Nowell retained in England squad

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs back Jack Nowell is in line to be part of Eddie Jones’ first England match-day squad after he was retained in camp by the Australian coach.

Cornishman Nowell, alongside club mates Luke Cowan-Dickie and Sam Hill, have all spent the early part of this week at England’s training base at Pennyhill Park in Surrey.

However, Cowan-Dickie and Hill are among ten players who have been released back to their clubs by Jones ahead of this weekend’s return to Aviva Premiership action.

Nowell, though, is expected to start for England in their opening Six Nations Championship clash against Scotland on February 6.

Bath's Jonathan Joseph also appears set to start after Elliot Daly of Wasps was also among the players sent back to their clubs.

Joseph and Daly were competing for the outside centre position at Murrayfield, but the Wasps back is set to be in Aviva Premiership action this weekend.

Three players are on course to make their Test debuts in Edinburgh are Northampton Saints prop Paul Hill, Harlequins back-row forward Jack Clifford and Bath centre Ollie Devoto, who is due to move to Sandy Park this summer from Bath.

Revised England squad: Forwards

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)

Jack Clifford (Harlequins)

Jamie George (Saracens)

Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)

James Haskell (Wasps)

Paul Hill (Northampton Saints)

George Kruis (Saracens)

Joe Launchbury (Wasps)

Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)

Joe Marler (Harlequins)

Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins)

Danny Care (Harlequins)

Ollie Devoto (Bath)

Owen Farrell (Saracens)

George Ford (Bath)

Alex Goode (Saracens)

Jonathan Joseph (Bath)

Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)

Anthony Watson (Bath)

Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)