Steve Borthwick names England squad citing 'tremendous opportunity' against the All Blacks

England head coach Steve Borthwick has announced his 36-man training squad ahead of their autumn internationals against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan.

The notable exclusions in the backfield include regular halfbacks, Alex Mitchell and George Ford, both recovering from injury. Ford will remain hopeful of a return to the side before the series is done, however. He is currently named on the squad list under ‘rehabilitation’ following a thigh injury sustained during a recent match against Saracens.

England retain the services of both Alex Lozowski and Luke Northmore with both players expected to sit behind Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence in the starting XV pecking order.

The forward pack has plenty of experience, particularly in the front row. Still, there is notable inclusion once again of young Harlequins star Fin Baxter who’s had such a positive impact on the international game in his limited time.

The return of Alex Dombrandt will also add to an interesting selection decision in the back row, with the likes of Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Chandler Cunningham-South and Ben Curry all available.

“Naming this squad is an exciting step in our preparations for the Autumn Nations Series, and we look forward to working with the players again in the days ahead,” said Steve Borthwick.

“Our focus is on thorough preparation and building cohesion as we approach what will be a fiercely competitive series.

“Facing New Zealand in the opening match is a tremendous opportunity for us to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.

“Having only played at Allianz Stadium twice in our last 15 games, it will be fantastic to return and play in front of our home crowd. The energy and passion of our supporters always give the players an extra boost.”

England’s 36-player squad:

Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 2 caps)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 115 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 41 caps)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 7 caps)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 5 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 53 caps)
Theo Dan (Saracens, 14 caps)
Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 17 caps)
Ben Earl (Saracens, 33 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 31 caps)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 62 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 93 caps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 11 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 84 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 95 caps)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 15 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 41 caps)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 38 caps)

Backs
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 69 caps)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 27 caps)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens, 5 caps)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins, 2 caps)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 7 caps)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 65 caps)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 35 caps)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 6 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 34 caps)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)

Rehabilitation: George Ford (Sale Sharks)

Not considered for selection: Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Will Muir (Bath Rugby), Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks).