Manu Tuilagi added to England squad to face USA and Canada

Manu Tuilagi has joined the England training group for the upcoming tests against the USA and Canada. The 30-year-old World Cup star is one of seven players called up to the squad from Premiership semi-finalists Bristol and Sale.

Tuilagi is the most experienced player in the 36-man squad. The midfielder last played for England in March of 2020. An Achilles injury ruled him out of this year’s Six Nations tournament and Tuilagi was left out of the British & Irish Lions squad. He played one test for the Lions against Australia in 2013.

Added from the Bears are hooker Will Capon, scrumhalf Harry Randall, and Six Nations fullback Max Malins. Sharks provide prop Bevan Rodd, hooker Curtis Langdon, and flanker Ben Curry in addition to Tuilagi. Others summoned include Northampton outside backs Ollie Sleightholme and George Furbank, and Bath lock Josh McNally.

Dropping out from the initial squad are hooker Jack Singleton, second row Sean Robinson, No8 Tom Willis, scrumhalf Ben Spencer, flyhalf or fullback Tom de Glanville, midfielder Fraser Dingwall, and outside backs Ollie Hassell-Collins and Tom Parton.

Players from Premiership Finalists Exeter and Harlequins were not considered. England ‘A’ are to face Scotland ‘A’ next Sunday, June 27. A final squad for the test series will be named the following day.

LH PROP
Trevor Davison (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 28 caps)
Beno Obano (Bath, 1 cap)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, uncapped)

HOOKER
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Will Capon (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Curtis Langdon (Sale Sharks, uncapped)

TH PROP
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)

LOCK
Charlie Ewels (Bath, 21 caps)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
Josh McNally (Bath, uncapped)
Chunya Munga (London Irish, uncapped)
Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)

BACK ROW
Callum Chick (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors, 1 cap)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester, uncapped)
Miles Reid (Bath, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath, 22 caps)

SCRUMHALF
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Dan Robson (Wasps, 12 caps)

FLYHALF
Jacob Umaga (Wasps, uncapped)

CENTER
Dan Kelly (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Ollie Lawrence (Worcester Warriors, 6 caps)
Max Ojomoh (Bath, uncapped)
Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 43 caps)

WING
Josh Bassett (Wasps, uncapped)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath, 9 caps)
Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

FULLBACK
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 7 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)