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Reuters

SCMP Reporters

Saracens winger Chris Ashton was one of seven players cut from England’s pre-Rugby World Cup training squad on Friday after head coach Stuart Lancaster trimmed his side to 39 players.
Fellow wingers Marland Yarde from Harlequins and Semesa Rokoduguni from Bath also miss out, along with Saints scrum-half Lee Dickson and Bath centre Kyle Eastmond.
Wasps prop Matt Mullan and Gloucester flanker Matt Kvesic are the two forwards dropped following England’s return from a two-week training camp in Colorado.
“It has been difficult to narrow down the squad as everyone has contributed and given their all,” Lancaster said on England’s Rugby Football Union website.
“But what I have said to those guys who are not coming back in on Sunday is that the door is not closed by any means.
WATCH: Stuart Lancaster discusses his cuts to the England RWC training squad:

“They are only an injury away and there is a lot of international rugby to be played this season, culminating in a three-Test tour to Australia.
“Overall we are in good shape. Nick Easter and Ben Morgan are now fit and we want to give them both opportunities to train fully and prove their form and fitness next week.”
Danny Cipriani, as expected, remains in the squad alongside fellow fly-halves George Ford and Owen Farrell, as does code-swapper Sam Burgess.
England play the first of three World Cup warm-up games when they face France at Twickenham next weekend.
The deadline for the hosts to name their final 31-man squad is August 31, before the World Cup starts at Twickenham on September 18 when England play Fiji.

England’s 39-man training squad
Dave Attwood (Bath), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Saints), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Luther Burrell (Saints), Sam Burgess (Bath), Danny Care (Harlequins), Danny Cipriani (Sale), Calum Clark (Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester), Alex Corbisiero (Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jamie George (Saracens), James Haskell (Wasps), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Courtney Lawes (Saints), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Geoff Parling (Exeter), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Henry Slade (Exeter), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Anthony Watson (Bath), Rob Webber (Bath), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Wood (Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester), Tom Youngs (Leicester)
Additional reporting by SCMP staff


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Chris Ashton out as Stuart Lancaster cuts seven from England squad

Chris Ashton is one of seven players cut from England’s Rugby World Cup training squad. Photo: AFP

England coach Stuart Lancaster says the hosts’ final squad for the World Cup is taking shape. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Rugby

Nick Easter ‘back to full fitness’ and training again with the Rugby World Cup hosts


Saracens winger Chris Ashton was one of seven players cut from England’s pre-Rugby World Cup training squad on Friday after head coach Stuart Lancaster trimmed his side to 39 players.


Chris Ashton out as Stuart Lancaster cuts seven from England squad

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Nick Easter ‘back to full fitness’ and training again with the Rugby World Cup hosts

Nick Easter ‘back to full fitness’ and training again with the Rugby World Cup hosts