England head coach Eddie Jones has called up Bristol Bears forward Sam Jeffries as an injury replacement for Bath Rugby club captain Charlie Ewels.
Lock Ewels suffered a knee injury in training on Wednesday which has ruled him out of England’s tour of Australia. He will return home for further assessment.
Jeffries, 29, who can play both lock and back row, completes a remarkable Hollywood-style come-back story after more than two years out of the game with knee issues, with many assuming we would never return to professional sport.
The athletic forward returned to playing at the start of the 2021/22 season having spent a couple of years in the Bears backroom staff as the club's Professional Development Manager, helping players prepare for their careers after rugby.
Both Pat Lam and Jeffries never gave up on the idea of a return to playing, keeping him close to the organisation and he was a regular in Bristol's side last season.
Jeffires was called up to train with the England senior squad for the first time earlier this month ahead of the 21-52 defeat to the Barbarians at Twickenham but did not make the matchday squad that day, making his call-up all the more surprising.
The extent of Ewels injury is currently unknown but the good new for Bath is rising lock star Ewan Richards remains in fine form, scoring a brace of tries to help England U20s to victory 29-20 over France yesterday in the Six Nations Summer Series.
Elsewhere on the tour Down Under, Courtney Lawes will lead England into Saturday’s first Test against Australia after retaining the captaincy despite Owen Farrell’s return at inside centre.
For the first time since 2018, Farrell has been overlooked as skipper with Eddie Jones opting for Lawes after the Northampton flanker impressed in the role while deputising in the autumn and Six Nations.
Jones named his squad this morning and there is no place in the match day 23 for Bristol star Harry Randall.
ENGLAND XV TO FACE AUSTRALIA
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)
14. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 39 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 12 caps)
12. Owen Farrell (Saracens, 94 caps)
11. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 10 caps)
9. Danny Care (Harlequins, 84 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 66 caps)
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 20 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 56 caps)
5. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, capt, 93 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 40 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 61 caps)
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 34 caps)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 67 caps)
18. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
21. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
22. Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
23. Henry Arundell (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player
