Belated England recall for George

NEWS UPDATE: England hooker Jamie George was recalled by coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday just a day after being left out of the original squad for the November internationals following an injury to Luke Cowan-Dickie.

George was one of four senior England players omitted from the 34-strong party announced for next month’s Twickenham Tests against Tonga, Australia and world champions South Africa.

Other players who missed out were George’s Saracens teammates Billy and Mako Vunipola and Leicester fly-half George Ford.

Meanwhile, Anthony Watson has also withdrawn from the England squad, after he suffered an ACL rupture in Bath’s game against Saracens at the weekend.

Harlequins’ Joe Marchant has been called up by Eddie Jones and will join with the rest of the squad when they meet on Monday to travel to Jersey.

But an ankle injury suffered by Cowan-Dickie playing for Exeter against Premiership rivals Wasps at the weekend has ruled him out of all three internationals and led to a Test recall for George.

The 28-year-old Cowan-Dickie established himself as England’s first-choice hooker during this year’s Six Nations and played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa.

Jones said there was a need to freshen up his squad in the lead-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

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“We could have the most experienced side at the World Cup but whether they’ve got that will to go that extra 10 percent and find that discretionary effort… that’s something I’m trying to find out at the moment,” he said on Monday.

The 30-year-old George has been capped 59 times by England since making his international debut in 2015.

The hooker is set to join an England party that will travel to Jersey on Monday for a five-day training camp.

England face Tonga on November 6 before taking on Australia and South Africa.