England Squad announcements

Exeter Chiefs back Jack Nowell has today been named in Stuart Lancaster's training squad ahead of their opening 2015 RBS Six Nations game with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

The Cornishman maybe the sole Chief in Stuart Lancaster's 34-man senior squad, but there are four of his Exeter team-mates named in the England Saxons squad for their upcoming clash with the Irish Wolfhounds in Cork.

Forwards Luke Cowan-Dickie, Dave Ewers (pictured right) and Thomas Waldrom, together with back Henry Slade, have all been included in the 24-man Saxons squad.

The Senior squad will meet up at Pennyhill Park on Monday to prepare for match at the Millennium Stadium on February 6, while the Saxons will assemble on the same day at the Lensbury Club before flying to Cork.

There are returns for six British & Irish Lions – Alex Corbisero (Northampton Saints), Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Tom Youngs (all Leicester Tigers) and Mako Vunipola (Saracens) to the Seniors and Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers) to the Saxons – with Harlequins No 8 Nick Easter coming in following the injury to Ben Morgan and Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers) for Courtney Lawes who has had minor ankle surgery.

Saracens lock Maro Itoje, captain of England’s Under 20s Junior World Championship winning side last June, and Bath Rugby’s Sam Burgess are named in the Saxons for the first time.

England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: “Looking at both squads it’s obvious there is a lot of depth and competition in every position, which is what we want. Many players are putting their hand up in the Aviva Premiership and Europe and they have a chance to impress in training as we build towards the games against Wales and the Wolfhounds.

“It’s great to welcome back some of those players unavailable for the QBE Internationals in the autumn. They offer us a lot of quality and experience. So too Nick Easter, who has played well for Harlequins and, with the injury to Ben Morgan, both he and Thomas Waldrom (pictured below) in the Saxons will provide us with specialist No 8 options alongside Billy Vunipola. That’s something we feel we need going into the tournament.

“We have plenty of players to consider and with some players still being assessed from last weekend after suffering knocks we have kept our options open.

“It's a big European weekend ahead and there may be further changes once we assess the fitness of the players after round six and we will provide an update on Monday.

“We will use the four-day training camp and the Saxons game to narrow down selection as we lead into the opening game against Wales.

“The match against the Wolfhounds in Cork gives us a great opportunity to take a look at a group of players who are right on the edge of the senior squad and we also have the likes of David Strettle and Freddie Burns, who are very much in our thinking as options going forward.

“We will be without Joe Launchbury and Ben (Morgan) and it was a real shame to see Ben Foden pick up his injury up last weekend. We will continue to work with Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers with Courtney and Manu and see where they are as the Six Nations progresses.”

Lancaster added: “Chris Robshaw will lead the team in the RBS 6 Nations. He has fully recovered from his shoulder injury and as we have seen over the last three years he is an outstanding captain who delivers consistently as a player and a leader.”

England Senior training squad

Forwards

Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints)
Nick Easter (Harlequins)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, captain)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs

Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

England Saxons squad

Forwards

Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons)
Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
Christian Day (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs)
Matt Garvey (Bath Rugby)
Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby)
Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)
Alex Waller (Northampton Saints)
Rob Webber (Bath Rugby)

Backs
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints, captain)
Chris Pennell (Worcester Warriors)
Joe Simpson (Wasps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)
Christian Wade (Wasps)

The following players were not considered for the England Senior training squad or the England Saxons game against Ireland Wolfhounds because of injury although they may play a part further into the RBS 6 Nations tournament: Anthony Allen (knee), Will Fraser (back), Courtney Lawes (ankle), Semesa Rokoduguni (hip), Manusamoa Tuilagi (groin).

The following are long-term injured and will play no part in the tournament: Ben Foden (knee), Joe Launchbury (neck), Ben Morgan (ankle), Michael Paterson (knee), Ed Slater (knee).