Huddersfield rugby union product Luther Burrell is in the England squad for next month’s QBE Internationals.
The 25-year-old Northampton Saints player – who began his career at Lockwood Park and also played junior rugby league for the Giants – is included as injury cover with a message of encouragement from buoyant head coach Stuart Lancaster.
England have Twickenham appointments against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand and changes are made because flanker Tom Croft and centres Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt are out of the series through injury.
“Inevitably there have been some injuries and there is still a big European weekend ahead,” said Lancaster. “But injures always create opportunities and we are pleased to call up Tom Johnson, Joel Tomkins, Henry Trinder and Luther Burrell.
“Luther is joining us as injury cover and it will be great for him to come in and put a marker down in what is going to be a competitive selection leading into the Australia game.
“We have three major Tests ahead of us and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Burrell was in the England senior party which toured Uruguay and Argentina in the summer.
Trinder was omitted from the Saxons and elite player squads named in August but his strong start to the season has put him in contention for the opener against Australia on November 2.
Tuilagi’s chest problem has left a vacancy at outside centre that Tomkins is also hoping to fill.
“We have been looking forward to this QBE Internationals series ever since we got back from Argentina,” Lancaster said.
“As a coaching group we have watched a lot of rugby and we are pleased with the form of the squad. The camp is an important part of our preparation and we are looking forward to meeting up.”
The squad will assemble in Leeds next Monday for a training camp.
England squad
Forwards: D Attwood (Bath Rugby), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), A Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), T Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), M Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), J Launchbury (London Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), J Marler (Harlequins) B Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), G Parling (Leicester Tigers), C Robshaw (Harlequins), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), D Wilson (Bath Rugby), T Wood (Northampton Saints), T Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
Backs: C Ashton (Saracens), M Brown (Harlequins), F Burns (Gloucester Rugby), L Burrell (Northampton Saints) , D Care (Harlequins), L Dickson (Northampton Saints), K Eastmond (Bath Rugby), O Farrell (Saracens), T Flood (Leicester Tigers), B Foden (Northampton Saints), A Goode (Saracens), H Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), J Tomkins (Saracens), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), C Wade (Wasps) M Yarde (London Irish), B Youngs (Leicester).
