England coach Eddie Jones has named a 36-man squad to face Australia in three Tests next month including the left field selection of Aussie-raised Guy Porter.
Perth will host the opening Test on July 2 with games in Brisbane on July 9 and Sydney on July 16.
Jones has selected 12 players from the weekend’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby finalists, Leicester Tigers and Saracens, including a return for Billy Vunipola, who suffered a concussion in that game and has been out of the England set up since the 2021 Six Nations tournament.
.Vunipola is the only specialist No.8 picked with Alex Dombrandt one of 10 players named as unavailable due to injury.
Danny Care is set to make an incredible comeback to the Test arena, having come back after four years absence to play against the Barbarians on Sunday.
Ben Youngs has not been selected after his sister in law, Tiffany, died in recent days.
Loosehead prop Joe Marler also misses out.
There are eight uncapped players – Porter, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Patrick Schickerling, Jack van Poortvliet and Jack Walker, along with Henry Arundell and Will Joseph who are named as apprentice players.
Porter, a product of Sydney Uni who was born in the UK, was on the Brumbies roster in 2020 when Covid shut down Super Rugby.
He now plays on the wing for Leicester and is a versatile back line option. Before leaving Australia Porter represented the Sydney Stars and Sydney Rays in Australia’s National Rugby Championship, as well as the NSW Waratahs Under-20s.
Porter’s rise to an England squad place on a tour of his former homeland is quite remarkable.
A Scots schoolmate of Wallaby Jack Maddocks and NRL premiership-winner Angus Crichton, Porter thought his chances of following those two into pro footy were remote after two ankle syndesmosis operations and two shoulder reconstructions.
He took on a commerce-law degree instead.
“Watching my peers go and play in some rep programs and do some exciting things … I was doing things away from [sport] that I thought I may prefer to do,” Porter told the Canberra Times in late 2019.
“I wanted to enjoy playing, so I found my feet at Sydney Uni and that probably [was the reawakening] for some professional ambitions.
“The last couple of years I’ve worked hard with that in mind and then hopefully I can spend as much time here as I can.
“I’ve spent the past couple of years doing some pretty mundane jobs in an office, which is why it’s so nice to spend some time outside down here. It was fortunate timing to have this opportunity.”
Porter never got to play for the Brumbies because of the pandemic.
Guy Porter of Leicester Tigers makes a break to score their sides first try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and Wasps at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on June 04, 2022 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
England last toured Australia in 2016 where Jones’ side won all three Test matches with a squad which included ten current players – Care, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Owen Farrell, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Jack Nowell, Billy Vunipola and Mako Vunipola.
Jones said: “Though we have ten players unavailable due to injury, we have picked a very strong squad capable of winning the series.
“This squad is a real mix of young, talented players and some very experienced, senior players and we’re looking forward to bring the group together.
“This tour will be a great experience for the group and a crucial part of the team’s work towards the Rugby World Cup in 2023. We will continue to develop the base of the squad and how we want to play.
“We’ve put a lot of work into preparation for the tour over the past few weeks but now the hard work really begins when we finally get the squad on the plane and to Australia.”
Nick Bishop’s predicted first Test team
England (1-15): Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola, Danny Care, Marcus Smith, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Joe Marchant, Joe Cokanasiga,, Freddie Steward.
RESERVES: Mako Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Joe Heyes, Charlie Ewels, Lewis Ludlam, Harry Randall, Jack Nowell, Henry Arundell.
FULL SQUAD
FORWARDS
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 34 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 40 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 66 caps)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)
Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 7 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 56 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 93 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps)
Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 20 caps)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 28 caps)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 61 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 67 caps)
Jack Walker (Harlequins, uncapped)
Jack Willis (Wasps, 3 caps)
BACKS
Henry Arundell (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player
Danny Care (Harlequins, 84 caps)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 94 caps)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Will Joseph (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player
Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 12 caps)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 69 caps)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 39 caps)
Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 6 caps)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 10 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)
Unavailable for selection due to injury – Nic Dolly, Alex Dombrandt, George Ford, Joe Launchbury, Louis Lynagh, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson
Wigeye
Guest
Who are 5hrse biased kiwis
Wigeye
Guest
For sure,thats my thinking wallabys can absolutely win this series with those 2 especially qc at 1st5. ITS proven fact the backline Will fire. Wish edmed was the understudy game time for wcup.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
The big problem is that they rely on Quade and Kerevi too much. 5/5 with them, 2/7 or 8 without from memory
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Fair enough. People are largely playing nicely these days.
tuohyred
Roar Rookie
NZ abounds with commentary about "balance" and roles. My reading is they want Ardie on bench, despite being, probably, most skilled backrower. Balance speed. power, focus, size and brains. Not sure our #7 maximises possible backrow impact.
SDHoneymonster
Guest
As an all-round package there are certainly better players available: if it weren't for injuries Faf de Quirke would have added some more caps in the 6N and on this tour as he's probably the best all-rounder out of England's young pretenders, while Alex Mitchell has been the best English 9 in the league this year but has major problems with his fitness levels (Saints play a very high tempo game but he rarely goes beyond 55 minutes) and I suspect is being asked to get a lot fitter over the summer. Randall is very comfortable with high-tempo chaotic rugby and is probably the quickest to the ruck in the league, as well as being a very dangerous running threat himself. Thankfully he's never done anything so boring as develop a box kicking game!
adastra32
Roar Rookie
May is still on his way back to form after a significant injury lay-off.
adastra32
Roar Rookie
It all got a bit too heavy sometime back for me JD. Will occasionally pop in.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Well, I am yet to be convinced about the Australian rise. If Cheika would have had the same results as Rennie, the noise would have been loud and the knifes sharp. Agree that England looks a bit light in the engine room. I have never been a fan of Hill, to me he is a big lump who lacks the edge to play Test rugby.
pm
Roar Rookie
Penaud is just a much better player than May, in my opinion. The number of errors May makes. If he were one of our own we'd be all over him every week. Penaud is world class
Zulu
Guest
Utter Nonsense is his middle name Tony.
Zulu
Guest
"Skelton was sent off at 34 minutes, in the next 45 minutes England scored 2 trys while Baabaas scored 6 !! That is why the baa baas won easily. You have proven Will Skelton is a total flop and not needed by the Wallabies. Congratulations, well done, i could not have said it better myself.. :thumbup:
Geoff
Guest
Australia have to get the ball first for Kerevi to run at Farrell, with the non combative Hooper being swatted away at the breakdown the Wallabies will never get any turnover ball to use Samu.
Chris
Guest
Eddie has picked a very strong squad with world class players everywhere. Rennie only has Quade Kerevi and Tupou as his world class players. Tupou will not be match fit though and wont play. The backrow is interesting as whoever is Wallaby 6 and 8 will have to do alot of work to make up for the lack work from the number 7. I can see a 3 nil thrashing from Eddies team on the cards due to a vey un- balanced backrow yet again.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
He’s been excellent. Likely to be on the bench for now, but not for long. BTW missing you on the Refugees.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
I expect Randall to start ahead of Care. A very strange selection, apart from his pace he is a very average half back.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
He's like a Ferrari formula one car being asked to tow a caravan through a muddy paddock
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Australia are certainly rising, albeit from a very low base. I'm worried about the tight five for this one, especially with no Tupou, Rodda or overseas based forwards. However, England are a bit short of tightheads and, apart from Itoje, locks this tour, so it could be even there. If so, the Aussie backline looks to be streets ahead. An interesting subplot is the return of Saracens veterans Farrell and the Vinupolae. Can they roll back the years or will they flop again?
Homer Gain
Guest
The squad is what it is. Barring injuries and one or two arguable choices, that is as good as it gets. Much the bigger issue, is the increasing evidence that no one Jones picks believes in him as coach anymore (or, which is as bad, understands what he wants from them). I really hope I'm wrong, but I can't see anything than a heavy loss against an Aussie team which is mediocre at best. Will it be bad enough to finish Jones before RWC23 is the key question for me.
Englishbob
Guest
It's a good squad, nice blend of new and less new. Would really like Chessum partnering Itoje in the 2nd row, big unit and rougher than he looks, as opposed to Hill who's gone missing at the top level on occasion. One worrying observation would be that all three English teams playing at the weekend (the final and the England crew at twix) all looked nackered, the end of a very long season now which for some of them featured late runs in the prem, 6N, autumn nations and ECC. Their antipodean opponents have played much less and much less attritional rugby in the same period. On the plus side, Farrell has been playing better, taking the ball to the line at 10/12 for sarries and got away with punching Joe Marchant in a ruck so maybe the officials are starting to ignore his more psychotic moments. 2-1 either way.