Maro Itoje has secured a place in England’s first training group since the summer tour, but his teammates Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant will have to earn their way back into the national side after proving themselves at Sale. Itoje was rested for the three Nations Championship fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, yet he is listed among a 36‑man panel that will begin its autumn preparations with a three‑day camp starting on Sunday. The Saracens lock is expected to resume his captaincy duties for the opening test against Australia at Allianz Stadium on 8 November, taking over from Jamie George who filled the role in July.
Both Lawes and Marchant have become eligible for selection again after completing their moves from French clubs—Lawes from Brive and Marchant from Stade Français. Their transfers across the Channel temporarily paused their international careers, and head coach Steve Borthwick appears to want to assess how quickly they can reintegrate into the Gallagher Premiership before deciding on future England call‑ups.
The two forwards were members of the 2023 World Cup squad, and Lawes in particular is under scrutiny because of the leadership and experience he could add to a side that is currently searching for seasoned guidance. In addition to Itoje’s return, the squad includes a number of other notable names. Highly‑rated prop Fin Baxter has rejoined after a spell on the sidelines due to recurring foot issues that kept him out since December. Young talents such as Archie McParland and Kepueli Tuipulotu have also earned places.
McParland, a scrum‑half, seemed set for a summer tour before a severe leg wound suffered in Northampton’s Premiership final win over Exeter forced him out of contention. The coaching staff has also highlighted the importance of depth at half‑back. While Alex Mitchell (hamstring) and Ben Spencer (shoulder) remain the more established options, both are currently rehabilitating with their clubs, giving McParland a valuable window to impress Borthwick. Injuries continue to affect the wider group: Max Ojomoh is sidelined with a calf problem, Noah Clauori is dealing with a wrist injury, and Tom Roebuck’s commitment to Sale on Sunday means he cannot participate in the camp.
Veterans George and Ollie Chessum have reported for duty but are undergoing treatment for groin and foot ailments respectively, meaning their availability will be monitored closely as the squad finalises its line‑up for the upcoming tests. The forwards selected for the camp include: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan‑Dickie (Sale Sharks), Chandler Cunningham‑South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), George Kloska (Bristol Bears), George Martin (Saracens), Asher Opoku‑Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby) and Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby).
The backline features: Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Tobias Elliott (Saracens), Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Harlequins), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), Archie McParland (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers) and Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers). England will host Australia at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Sunday 8 November for the fourth round of the Nations Championship before turning their attention to matches against Japan and New Zealand later in the autumn window. Fans can also catch the final test of the New Zealand versus South Africa series, staged in Baltimore, USA, live on Sky Sports Action from 10 p.m. on Saturday.