Northampton wing Ollie Sleightholme heads a cohort of six uncapped players selected for England’s summer tour to Japan and New Zealand.
Sleightholme excelled as Northampton claimed just their second Premiership title this term, culminating in Saturday’s 25-21 victory over Bath at Twickenham.
Son of ex-England wing Jon, the 24-year-old Sleightholme is joined by two uncapped Harlequins in the 36-strong Red Rose touring party, prop Fin Baxter and centre Luke Northmore.
Sale’s Tom Roebuck and Joe Carpenter, and Bristol hooker Gabriel Oghre, have also forced their way into England’s touring squad, which was named at Twickenham on Monday afternoon by head coach Steve Borthwick.
Loosehead prop Baxter has come of age at Harlequins this year, impressing all season but especially in Quins’ madcap 42-41 Champions Cup quarter-final win in Bordeaux in April.
Centre Northmore is another to have thrived in Quins’ rebalanced approach under new head coach Danny Wilson, forcing his way into the England mix.
Sale back-three pair Roebuck and Carpenter have impressed all campaign with the Premiership semi-finalists Sharks, and their senior squad elevation represents further evidence of Borthwick’s determination to pick onform.
England squad to tour Japan and New Zealand
Forwards: F Baxter, D Cole, A Coles, C Cunningham-South, B Curry, T Curry, T Dan, A Dombrandt, B Earl, C Ewels, J George (capt), J Heyes, M Itoje, J Marler, G Martin, G Oghre, B Rodd, E Roots, W Stuart, S Underhill
Backs: J Carpenter, F Dingwall, I Feyi-Waboso, T Freeman, G Furbank, O Lawrence, A Mitchell, L Northmore, H Randall, T Roebuck, H Slade, O Sleightholme, F Smith, M Smith, B Spencer, F Steward
Ben Spencer has been rewarded for guiding Bath to the Premiership final by making the cut at scrum-half, alongside Saints’ Alex Mitchell and Bristol’s Harry Randall.
Randall has edged out Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet to make Borthwick’s final squad for the three-Test tour.
England will face former Red Rose boss Eddie Jones’ Japan in Tokyo on June 22, before taking on New Zealand in Dunedin on July 6 and Auckland on July 13.
Both Tom and Ben Curry have won selection for the England trip, with the Sale flankers fit and back in top form.
Sale boss Alex Sanderson had urged England to rest Tom Curry this summer, with the 25-year-old only just back into full swing after major hip surgery.
But Curry has reported a clean bill of health and no negative effects from returning to the Premiership’s full cut and thrust, and England are confident he faces no undue risk this summer.
“For some of the younger players, it will be their first time touring abroad with England,” said Borthwick.
“Travelling together is a great way to build closer bonds and provides an important opportunity for new players to settle into our environment.
“With the changes in climate, playing conditions and contrasting styles of rugby from the two opponents we face, we will be challenged on and off the field.
“New Zealand’s home record is well documented, and we face a team who came within one point of winning a World Cup.
“Historically it is not a place England have had much success, but we are determined to change that. The players know that they will need to be mentally strong and tactically smart if we are to get the results we want.”
George Ford will miss the tour after a new Achilles tendon injury, but Borthwick has resisted the temptation to draft in a specialist replacement for the experienced Sale fly-half.
Northampton’s Fin Smith and Harlequins’ Marcus Smith will battle it out to start at fly-half, with Exeter centre Henry Slade and Saints full-back George Furbank offering further cover within the squad.
