There are five uncapped players in the squad - the Premiership’s top tryscorer, Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Premiership Breakthrough Player of the Season, Tom Pearson (London Irish), hooker Theo Dan (Saracens), Gloucester prop Val Rapava-Ruskin, and Number Eight Tom Willis, who finished the season with Bordeaux Begles. Number Eight Mercer, who has been ineligible for England since leaving Bath for Montpellier in 2021 when he was named the Top 14 player of the year, was included in last month's preparation squad as he is due to join Gloucester next season, but has been dropped.įellow France-based flanker Jack Willis, was included in the wake of winning the Top 14 title with Toulouse. The Exeter forward has 41 caps but has not played any rugby since January due to ankle and shoulder issues. LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Luke Cowan-Dickie has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup through injury, while back rower Zach Mercer was a high-profile absentee from the 41-man official training squad named by England coach Steve Borthwick on Friday.Īfter working for several weeks without players from Premiership finalists Sale and Saracens, Borthwick has drafted in a host of players from the two teams for the next training camp starting on Sunday.īritish & Irish Lions hooker Cowan-Dickie will not be among them, however, after it was decided he would not be able to recover from a shoulder injury in time for the tournament, that begins for England against Argentina on Sept.

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