HASKELL IS HANGING ON Flanker gets invite from Jones to England camp
JAMES HASKELL’S Test career is still alive and kicking after he was named in Eddie Jones’ latest England training squad.
And Billy Vunipola’s return to international colours is on the cards after the boss called up the big No.8 for the two-day get-together in Brighton, which starts on Monday. But Manu Tuilagi’s England comeback is on hold after the fit-again Leicester centre was left out of the gathering after two starts for Leicester since the opening day of the season. Jones named a 34-man squad with Newcastle flanker Gary Graham and Bath prop Beno Obano the most surprising inclusions. Graham is in because Sale’s Tom Curry and Bath’s Sam Underhill are injured, while Obano gets the nod on the back of some big displays for his club in Europe against Toulon. Haskell feared his 75-cap career was history after Jones visited him at home to tell him he had been axed from the autumn internationals.
But the 32-year-old has forced his way back in after some consistent displays for Wasps.
Jones (above) names his squad for that tournament on January 18 and Vunipola (below, left) is a certainty if he is fit after a knee injury.
The Saracen missed the entire autumn campaign and has not played since getting crocked against Sale on 23 September.
But Vunipola’s club boss Mark McCall is confident he will be ready when Saracens visit Wasps next Sunday.
McCall also expects to have Maro Itoje, also heading to Brighton, fit for that Premiership clash after being out with a broken jaw since the start of December.
But two Saracens, lock George Kruis and midfielder Alex Lozowski, who were both involved in the autumn, miss out.
Tuilagi (below, right) has been dogged by injury and has played just once for Jones in the Aussie’s two-year reign as head coach.
But he looked ring-rusty in Leicester’s 29-17 defeat by Saracens last Sunday and Jones has decided against including him.
England kick off their Six Nations campaign against Italy in Rome on February 4 as they seek to become the first side to win three titles in a row.