olympic ruling loophole that opened that possibility, raised by rugby sevens' inclusion at the Rio games, was quickly shut however.
He remains in the Test wildnerness though and will not be considered for England selection until he returns to the Aviva Premiership to ply his trade.
Lancaster has until August 31 to select his 31-man World Cup party ahead of the home tournament opener against Fiji on September 18 at Twickenham.
Watch Stuart Lancaster announce his England Rugby World Cup squad live on SSNHQ from midday
