Autumn Internationals coming up very shortly, I'm getting quite excited at the prospect of international rugby I can see on Terrestrial TV (also getting my hopes up a little too much regarding England's prospects).
All horribly important for the 2011 World Cup too as the rankings after this set of matches decide the seeding, England with the potential to go to fourth and Scotland to get back to eighth.
Training squads so far announced:
England - three changes from the July EPS, hauling in Cipriani and Lipman to replace Wilkinson and Moody and of particular note Abendanon coming in for Varndell presumably to fill the 15 jersey (with any luck this means Tait at 13).
Backs: Olly Barkley (Gloucester), Danny Care (Harlequins), Harry Ellis (Leicester), Toby Flood (Leicester), Riki Flutey (Wasps), Shane Geraghty (London Irish), Dan Hipkiss (Leicester), Josh Lewsey (Wasps), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Pete Richards (London Irish), Paul Sackey (Wasps), James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), Mathew Tait (Sale), Nick Abendanon (Bath), Danny Cipriani (Wasps).
Forwards: Steve Borthwick (Saracens), George Chuter (Leicester), Jordan Crane (Leicester), Tom Croft (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Nick Kennedy (London Irish), Lee Mears (Bath), Michael Lipman (Bath), Luke Narraway (Gloucester), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Tim Payne (Wasps), Tom Rees (Wasps), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale), Matt Stevens (Bath), Phil Vickery (Wasps).
Wales - Five uncapped players in this lot and Henson comes back (not really a surprise). Michael Owen maybe a little unlucky not to get a recall and Scrum half looks a bit iffy considering Peel's form at Sale this season.
Backs: M Stoddart (Scarlets), L Byrne (Ospreys), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), M Jones (Scarlets), S Williams (Ospreys), G Henson (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), D Biggar (Ospreys), J Hook (Ospreys), S Jones (Scarlets), M Roberts (Scarlets), D Peel (Sale Sharks), G Cooper (Gloucester).
Forwards: G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), E Roberts (Sale Sharks), R Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), H Bennett (Ospreys), M Rees (Scarlets), R Hibbard (Ospreys), AW Jones (Ospreys), I Gough (Ospreys), I Evans (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), D Jones (Scarlets), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Scotland - some newer faces in the squad but enough tried and not very good players for Hadden to pick one of his standard teams I suspect. Quite how going and training in Spain is going to be good preparation for test matches at Murrayfield I don't know though.
Backs: Mike Blair (capt), Ben Cairns (both Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Perpignan), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans, Thom Evans (both Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh), Rory Lamont (Sale Sharks), Sean Lamont (Northampton Saints), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson, Hugo Southwell, Simon Webster (all Edinburgh)
Forwards: John Barclay, Kelly Brown (both Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Scott Gray (Northampton Saints), Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg, Allan Jacobsen (both Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Matt Mustchin (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Simon Taylor (Stade Francais), Jason White (Sale Sharks)
Ireland - O'Driscoll reappointed as captain
Backs: Tommy Bowe (Ospreys) Ian Dowling (Shannon - Munster) Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College - Leinster) Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht) Keith Earls (Young Munster - Munster) Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College - Leinster) Shane Horgan (Boyne - Leinster) Robert Kearney (UCD - Leinster) Geordan Murphy (Leicester) Barry Murphy (UL Bohemians - Munster) Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster) Captain Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster) Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster) Eoin Reddan (Wasps) Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College - Leinster) Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster) Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster) Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster)
Forwards: Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster) Tony Buckley (Shannon - Munster) Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon - Ulster) Bob Casey (London Irish) Tom Court (Malone - Ulster) Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster) Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster) John Hayes (Shannon - Munster) Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster) Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster) Marcus Horan (Shannon - Munster) Bernard Jackman (Clontarf - Leinster) Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College - Leinster) Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster) Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster) Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster) Malcolm O'Kelly (St. Mary's College - Leinster) Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution - Munster) Alan Quinlan (Shannon - Munster) Michael Ross (Harlequins) Donncha Ryan (Shannon - Munster) David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster) Roger Wilson (Northampton)
Forwards: John Barclay, Kelly Brown (both Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Scott Gray (Northampton Saints), Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg, Allan Jacobsen (both Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Matt Mustchin (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Simon Taylor (Stade Francais), Jason White (Sale Sharks)
Pacific Islands
Soane Tonga'uiha (Tonga), Kisi Pulu (Tonga), Census Johnston (Samoa), Justin Va'a (Samoa), Sunia Koto (Fiji), Aleki Lutui (Tonga), Ifereimi Rawaqa (Fiji), Kele Leawere (Fiji), Hale T Pole (Tonga), Daniel Leo (Samoa), Nili Latu (Tonga), Semisi Naevo (Fiji), Viliami Vaki (Tonga), George Stowers (Samoa), Sisa Koyamaibole (Fiji), Finau Maka (Tonga), Mosese Rauluni (Fiji), Sililo Martens (Tonga), Seremaia Bai (Fiji), Pierre Hola (Tonga), Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji), Sailosi Tagicakibau (Samoa), Seilala Mapusua (Samoa), Seru Rabeni (Fiji), Kameli Ratuvou (Fiji), Isireli Naqelevuki (Fiji), Isireli Bobo (Fiji) Gavin Williams (Samoa)
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