CHRIS ASHTON IS one of seven players cut from England’s World Cup squad as Stuart Lancaster continues to trim his panel ahead of the tournament.
Ashton was the joint leading try scorer at the last World Cup four years ago but has been excluded from the latest England training squad ahead of their first warm-up game next Saturday against France.
The Saracens winger, along with Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby) and Marlard Yarde (Harlequins), will now return to their clubs to prepare for the new Premiership season.
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“We had a great two-week camp in Denver where the entire squad worked extremely hard and were exceptional in the way they went about the training,” Lancaster said.
“That has continued this week and competition for places has been very intense.
“It has been difficult to narrow down the squad as everyone has contributed and given their all. But what I have said to those guys who are not coming back in on Sunday is that the door is not closed by any means.”
Ashton was England’s leading Test try scorer in the panel but hasn’t made an international appearance since the heavy defeat to the All Blacks last June.
“They are only an injury away and there is a lot of international rugby to be played this season, culminating in a three-Test tour to Australia,” Lancaster continued.
“Overall we are in good shape. Both Nick Easter and Ben Morgan are now fit and we want to give them both opportunities to train fully and prove their form and fitness next week.”
Teams have until 31 August to submit their final 31-man squads with England facing Fiji in the opening game of the tournament on 18 September at Twickenham.
England training squad: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Care (Harlequins), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Alex Goode (Saracens), James Haskell (Wasps), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
The leading try scorer from the last World Cup has been axed from England's squad
CHRIS ASHTON IS one of seven players cut from England’s World Cup squad as Stuart Lancaster continues to trim his panel ahead of the tournament.
Ashton was the joint leading try scorer at the last World Cup four years ago but has been excluded from the latest England training squad ahead of their first warm-up game next Saturday against France.
The Saracens winger, along with Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby) and Marlard Yarde (Harlequins), will now return to their clubs to prepare for the new Premiership season.
“We had a great two-week camp in Denver where the entire squad worked extremely hard and were exceptional in the way they went about the training,” Lancaster said.
“That has continued this week and competition for places has been very intense.
“It has been difficult to narrow down the squad as everyone has contributed and given their all. But what I have said to those guys who are not coming back in on Sunday is that the door is not closed by any means.”
Ashton was England’s leading Test try scorer in the panel but hasn’t made an international appearance since the heavy defeat to the All Blacks last June.
“They are only an injury away and there is a lot of international rugby to be played this season, culminating in a three-Test tour to Australia,” Lancaster continued.
“Overall we are in good shape. Both Nick Easter and Ben Morgan are now fit and we want to give them both opportunities to train fully and prove their form and fitness next week.”
Teams have until 31 August to submit their final 31-man squads with England facing Fiji in the opening game of the tournament on 18 September at Twickenham.
England training squad: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Care (Harlequins), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Alex Goode (Saracens), James Haskell (Wasps), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
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