CLEMENT’S CALL-UP
» Ex-bournside and Cheltenham College pupil’s England chance,
GLOUCESTER trio Jack Clement, Ollie Thorley and Lewis Ludlow were among 12 uncapped players in an England squad of 28 taking part in a three-day training camp in London this week.
Some of Eddie Jones’ biggest names were present such as Owen Farrell, Billy Vunipola and Elliot Daly following Saracens’ relegation from the Gallagher Premiership, but five players are appearing in a senior squad for the first time.
Ludlow, number eight Clement, a former pupil of Cheltenham’s Bournside School and Cheltenham College, Saracens wing Ali Crossdale, Leicester prop Joe Heyes and Harlequins prop Simon Kerrod made their debuts in a training group picked by Jones.
Clement began his rugby journey at Bournside School when he was 14, joining the Gloucester Academy aged 17.
The number eight also captained Cheltenham College and made his England Under-18 debut against France in the Aon International Series in August 2018, playing all three games of the tour in South Africa.
Ludlow has represented England at youth level but also qualifies to play for Wales through his grandfather - and this is his first senior call-up.
Clement, Thorley and Ludlow joined team-mates Willi Heinz, Jonny May and the on-loan Jack Singleton in the group on Tuesday for the camp which ends today (Thursday).
England face the Barbarians in an uncapped international at Twickenham on October 25 and then head to Rome to complete their interrupted 2020 Six Nations six days later, before competing in the Autumn Nations Cup.
Jones has been unable to select from six clubs because of this weekend’s Gallagher Premiership play-offs - the top four of Exeter, Wasps, Bristol and Bath plus Sale and Worcester, whose final-round match was postponed until last night (Wednesday) because of an outbreak of coronavirus at the Sharks.
“Our preparation to build the team for the Italy game starts now,” Jones said.
“We have a three-day camp this week and another one next week, then we’re into the week of our Quilter Cup match against the Barbarians.
“We’ll be slowly building up, working on the basics and working on team cohesion.
“This Autumn we want to play for the fans and give them something to smile about.”
Meanwhile, Louis Rees-zammit will hope to finally get his first Wales cap.
He was named along with uncapped former Cinderford fly-half Callum Sheedy in the Wales squad for their sixtest autumn schedule.
Cardiff-born Sheedy, 24, who played for Cinderford as a loan player in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, also qualified for Ireland through his parents and England on residency, and he represented England in a non-cap game against the Barbarians last year.
He has been a pivotal figure behind Bristol’s qualification for the Gallagher Premiership play-offs and European Challenge Cup final this season.
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has now handed Sheedy a first senior callup, selecting him and Rees-zammit among seven uncapped players in a 38-strong squad.
They will be joined by fellow Test rookies Ioan Lloyd, Johnny Williams, Kieran Hardy, Sam Parry and Josh Macleod for the autumn programme.
Wales face a friendly against France in Paris on October 24, followed by the delayed Guinness Six Nations appointment with Scotland seven days later, then four Autumn Nations Cup fixtures, including games against Ireland and England.
Ex-london Irish and Newcastle player Williams, who was born in Weston-super-mare but whose father is from Rhyl, also featured for an England XV in the 2019 Barbarians match, scoring a try.
Wales World Cup 2019 squad members Tomas Francis, Rhys Patchell and Jonathan Davies are all back after injury, but injuries sideline Rob Evans, Aaron Shingler, Tomos Williams, Owen Lane and Johnny Mcnicholl.
Pivac said: “We are looking forward to getting back to international rugby and getting the squad together again.
“This campaign is hugely important looking to the future and long term to the (Rugby World Cup) in 2023.
“We kick off the campaign with a game against France, which will help prepare us for the rearranged Six Nations match versus Scotland, which is an important game and important we get a good performance from.
“We then go into the Autumn Nations Cup, which is an exciting tournament and a great opportunity for us.
“It is a chance for us to continue developing our game, give opportunities to players and test them at this level.”