Big omissions headline Steve Borthwick's England squad

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Tom Willis has been left out of England’s training squad ahead of the November internationals after the No.8 agreed to join Bordeaux-Begles at the end of the season.

England boss Steve Borthwick named his squad for a three-day training camp on Sunday, with Willis and former captain Owen Farrell the most high-profile omissions.

Willis was dropped following his decision to leave Saracens at the end of the season and sign a contract with French Top 14 side Bordeaux that will make him ineligible for international selection.

He also spent the 2022/23 season at Bordeaux after his former club Wasps went into administration and had to pull out of the league.

His older brother, Jack Willis, who is also a loose forward, left Wasps at the same time and has played for Toulouse ever since.

He won the French title with Toulouse last season and was named the Top 14 player of the season.

There is also no place in the England squad for Farrell, despite Borthwick having injury issues at inside centre.

The 34-year-old, who has 112 England caps, has featured at inside centre for Saracens this season and played in midfield for the British and Irish Lions earlier this season.

Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old who scored five tries for Saracens in Saturday’s thumping win over Sale, has been included in the squad as an additional player as part of a development agreement with the English Prem club.

The squad assembled on Sunday for the training camp at England’s performance centre at Pennyhill Park.

England host Australia at Twickenham on November 1 before matches against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.

England training squad:

Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Theo Dan (Saracens). Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby).

Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath Rugby), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby), lex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers).