Six Nations 2015: England squad unchanged for Italy at Twickenham
Last updated on .From the section English Rugby
| RBS Six Nations: England v Italy |
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| Venue: Twickenham, London Date: Saturday, 14 February Kick-off: 14:30 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC TV, HD, Red Button, Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV; text commentary on the BBC Sport website. |
England have named an unchanged squad for Saturday's Six Nations match against Italy at Twickenham.
Head coach Stuart Lancaster, boosted by Friday's opening win against Wales, will name the team on Thursday.
He said: "We've gone for the same squad that played against Wales as we look to build consistent performances."
Lock Geoff Parling was ruled out after failing to recover from a knee injury picked up in Leicester's loss to Ulster last month.
"It's unfortunate that his knee is not right," said England forwards coach Graham Rowntree.
Parling was under consideration for a place on the bench to provide cover for Nick Easter or Tom Croft, had he proved his fitness.
"Geoff didn't complete training yesterday," added Rowntree. "His knee is not quite right in terms of his graduated return to full running so he won't be in the mix for this weekend."
| England Six Nations fixtures |
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| 6 Feb:Wales 16-21 England |
| 14 Feb:England v Italy, 14:30 GMT |
| 1 Mar:Ireland v England, 15:00 GMT |
| 14 Mar:England v Scotland, 17:00 GMT |
| 21 Mar:England v France, 17:00 GMT |
Lancaster is still actively considering players not in the squad and said: "There are many players pushing hard for selection and we are looking forward to watching their club games this weekend."
Meanwhile, Bath tight-head prop David Wilson will miss the remainder of England's Six Nations campaign after undergoing surgery later this week to relieve pressure on a nerve impingement in his neck.
Stuart Lancaster said: "It is really unfortunate for Davy and disappointing for us to lose him for the Six Nations. However it was agreed surgery was the best solution to get this issue cleared up."
Wilson sustained his neck injury at the end of January and missed the game in Cardiff, with Dan Cole replacing him.
Mike Ford, Bath Rugby head coach said: "His return will be based on his progress during rehab, but our medical team are confident he will be back playing for Bath before the end of the season."
England Squad
Forwards: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (captain, Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
