England head coach Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad for the forthcoming Nations Championship, with Alex Mitchell ruled out due to a hamstring injury. The squad, comprising 20 forwards and 16 backs, assembles at England's performance centre at Pennyhill Park on November 2.
Mitchell was forced off during Northampton's 28-14 win against Gloucester after just 21 minutes and was replaced by 20-year-old Jonny Weimann. Scrum halves Ben Spencer and Harry Randall are included in the squad in Mitchell's absence. Fin Smith is also included despite missing England's three-day training camp ahead of the series.
England are set to face Australia at Allianz Stadium on November 8 in round four, followed by Japan and New Zealand in rounds five and six, before Finals Weekend from Friday 27 to Sunday November 29. "We're looking forward to getting back to Allianz Stadium for four important Test matches against top-level opposition," said Borthwick. He added that facing Australia next Sunday is an exciting challenge, given the quality and experience they will bring.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing