England Sevens head coach Simon Amor has gone for tried and tested as he named his squad ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this month.
With Scotland, Australia and South Africa including Test players in their squads, Amor has resisted the temptation to follow suit and based his 12-man squad around the players who took England to fourth in the HSBC World Series this year.
Charlie Hayter, who left Wasps to join the program last week, is also included while Kiwi-born London Scottish No.8 Mark Bright is the only non-centrally contracted player in the squad.
Marcus Watson has recovered from the foot injury he sustained in the last leg of the World Series at Twickenham and is included in the squad.
Amor, who won silver in Melbourne in 2006, will also be able to count on players with Commonwealth Games experience with Tom Powell, John Brake, James Rodwell and Dan Norton all involved in New Delhi in 2010.
Amor said: “The squad selected has a very good balance of speed, playmaking ability, physicality and the all-important X-factor.
“With players returning from long-term injuries the competition for places has been particularly strong. This has raised the performances in training and the attitude throughout the team has been excellent. We will be looking to bring the experiences and progress made throughout the Sevens World Series to Glasgow.”
“Being part of the bigger team that is Team England at the Commonwealth Games, is a unique experience in a very different environment from the one the players are used to on the world circuit. You feed off other sports’ successes, see other athletes there and the sheer scale of the village and the competition make it a wonderful occasion.”
Captain Tom Mitchell added: “Glasgow 2014 has been on the horizon for a long time and we’ve been working hard towards this one goal for a while. It’s nice to know selection has now been made and we can start to get that extra bit of focus as the event draws near.
“Our preparations since the end of the World Series have been really well managed. Training has been very specific and tailored to ensure we peak at the Commonwealths. We’ve also worked on a lot of on-field things, both tactically and technically, that we needed to improve on from last season.
“The event will be a totally new experience for all the boys and that comes with its own challenges, which we recognise and are prepared for. It is a huge opportunity to mix with other sports and it will be great to see how other athletes operate and to learn from them.”
England Sevens squad: Dan Bibby, John Brake, Mark Bright, Philip Burgess, Mike Ellery, Charlie Hayter, Christian Lewis-Pratt, Tom Mitchell, Dan Norton, Tom Powell, James Rodwell, Marcus Watson
