Danny Care is in line for a place in England’s World Cup squad 12 months after a nightmare end to the tour of Australia appeared to spell the end of his international career. The 36-year-old was preferred to Alex Mitchell in England’s 41-man training squad on Friday and with Steve Borthwick revealing his intention to select three scrum-halves for the tournament, Care is in the box seat along with Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet and Ben Youngs.
Elsewhere, Borthwick has been dealt a considerable blow as Luke Cowan-Dickie has been ruled out of the World Cup with a shoulder injury while Zach Mercer is among the surprise omissions from the head coach’s first full World Cup training squad. The uncapped Tom Willis has been preferred as a No 8 option while Owen Farrell has been installed as England’s captain for the tournament.
For Care it is another international comeback after he was overlooked by Borthwick throughout the Six Nations. He has, however, impressed the head coach this summer and is primed for another World Cup campaign, having been omitted four years ago. Under Eddie Jones, Care was out of the England picture for three and a half years and while he made his long-awaited return for last summer’s tour of Australia, a desperate performance in the final Test, in which he was replaced before half-time, led to another exile. In 2019, when squads were limited to 31 players, Jones gambled and took only two scrum-halves to Japan. It backfired when he was forced to fly Ben Spencer out at late notice for the final against South Africa and with greater latitude, Borthwick plans to select three when he names his final 33-man squad on 7 August.
“At this stage, that is the most likely situation,” said Borthwick, who revealed around five places in his final squad remain up for grabs. “I think that’s right, especially when you look at 2019 and the situation we had there. You’ve got to make sure that you’ve got that key spine, those players are consistent and they are involved throughout. So that’s the intention.
“I’d been talking to Danny for a period of time and we talked about this summer and his aspirations. When we chatted, the excitement and the energy bubbles out of him. It’s not just when he does a podcast! You can tell the passion he has for English rugby.”
Cowan-Dickie’s omission is a sizeable setback. Question marks have lingered over his fitness for months and his move to Montpellier has fallen through as a result but his enforced absence will test England’s strength at hooker. Jamie George is nailed on as first choice but behind that Borthwick is likely to pick two from his uncapped Saracens teammate Theo Dan, Jamie Blamire and Jack Walker, who is currently rehabbing from a calf injury.
Forwards (23)
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, 6 caps), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 100 caps), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 45 caps), Theo Dan (Saracens, uncapped), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 14 caps), Ben Earl (Saracens, 15 caps), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 48 caps), Jamie George (Saracens, 77 caps), Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks, 19 caps), Maro Itoje (Saracens, 67 caps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 97 caps), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 19 caps), Joe Marler (Harlequins, 79 caps), George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap), Tom Pearson (London Irish, uncapped), Val Rapava-Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped), David Ribbans (Northampton Saints, 5 caps), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 61 caps), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 25 caps), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 29 caps), Jack Willis (Toulouse, 10 caps), Tom Willis (Bordeaux Bègles, uncapped)
Backs (18)
Henry Arundell (London Irish, 7 caps), Danny Care (Harlequins, 87 caps), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 14 caps), Elliot Daly (Saracens, 57 caps), Owen Farrell (Saracens, 106 caps), George Ford (Sale Sharks, 81 caps), Max Malins (Saracens, 18 caps), Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 15 caps), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 72 caps), Cadan Murley (Harlequins, uncapped), Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, 4 caps) , Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 56 caps), Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 21 caps), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps), Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 51 caps), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 12 caps), Anthony Watson (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 122 caps)
Rehabilitation (5)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps), Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 11 caps), Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 79 caps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 68 caps), Jack Walker (Harlequins, 3 caps)
Mercer’s absence from the training squad – which now includes players from the Premiership final – comes as a shock. He has been in outstanding form for Montpellier and was picked in the first England training squad of the summer, before his move to Gloucester, but Borthwick has opted for Bordeaux’s Willis instead.
