England rugby squad LIVE: World Cup announcement reaction as Steve Borthwick leaves out Henry Slade
The 33-man squad was officially unveiled as England look to bounce back from a poor Six Nations campaign
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Your support makes all the difference.Experienced centre Henry Slade has been left out of England’s Rugby World Cup squad as the shock omission from Steve Borthwick’s 33-player selection named on Monday morning.
Slade had featured in 33 of England’s 37 internationals since the 2019 tournament and had hoped to feature at a third World Cup, but finds himself left out with Joe Marchant favoured at outside centre.
Rookie hooker Theo Dan, who earned his first cap against Wales, is an eye-catching inclusion in the front row, but there is no place for his fellow debutants in Cardiff, with both Tom Pearson and Tom Willis squeezed out of the back row.
With Alex Dombrandt, who has started every England Test this year, omitted alongside the younger Willis brother, it leaves Borthwick without specialist No 8 back-up for Billy Vunipola, who is still working his way back from a knee issue and is yet to feature under the England head coach. Versatile back-rowers Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam are preferred, with Jack Willis, Tom Curry and vice-captain Courtney Lawes completing the back-row options in the squad.
Follow all the updates and reaction below:
Three England players who boosted World Cup hopes
England suffered a dismal loss to Wales, yet PA Sport takes a look at three players who boosted their chances of being included in today’s squad:
Lewis Ludlam
England‘s most effective forward in Cardiff by a significant margin, carrying with intent and disruptive at the breakdown. Started at blindside flanker against Wales but covers all three back-row positions, including number eight where Alex Dombrandt once again proved unable to stamp his authority on a Test. Factor in his leadership and defensive steel and the Northampton captain could be a valuable asset at the World Cup, having travelled to Japan four years ago as a bolter.
Joe Marchant
Of all England‘s players on display at the Principality Stadium, it was Marchant who seized the opportunity to show Borthwick why he should be included in the squad announced on Monday. The dynamic 27-year-old provided pace and sharp running lines to an attack that showed signs of life in the first half before crumbling amid a host of handling errors. Marchant’s 16 caps have largely been hit and miss, but he offers something different and covers wing as well as centre.
Joe Cokanasiga
Although hardly a stellar display, there was enough on show from Cokanasiga to suggest he could make an impact at the World Cup. The Bath wing of Fijian heritage hunted for the ball and punched holes in the home defence and while his rugby instincts may fail to match his athleticism, his power would be an X-factor asset to England‘s backline. Vulnerable defensively at times and can be targeted with a clever kicking game, but his key tackle on Louis Rees-Zammit was an important moment.
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