Opportunity knocks after coach Lancaster names 34-man squad

Two men with their roots in rugby league formed half of the quartet of players Stuart Lancaster called up to his squad for the QBE Autumn Internationals yesterday.
Luther BurrellLuther Burrell
Luther Burrell

Former Wigan Warriors player Joel Tomkins and ex-Huddersfield Giants junior prospect Luther Burrell will battle it out with fellow newcomer Henry Trinder for the shirts vacated by the injured centre pairing of Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt.

Back-row forward Tom Johnson is the other newcomer to a squad of 34 that will assemble in Leeds on Monday for a week-long training camp ahead of their Twickenham appointments with Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, which starts on November 2.

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Huddersfield-born Burrell was a promising youngster with the Giants and also trained with the Rhinos during a four-year spell playing union for Leeds Carnegie.

After touring Argentina with the England squad in the summer and appearing in the non-cap game against the CONSUR XV he has been called up by Lancaster primarily as injury cover.

Gloucester’s Trinder is the man most likely to partner Billy Twelvetrees in midfield for that opening game against Australia, even though he missed out on selection for the elite player and Saxons squads named in August.

Lancaster said: “I’ve coached Henry quite a few times with the Saxons and he was a key player in our Churchill Cup win a couple of years ago.

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“In the past he’s struggled a bit through injuries to get a consistent run of form, but now he’s fit and in form.

“He’s started the season really well and has been playing exceptionally well.

“We’ve had a good look at him and on merit he deserves to be in the squad.

“Luther is also in on merit, his form and fitness has been excellent, he’s someone I know really well from my time coaching him in Leeds.

“He’s kicked on really well from the Argentina tour.

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“Tom Johnson’s ball carrying for Exeter this season has been excellent. And knowing him as I do from the Saxons, he merits selection.

“We’re looking forward to getting them all into camp and working with them.

“But we’re still some way away from narrowing down our selection for the Australia game.”

Tomkins took the longer route into union after spending all but two years of his professional career with Wigan, winning the Challenge Cup with them in his final season before switching to Saracens. He is the elder brother of Sam Tomkins, and like England assistant Andy Farrell, a man who has adapted so quickly to union that he has earned a place in the international set-up.

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Farrell said: “Joel and his brother are like chalk and cheese, completely different build and different characters really.

“Joel realises what he brings to the party, he knows what he’s about and how he can influence a game and he does that very well.

“He’s a big boy and he’ll present quite a challenge to the centres he faces.

“By his own admission he’ll tell you he’s still learning and still wants to get better, but the big switch in his mentality came in the summer camp when he forgot how to play rugby league.

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“He’s now of the mindset that everything is instinctive as far as rugby union is concerned.”

Lancaster kept Alex Corbisiero in his squad despite the prop being threatened by a knee problem.

Corbisiero, a star of the victorious British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, has had fluid drained from the joint and is a doubt for the series.

It is a worrying development for a player who has been troubled by repeated knee issues and renews concerns over his long-term future.

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Corbisiero missed last season’s entire Six Nations with a similar complaint, returning in time for England’s June tour to Argentina, but Lancaster insisted the current problem is with the other knee.

In January the 25-year-old Northampton loosehead was described as having “degenerative knee issues” by Brian Smith, the director of rugby at his previous club London Irish.

Lancaster said: “It’s recommended that Alex has a couple of weeks’ rehab. He’s not out of the series by any stretch of the imagination.

“Everyone is optimistically hoping he will come through and be available for some, if not all, the games.

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“At the moment, having had fluid drained off the knee, he will have a period of rehab that covers this week and leading into next week. We’ll see how we go, we’re keeping an open mind on it.

“Long term it’s obviously something he’s struggling with, but we’re optimistic that with good management – and his club Northampton have been excellent – we’ll see him through beyond 2015.

“We’re still quite a way away from the Australia game. We’ll give him plenty of time but we’ll do what’s right for Alex.”

Mako Vunipola and Joe Marler are the alternatives available to England.

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Leeds-born scrum-half Danny Care and Stockton-born lock Geoff Parling are both in Lancaster’s squad, but there was no place for Bath’s Pocklington-born hooker Rob Webber, who captained England in a non-cap Test with the Barbarians in May.

Former Rotherham Titans’ David Strettle, wing, and Sam Dickinson, No 8, have both missed out, but are in the Saxons squad.

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