Chiefs trio in England squad

By Mark Stevens
26/10/17

Sam Simmonds is one of three Exeter Chiefs players to have been named in Eddie Jones' England squad to begin their preparations for the opening match of the Old Mutual Wealth Series against Argentina.

The talented back-row forward, who has scored five tries this season, has been rewarded for an impressive start to the season with his first-ever call-up to the national squad.

Simmonds is joined in the England squad by club-mates Harry Williams and Henry Slade, both of whom featured for the Red Rose country during their summer tour to Argentina.

England will play Argentina on 11 November at Twickenham Stadium - kick off 3pm live on Sky Sports - before facing Australia (18 November) and Samoa (25 November).

34 players will convene on Sunday to travel to Portugal for a training camp before the squad assemble at Pennyhill Park on Sunday, November 5 ahead of the Argentina match.

This will be England’s fourth Test against the Pumas in the last year having beaten them in last season’s Old Mutual Wealth Series and twice on the tour of Argentina in June.

Eddie Jones, England Head Coach said: “Our first match against Argentina in the Old Mutual Wealth Series is a significant game for England and everything we have been doing in our training camps so far this season has been geared around getting the detail right in our preparation on how we want to play and win against them next month.

“This will be the fourth time we have played against Argentina in the last 12 months and the last time we play them before 2019, so we want to make sure our record against them is 4-0.”

Jones has also included 18 year-old Marcus Smith (Harlequins) and 20 year-old Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby) as apprentices in the England squad. Both players won’t be named in match day squads but will be involved in England’s training and preparation for the three-match series.

Exeter duo Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie are among a group of players who have not been selected due to either injury or suspension.

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins)

Elliot Daly (Wasps)

Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)

Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks)

Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)

Danny Care (Harlequins)

Owen Farrell (Saracens)

George Ford (Leicester Tigers)

Piers Francis (Northampton Saints)

Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)

Alex Lozowski (Saracens)

Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)

Marcus Smith (Harlequins) *

Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Forwards

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)

Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)

Nathan Hughes (Wasps)

Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)

Maro Itoje (Saracens)

George Kruis (Saracens)

Joe Launchbury (Wasps)

Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)

Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby) *

Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)

Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)

Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)

Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)

Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)

Jamie George (Saracens)

Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)

Matt Mullan (Wasps)

Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)

*Apprentice players

Players unavailable due to injury or suspension

Jack Clifford (Harlequins)

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)

Joe Marler (Harlequins)

Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)

Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)

Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors)

Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens)