Defending Champions England Saxons finalise 24-man squad for Churchill Cup – Rugby news
England Saxons have announced an unexpectedly young side for their Churchill Cup campaign beginning June 4. England Saxons head coach, Stuart Lancaster, announced the 24-man squad on Monday, May 30, right before the tournament
is set to take place.
England Saxons are the defending champions and they secured the title last year after comprehensively defeating Canada 38 – 18. The ninth edition of the Churchill Cup will start from the June 4, in which the hosts will take on the USA at Franklin’s Gardens,
Northampton. A total of six teams are participating in the tournament, which includes England Saxons, Tonga, Italy A, Canada, USA and Russia.
Lancaster’s squad is a continuity of the recent English strategy of playing and developing the younger players in the squad. The team is the youngest ever announced in the history of the Saxons’ team.
Stuart Lancaster’s 24-man squad includes the players that participated in England’s clash against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday May 29. Gloucester Rugby’s Luke Narraway, Worcester Warriors’ Graham Kitchener, Saracens’ Alex Goode, and Newcastle Falcons’
Micky Young are the only four players from the Saxons’ team, which lifted the title last year.
London Irish’s Jamie Gibson and James Gaskell from Sale Sharks are named in the squad as the replacement for the injured Saracens’ flanker Andy Saull and Saints’ flanker Calum Clark. Saull and Clark are suffering from dead leg and back injuries respectively.
Lancaster has termed the opportunity for the youngsters to play against international sides as an once in a lifetime opportunity and expects them to give their fullest. He said, “It's a great opportunity for so many young players to test themselves against
international sides like the USA and Tonga who are preparing for the World Cup.”
Lancaster didn’t name the replacements for Northampton Saints fly half Stephen Myler and Harlequins prop Joe Marler who sustained a broken toe and concussion injuries respectively. Myle and Marler sustained the injuries on Sunday during England’s much anticipated
encounter against Bar Baas.
The England Saxons squad includes-
Forwards: David Attwood (Gloucester Rugby), Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Jamie Gibson (London Irish), Joe Gray (Harlequins), Tom Johnson (Exeter
Chiefs), Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby), David Paice (London Irish), Matt Stevens (Saracens).
Backs: Miles Benjamin (Worcester Warriors), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Rory Clegg (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Topsy Ojo (London Irish), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby), Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby),
Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers), Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons).
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