Six Nations 2016: Manu Tuilagi returns to England fold for Wales showdown
With the Bath midfielder Ollie Devoto suffering from concussion, there was a vacancy available
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Your support makes all the difference.Eddie Jones, the eerily quiet England head coach, has made a noise in Six Nations selection by adding an unusually powerful, hard-hitting individual to his training squad ahead of the big meeting with Wales at Twickenham a week on Saturday. So much for Dave Ewers, the uncapped blind-side flanker from Exeter. As expected, Jones also recalled Manu Tuilagi after injury.
Tuilagi has not played Test rugby since June 2014 and is still in the early stages of his comeback after 15 months of orthopaedic hassle. But the coach sees him as a key figure in the back division and has been unapologetic about fast-tracking him into contention.
With the Bath midfielder Ollie Devoto suffering from concussion, there was a vacancy available. Luther Burrell of Northampton, a bad luck story in human form, was drafted in before Saturday’s victory over Ireland, only to find himself overtaken by the inexperienced Elliott Daly of Wasps. As of now, Burrell is one place further down the pecking order.
Ewers, the Zimbabwean-born forward whose iron strength has been at the heart of Exeter’s surge towards the top end of the Premiership, would have been in the Six Nations squad from the outset but for injury. His return against Bath was impressive indeed, given the long weeks of inactivity he had just endured, and it is not difficult to see him pressing hard for a first cap – perhaps on the tour of Australia in June.
Jones named a 33-strong training group featuring all those who participated against Ireland. Two wings, Marland Yarde of Harlequins and Semesa Rokoduguni of Bath, are among the add-ons, as is the Exeter centre Sam Hill. There is an extra front–row unit in Matt Mullan of Wasps, Luke Cowan-Dickie of Exeter and Kieran Brookes of Northampton. Also included are the Wasps lock Joe Launchbury and Gloucester breakaway Matt Kvesic.
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