| Host nation: France Dates: 8 September-28 October |
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Henry Slade and Alex Dombrandt are among the notable absentees from Steve Borthwick’s 33-man England squad for the Rugby World Cup in France.
Joe Marchant is included but there is no place for Exeter back Slade, 30, who played at the past two World Cups.
Saracens hooker Theo Dan, 22, who made his debut in Saturday’s warm-up loss to Wales, is selected while Billy Vunipola is the only specialist number eight.
England’s first game is against Argentina in Marseille on 9 September.
England squad
Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester), Dan Cole (Leicester), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), George Martin (Leicester), David Ribbans (Toulon), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol), Will Stuart (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Jack Walker (Harlequins), Jack Willis (Toulouse).
Backs: Henry Arundell (Racing 92), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Sale), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Max Malins (Bristol), Joe Marchant (Stade Francais), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Manu Tuilagi (Sale), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester), Anthony Watson (unattached), Ben Youngs (Leicester).
Who else is in and who missed out?
Of the 33 players selected by Borthwick, 17 have previous World Cup experience and 16 were in the squad when England reached the final under Eddie Jones in 2019.
Three players – Courtney Lawes, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs – will be appearing in their fourth World Cups and are named in a squad that contains more than 1,400 caps.
Versatile back Henry Arundell, 20, is the youngest player selected.
Marchant, who swapped Harlequins for French club Stade Francais at the end of the Premiership season, was one of the few players to enhance their World Cup chances in England’s disappointing 20-9 loss to Wales on Saturday.
In contrast, debutant back row Tom Pearson, hooker Jamie Blamire and wing Joe Cokanasiga all struggled in Cardiff and are not in the final group.
Blamire’s absence means Dan and Jack Walker will provide cover for first-choice hooker Jamie George.
Vunipola is selected despite not playing since April because of a knee injury and not being part of Borthwick’s Six Nations plans, with Lewis Ludlam, Ben Earl and Tom Curry alternatives to fill the number eight position if required.
“Billy’s been fantastic in this training camp,” said Borthwick. “It’s been an opportunity to work with him and see just how hard he’s worked to come back from his injury.
“He looks in great shape, he looks as fit as I’ve ever seen him, and his experience will add to this squad.”
Borthwick faced with ‘challenging task’
Speaking at a media conference after revealing his squad, Borthwick said: “Selecting just 33 players from the breadth of great players we’ve had in our training camps has been quite a challenging task.
“We believe this 33 has the right blend of experience and young, exciting talent, and also has the positional flexibility and playing combinations that we’ll require throughout the tournament.”
Borthwick said he has had a “personal conversation” with each of the players who missed out on selection to explain his decision, including Slade.
“There have been a number of difficult decisions as you have to take the squad down to 33 players and we have a lot of talented players to select from,” added Borthwick.
“Henry’s been excellent throughout the training camp, he’s clearly disappointed, but the message to the players that have not been selected is ‘be ready to come into the squad’.
“We know there will be changes. Past World Cups show us that there are bumps and bruises and there has to be some change within the players.”
England will also face Japan, Chile and Samoa in the pool stage. The tournament starts on 8 September, with the final on Saturday, 28 October.
‘Huge call’ to leave out Slade
Analysis: Chris Jones, BBC rugby union correspondent
Eight years on from being a surprise inclusion in the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad, Slade now faces the disappointment of being left out.
It is a huge call. Slade has been an ever-present in the midfield for the whole of the last World Cup cycle, but Marchant impressed against Wales on Saturday and offers a point of difference with his dynamism and versatility.
Elsewhere, the squad has a mix of youth and experience, with Borthwick opting for a large core of players who were there in Japan four years ago.
But while there is depth in certain areas, in others there is very little, with huge pressure on players such as George at hooker, Maro Itoje at lock and Vunipola at number eight.
Other key numbers
- 27 – the average age of England’s World Cup squad.
- 16 – the number of players yet to play in a World Cup.
- 122 – the number of caps won by Ben Youngs, the most experienced player in the squad.
- Seven – the number of Premiership clubs represented.
- Four – the number of players from French clubs.
