EDDIE JONES will give Manu Tuilagi every chance of making the plane to Australia after the centre tore his hamstring.
The England boss is sweating on the 25-year-old’s availability as fears mount that he will be out for at least six weeks.
Tuilagi played just once during the Six Nations and lasted 21 minutes in Leicester Tigers’ defeat to Saracens yesterday.
Owen Farrell is also named after picking up a rib injury in the same game as he was chopped down by surprise Red Rose call-up Ellis Genge – one of four uncapped players in.
England fly Down Under on May 31 with the first Test in Brisbane on June 11.
Jones has also recalled Henry Slade for England’s three Test tour – but there is a shock omission for
Sarries star Chris Ashton and a recall for Marland Yarde.
Exeter Chiefs playmaker Slade is back in the squad after missing the Six Nations through suspension and injury respectively.
Rookies Teimana Harrison, Kyle Sinckler, New Zealand-born Ben Te’O and Genge are all set for their debuts after being named in the 32-man squad.
Jones said: “We have selected two squads of players who can win all four games. It’s important we get off to a good start against Wales and play positive rugby and win.
“We are excited to being touring Australia in June. To beat the Wallabies in Australia you have to play a physical, aggressive brand of rugby and that’s what we intend to do.
“We will need to be a fit, cohesive, tactically flexible team and play with a high intensity. We have to be in their faces from the first minute of the first Test.
“But we are in no doubt of the challenge we face. England have only ever won three Tests in Australia and never won in Brisbane, so it is a great opportunity for us to create new history.
“We are still a young squad with an average age of 24 so this will be a big learning experience. This will be the first time many of the players will have toured Australia so there’s no historical baggage there and mentally we’ll be in a good place off the back of the RBS 6 Nations.
“The Grand Slam was just the start of our journey. We’re ranked fourth in the world and are still developing our identity and we have a long way to go to get to where we ultimately want to be.
“This tour will provide a good chance for us to measure up to the southern hemisphere and try to close that gap.
“Australia are the second-ranked team in the world and their coach is the World Rugby coach of the year, so their supporters will expect a positive result from them. We will upset the apple cart.
“Dylan Hartley will lead the side again having captained the team excellently during the RBS 6 Nations and during our recent training camp to Brighton.”
European Champions and defending Premiership champs Sarries have SIX players amongst the tourists.
Red Rose Grand Slam vice captains Farrell and Billy Vunipola are joined by European player-of-the-year Maro Itoje, Premiership player-of-the-year Alex Goode, George Kruis, Ashton and the older Vunipola brother – Mako.
Hooker and SunSport columnist Dylan Hartley keeps the armband after his 100 per cent record to bring home a Grand Slam in March.
Hartley’s Northampton Saints teammate Harrison is rewarded for his superb breakthrough season.
And Harlequins tighthead prop Sinckler has also impressed and gets the chance to go on his first tour.
With Joe Marler pulling out after his rollercoaster season third-choice loos head Genge could make his full debut against the Wallabies.
Before England fly across the world on May 31 they play arch-rivals Wales at Twickenham a week today.
But all Saracens and Exeter players will be excluded from section due to their involvement in the
Premiership final the day before.
Jones will be without the bulk of his squad to face Warren Gatland’s Dragons before they tour World Cup winners New Zealand this summer.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Forwards
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints)
Dylan Hartley – captain (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Backs
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
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