THE former Worcester Warriors captain and Bath loose forward Ted Hill has been left out of Steve Borthwick's 41-man England training squad for this year's Rugby World Cup in France.
Hill has been in the last three England training camps through the month of June but has not been named in the squad for the official camp that starts at The Lensbury on Sunday, July 2.
Players from Saracens and Sale Sharks - who competed in the Gallagher Premiership final - have become available for selection following their rest period.
Finalists Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Jamie George (Saracens), Jonny Hill (Sale Sharks), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Max Malins (Saracens), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks) and Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks) have been called into the squad.
Back-row forward Jack Willis is also named having recently won the Top 14 title with Toulouse, which quite possibly could be the player that has taken Hill's place.
The squad, which has a total of 1,519 England caps, also includes five uncapped players. The Premiership’s top tryscorer, Cadan Murley (Harlequins), is joined by back-row forward and Premiership Breakthrough Player of the Season, Tom Pearson (London Irish), hooker Theo Dan (Saracens), Gloucester Rugby’s loose-head prop Val Rapava-Ruskin, and No 8 Tom Willis, who finished the season with Bordeaux Bègles.
"We’re excited to be able to bring a full training squad together for the first time and focus on the next stage of our World Cup preparations," said Borthwick.
"I am pleased with the balance of the squad, which blends experience with youth.
"Our preparation camps over the last three weeks have allowed those players who didn’t feature in the Premiership final to start to get physically equipped for a World Cup campaign.
"The attitude of the players has been excellent, and I have seen a group who have wholeheartedly committed to what we have asked of them.
"We hope today’s announcement is the start of something special for our supporters, who I know are eagerly anticipating the tournament as much as we are."
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