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England: Mark McCall says Jamie George, Mako Vunipola & Billy Vunipola will be picked

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Published in Rugby
Sunday, 17 October 2021 14:32

Saracens boss Mark McCall will be "amazed" if Jamie George, Mako Vunipola and Billy Vunipola are left out of the England squad to be named on Monday.

But after all three impressed in front of Jones as Saracens hammered Bath 71-17 in the Premiership on Sunday, McCall said "they deserve to be there".

The squad for England's November Tests will be announced at 15:00 BST.

Asked if he would be surprised if George and the Vunipola brothers were not named in the squad, McCall said: "Amazed. Everybody would be with the way they played today.

"If Eddie wanted to see if they had the motivation and desire to still play for England, then they showed that today."

In addition to some players' performances giving Jones food for thought, there were also injury concerns for the coach, with key forward Maro Itoje going off early in the second half through injury.

McCall said he was not sure whether Itoje had to come off because of his shoulder or pectoral muscle, adding: "We are just trying to find out how serious it is."

Bath's England wing Anthony Watson also left the field early, with director of rugby Stuart Hooper saying it was a problem with his knee but adding: "I don't think it is too bad."

Those injuries added to hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie limping off with an ankle problem during Exeter's win against Wasps on Saturday.

Quirke will 'be one of the greats' - Sanderson

Jones also left fly-half George Ford out of his last training squad, saying he was "selecting with the 2023 World Cup in mind" as he included eight uncapped players in the 45-man group.

Whether more familiar faces will be welcomed back as England prepare to face Tonga, Australia and South Africa in November is an intriguing theme of Jones' squad annoucement.

One uncapped player in contention is 20-year-old Sale scrum-half Raffi Quirke, who scored two tries in the Sharks' victory over Harlequins on Friday.

"If he stays fit he's probably going to be one of the country's greats," Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said of the performance.

"I've spoken to Eddie and he is one of the smartest coaches around. I trust he will have not just England's best interests [at heart] but Raffi's as well."

'Eddie Jones has plenty to ponder' - analysis

BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones

When Eddie Jones left out a host of big names for a training camp last month, it felt like a significant shift, with the man himself describing it as a "line in the sand".

Since then, however, George Ford has been in excellent form for the unbeaten Leicester Tigers, while the discarded Saracens trio of Billy and Mako Vunipola and Jamie George were in punishing mood in the 70-point destruction of Bath. All four could well be back in the fold on Monday just weeks after seemingly leaving it.

Jones will also have been buoyed by Tom Curry's powerful return to a Sale shirt on Friday against Harlequins, as he will by Manu Tuilagi's solid - and crucially, unscathed - contribution in the same game.

But the England boss has plenty to ponder, especially when it comes to his 8, 9 and 10 axis. Will he revamp the side with the Premiership-winning Quins pair of Alex Dombrandt and Marcus Smith, who both made their debuts in the summer Tests, or defer to the vastly experienced Saracens Vunipola and Farrell?

Is cap centurion Ben Youngs still the man at scrum-half, or is it time to look to the future with the uncapped Raffi Quirke or the two-cap Harry Randall?

Elsewhere in the backline the Newcastle winger Adam Radwan and Leicester full-back Freddie Steward will both be named in this squad after impressing Jones in July.

Eddie Jones will be a guest on this week's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, available to download on Tuesday morning.

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