Slade out, Murley in, as Jones names Autumn squad
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Henry Slade of England fails to ground the ball as he attempts to score a try during the Summer International Friendly match between England and Canada at Twickenham Stadium on July 10, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Uncapped Cadan Murley has been included in England‘s Autumn Nations series squad while Henry Slade misses out.
Slade, 29, has 48 England caps, but will not reach his half-century after this surprise decision, while fellow centre Ollie Lawrence also misses out despite a superb individual performance against Saracens on Saturday.
Murley, 23, was named as Harlequins‘ player of the season last campaign with consistent strong performances on the left wing.
Seven tries in his first five appearances this season, in addition to 15 in 2021/22, have shown the addition of an excellent try scoring ability that has propelled him into contention.
He is joined as an uncapped member of the squad by four forwards: front rowers George McGuigan and Val Rapava Ruskin of Newcastle and Gloucester respectively, and the Saints second row pair of Alex Coles and Dave Ribbans.
Coles and Ribbans’ teammate Alex Mitchell will not be joining them, edged out of the squad by Raffi Quirke at scrum-half alongside England’s most-capped player ever Ben Youngs, looking to add to his 117 appearances.
No players from suspended Worcester make the squad, and back row Jack Willis is the only player from fellow financial strugglers Wasps.
England coach Eddie Jones said: “This is a very strong, vibrant squad and a number of good players have been left out. We are pleased with the depth and the strength of the squad.
“The autumn internationals will be like a mini World Cup for us, starting with two tough games against Argentina and Japan which mirrors our pool fixtures at next year’s tournament.
“Then we’ll have knock-out type games against New Zealand and South Africa – all four games will be great tests for us.”
Included in the announcement was a list of 14 players who missed out on call up due to injuries, with Alex Dombrandt, George Ford, Will Stuart and Sam Underhill among the big names sidelined.
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