England Summer Tour Squad

England wrapped up a 2-1 series win over Australia with a 21-17 triumph at Sydney Cricket Ground.

Freddie Steward crossed just before the break to give the tourists an 11-10 lead and they extended that with a Marcus Smith try in the 55th minute.

The Wallabies, who had enjoyed the better of the first half-hour, came back to pile the pressure on England in the final quarter. Folau Fainga’a powered over from close range and Noah Lolesio’s conversion narrowed the gap to just four points with 14 minutes to go.

Yet Courtney Lawes & Co were able to hold out the Wallabies to lift the Ella-Mobbs Cup and win their second series Down Under in six years.

England team to play Australia – Saturday 16 July

Freddie Steward; Jack Nowell, Guy Porter, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman; Marcus Smith, Danny Care; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Jonny Hill, Courtney Lawes (captain), Lewis Ludlam, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Joe Heyes, Nick Isiekwe, Jack Willis, Jack van Poortvliet, Will Joseph, Henry Arundell.

Second Test – Australia 17-25 England

England held off an Australia comeback to set up a series decider in Sydney next weekend.

They were leading 19-0 after half an hour thanks to a Billy Vunipola try and 14 points from the boot of Owen Farrell.

However, the Wallabies came back into the game with tries from Taniela Tupou and Samu Kerevi either side of half-time.

A penalty from Noah Lolesio in the 53rd minute reduced England’s lead to just five points but the visitors repelled further Australia attacks – Courtney Lawes with an important turnover late on – and were able to close out a 25-17 victory.

It’s 1-1 going into the final Test in Sydney, although Eddie Jones may be without Maro Itoje for the decider after the star second-row was taken off with a head injury at the end of the first half.

England team to play Australia – Saturday 9 July

Freddie Steward; Jack Nowell, Guy Porter, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman; Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortlviet; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Courtney Lawes (captain), Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Lewis Ludlam, Danny Care, Will Joseph, Henry Arundell.

First Test – Australia 30-28 England

England lost 30-28 to Australia in Perth – their first defeat by the Wallabies since 2015 and the first time Eddie Jones has been on the wrong side of a result against the country of his birth since taking over as head coach of those in white shirts.

Australia endured plenty of disruption with injury and then had lock Darcy Swain sent off in the 34th minute for a headbutt on Jonny Hill, who was yellow-carded for pulling Swain’s hair.

Yet England were never able to pull clear on the scoreboard. They led 14-9 going into the last quarter after a try from Ellis Genge and penalty from Owen Farrell, but the Wallabies scored three tries in 15 minutes (two while Billy Vunipola was in the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Michael Hooper) to open up a 30-14 lead going into the closing stages.

A Henry Arundell try and another from Jack van Poortlviet – both winning their first caps for England – provided some positives in the final minutes, but Jones’s team will need to improve their cohesiveness and accuracy if they are to level the series in Brisbane next weekend.

England team to play Australia – Saturday 2 July

Freddie Steward; Jack Nowell, Joe Marchant, Owen Farrell, Joe Cokanasiga; Marcus Smith, Danny Care; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Courtney Lawes (captain), Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Lewis Ludlam, Jack van Poortlviet, Guy Porter, Henry Arundell.

England Summer Tour squad

Eddie Jones has named a 36-player England squad to travel on next month’s three-Test tour of Australia and it includes a return to the national set-up for Billy Vunipola.

The No 8 last played for England in the 2021 Six Nations but has enjoyed a strong season for Saracens and is recalled after a knee injury ruled out Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt.

Of Vunipola’s recall, Jones said: “He needed to find his best. He wasn’t at his best the last Six Nations he played with us, he was a bit up and down, so we asked him to go away and find his best. Consistently for Saracens he has been close to that and in the final he was exceptional.”

Danny Care, who was brought into camp for the Barbarians game last week, is also in line to play his first Test for four years having been named as one of three scrum-halves in the travelling party with Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet.

England centurion Ben Youngs is not included amongst the nines, with Jones saying: “We’ve decided to rest him. We feel that is in his best interests at the moment.”

The squad includes eight uncapped players – Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Guy Porter, Patrick Schickerling, Jack van Poortvliet, Jack Walker, Henry Arundell and Will Joseph. The latter two, both of London Irish, are named as apprentice players.

Experienced players like Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson had already been ruled out of the tour, and added to the injury list following the weekend are Dombrandt and George Ford.

In the absence of Ford, Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith are the two out-and-out fly-halves, with George Furbank also able to cover ten and 15.

“This is another step towards the World Cup,” said Jones, who will not name a captain until the team are in Perth. “The balance for the World Cup is about good, experienced players with youth and experience. This is a nice, balanced squad.

“Guys like Billy and Danny deserve their recall and add experience to the squad, then you have young kids like Arundell and Joseph and Schickerling who add enthusiasm.”

The last time England toured Australia they beat the Wallabies 3-0 in the Test series. This time they face the Wallabies in Perth (Sat 2 July), Brisbane (Sat 9 July) and Sydney (Sat 16 July) and all matches will be live on Sky Sports.

The Australia squad for the England series, which will be captained by Michael Hooper, includes six uncapped players.

FORWARDS

Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 36 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 41 caps) Withdrawn from squad after suffering concussion in first Test
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 30 caps) Ruled out by a knee injury, replaced by Sam Jeffries
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 38 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 68 caps)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps)
Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 14 caps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 7 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 58 caps) Withdrawn from squad after suffering concussion in second Test
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 95 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 13 caps)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps)
Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 22 caps)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 29 caps) Withdrawn from squad after suffering concussion in second Test
Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 64 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 68 caps)
Jack Walker (Harlequins, uncapped)
Jack Willis (Wasps, 3 caps)

BACKS
Henry Arundell (London Irish, 2 caps) *apprentice player
Danny Care (Harlequins, 86 caps)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 96 caps)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Will Joseph (London Irish, 1 cap) *apprentice player
Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 13 caps)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 69 caps)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 41 caps)
Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 6 caps)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 12 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 12 caps)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)

England Summer Tour Fixtures 2022

Sat 2 July, Australia 30-28 England

Sat 9 July, Australia 17-25 England

Sat 16 July, Australia 17-21 England

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