England coach Martin Johnson

England today drafted four replacements into the Elite Player Squad preparing for the RBS 6 Nations.

The players called up are Northampton Saints flankers Tom Wood and Phil Dowson, Leicester Tigers lock George Skivington and Bath Rugby full back Nick Abendanon.

Wood and Dowson are injury replacements for Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers) and Lewis Moody (Bath Rugby). Skivington comes in for Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) and Abendanon takes over from the suspended Delon Armitage (London Irish).

All four have joined the England squad training in Portugal this week as has Hendrie Fourie (Leeds Carnegie) who is being assessed by the England medical staff today after sustaining a calf injury at the weekend.

There are seven changes to the England Saxons squad preparing for games against Italy A at Worcester on Saturday and Ireland A in Belfast on February 4.

Gloucester Rugby prop Nick Wood, London Irish hooker James Buckland, Worcester Warriors lock Graham Kitchener, Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi and Gloucester Rugby full back Olly Morgan are named as injury replacements for Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), Rob Webber (London Wasps), Dan Ward-Smith (London Wasps), Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks) and Alex Goode (Saracens).

Harlequins lock George Robson replaces the suspended David Attwood (Gloucester Rugby) and Harlequins full back Mike Brown takes over from Abendanon following his promotion to the senior EPS.