Eddie Jones set to recall George Ford
England head coach Eddie Jones is set to recall Leicester Tigers’ standout performer George Ford following a training ground injury to national captain Owen Farrell according to the latest reports
Despite twice being named the Premiership player of the month this season as Leicester have set the pace at the top of the league table, Ford was omitted from Jones’ 36-man squad to prepare for the Six Nations.
Jones called up Farrell and named him captain again despite the Saracens ace having not played since the Autumn after undergoing surgery on an injured ankle.
Farrell was meant to return this weekend for his club in the European Challenge Cup but was forced to withdraw late in the week.
Harlequins star Marcus Smith, who flourished for England in the Autumn, and young Orlando Bailey of Bath were also named in Jones’ squad that will meet in Brighton today for a five-day training camp, but with Farrell now a doubt for the tournament the Australian has turned to Ford to provide experienced cover at fly-half report the Daily Mail.
Ford has 77 caps for England.
Six tries for England’s two number eight rivals
Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Simmonds and Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt both scored hat-tricks for their clubs in this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup games to go into England camp in stunning form.
On his 100th senior appearance for Exeter, try-scoring sensation Simmonds scored a hat-trick in his side's 37-26 defeat to Montpellier on Sunday evening to go to the quite staggering tally of 75 tries in his century of club games.
Meanwhile Dombrandt’s third try, with the clock in the red, saw Quins comeback to beat Castres 36-33.
France forced into nine changes to Six Nations training squad
A combination of injuries and a Covid-19 outbreak has forced France head coach Fabien Galthie into making nine changes to his initial 42-man squad gathered ahead of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations.
Prop Uini Atonio and back-rower Cameron Woki are out with injuries while 2020 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Francois Cros, Gaëtan Barlot, Anthony Jelonch, Cyril Baille and Bernard Le Roux all returned a positive Covid-19 test.
In come, props Dorian Aldegheri and Jérôme Rey, hooker Pierre Bourgarit, locks Swan Rebbadj and Thomas Lavault, back-rowers Yacouba Camara and Paul Boudehent, scrum-half Léo Coly and fly-half Louis Carbonel have all been called up.
The players positive with Covid are expected to rejoin the squad when they have recovered.
Forwards
ALDEGHERI Dorian (Stade Toulousain)
ALLDRITT Grégory (Stade Rochelais)
BAMBA Demba (LOU Rugby)
BIBI BIZIWU Daniel (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
BOUDEHENT Paul (Stade Rochelais)
BOURGARIT Pierre (Stade Rochelais)
CAMARA Yacouba (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
CRETIN Dylan (LOU Rugby)
DIALLO Ibrahim (Racing 92)
FLAMENT Thibaud (Stade Toulousain)
GROS Jean-Baptiste (RC Toulon)
HAOUAS Mohamed (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
LAVAULT Thomas (Stade Rochelais)
MACALOU Sekou (Stade Français Paris)
MARCHAND Julien (Stade Toulousain)
MAUVAKA Peato (Stade Toulousain)
REBBADJ Swan (RC Toulon)
REY Jérôme (LOU Rugby)
TANGA Yoan (Racing 92)
TAOFIFENUA Romain (LOU Rugby)
VANVERBERGHE Florent (Castres Olympique)
VERHAEGHE Florian (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
Backs
BERDEU Léo (LOU Rugby)
CARBONEL Louis (RC Toulon)
COLY Léo (Stade Montois Rugby)
COUILLOUD Baptiste (LOU Rugby)
DANTY Jonathan (Stade Rochelais)
DULIN Brice (Stade Rochelais)
FAVRE Jules (Stade Rochelais)
FICKOU Gaël (Racing 92)
HASTOY Antoine (Section Paloise)
JAMINET Melvyn (USA Perpignan)
LEBEL Matthis (Stade Toulousain)
LUCU Maxime (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
MOEFANA Yoram (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain)
THOMAS Teddy (Racing 92)
VAKATAWA Virimi (Racing 92)
VILI Tani (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
VILLIERE Gabin (RC Toulon)
