Billy Twelvetrees looks set to make his England Test debut on Saturday against Scotland in the Six Nations opener.
His very good first half of the season with the Cherry and Whites was rewarded earlier this month when he was named in the England EPS by Stuart Lancaster.
But with Manu Tuilagui out with an ankle injury, the young Gloucester centre now looks certain to take his first step at international level.
Lancaster named tonight the 23-match-day squad ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup with nine players sent back to their clubs.
Mouritz Botha, Lee Dickson, Ben Foden, Jonathan Joseph, Matt Kvesic, Ugo Monye, Henry Thomas, Billy Vunipola and Thomas Waldrom will all be able to gain some game time in the LV=Cup this week end aiming to push for a recall ahead of the Ireland‘s game on February 10.
Lancaster said: “We’ve had to make some tough calls with a lot of competition for places. The players’ attitude and application in training has been first rate and we know those going back to their clubs and playing in the LV= Cup will be pushing hard for contention for the Ireland match.”
England Squad
Forwards: Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Ben Morgan, Geoff Parling, Chris Robshaw, Mako Vunipola, David Wilson, Tom Wood,Tom Youngs.
Backs: Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Mike Brown, Danny Care, Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood, Alex Goode, David Strettle, Billy Twelvetrees, Ben Youngs.
England’s likely XV: Goode; Ashton, Farrell, Barritt, Brown; Flood, B. Youngs; Marler, Hartley, Cole; Launchbury, Parling; Wood, Robshaw (Capt.), Morgan.
Replacements: T. Youngs, Wilson, Vunipola, Lawes, Haskell, Care, Twelvetrees, Strettle.
Read what Jeremy Guscott thinks about Twelvetrees’ inclusion in the England EPS here.