By Mitch Phillips
LONDON (Reuters) – England coach Eddie Jones has resisted the temptation to give game time to several of his rarely used training group after naming a largely unchanged 25-man squad to face Japan at Twickenham on Saturday.
With matches against New Zealand and South Africa to come, many fans had identified the Japan match as an opportunity for Jones to have a look at the likes young guns Cadan Murley, Will Joseph and Tommy Freeman.
Following Sunday’s 30-29 defeat by Argentina, however, Jones appears to have given his mainly first-choice team another chance to find the “cohesion” he said was lacking against the Pumas.
The only change to his backs is the addition of two-cap Leicester centre Guy Porter. That means no place again for Alex Mitchell, still with only one cap to his name, as Ben Youngs and Leicester team mate Jack van Poortvliet will look after the scrumhalf duties.
In the pack, the earlier-than-expected return of hooker Jamie George from a foot injury means Jack Singleton drops out, along with flanker Sean Robinson.
Jones will release two more players when he names his match- day squad on Thursday.
Forwards
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 38 caps)Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 42 caps)Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 40 caps)Jamie George (Saracens, 69 caps)Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 6 caps)Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks, 16 caps)Maro Itoje (Saracens, 59 caps)David Ribbans (Northampton Saints, uncapped)Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, 15 caps)Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 53 caps)Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 65 caps)Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 71 caps)Jack Willis (unattached, 5 caps)Backs
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)Owen Farrell (Saracens, 98 caps)Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 69 caps)Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 43 caps)Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 49 caps)Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 14 caps)Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 47 caps)Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps)Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 118 caps)
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Ed Osmond)
