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Chris Robshaw returns as England co-captain as Eddie Jones named squad to face Barbarians

The Harlequins flanker was replaced as captain after the 2015 Rugby World Cup

Jack de Menezes

Thursday 25 May 2017 11:15 BST

Chris Robshaw was not affected by his omission from the British and Irish Lions squad (Getty)

Chris Robshaw has been named co-captain for England’s match against the Barbarians this weekend alongside George Ford, just 15 months after being replaced as skipper by head coach Eddie Jones.

The 30-year-old Harlequins flanker lost his captaincy duties following the 2015 Rugby World Cup exit, having been former head coach Stuart Lancaster’s selected leader for the duration of his reign with the national team.

Jones immediately confirmed that Robshaw would no longer be his chosen captain – along with moving him from openside to blindside flanker – and named Dylan Hartley as his replacement for the 2016 Six Nations Championship, which England won as they secured a first Grand Slam in 13 years.

England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

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1/15England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Will Collier, tighthead prop, 25 years old (Harlequins)

Eddie Jones says: “Collier is a really steady tighthead. Scrummaging wise he probably has the best body position of anyone in the Premiership, so it is a great opportunity for him. And then we have got the young boy Hill who we brought in last year – he probably stagnated a little bit this year with a lack of game-time which is difficult for him but again it is an opportunity for him to develop. I am pleased with the strength we have got in that area.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Harry Williams, tighthead prop, 25 (Exeter Chiefs)

Eddie Jones says: “We have got Harry Williams who is a big unit. He needs a haircut though, so I will have to chat to him about that – he is not short of a tattoo though. He is a good scrummager. He has got to work a bit around the field, so we will work on that with him. He has really impressed and developed nicely under Rob Baxter – he is a real credit to their club.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Nick Isiekwe, lock, 19 (Saracens)

Eddie Jones says: “We have the young guy from Sarries coming in [Isiekwe] who is potentially a very good player. When you look at where he is now compared to where Maro was when he came into the Six Nations, he is going to be a really good player this boy, a really good player. So he is exciting. I can’t compare as I didn’t see Maro at that age. What I know is that he can be a very good player if he works hard enough, he is obsessed to want to be great, he has the potential to be a very good player.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Ben Curry, flanker, 18 (Sale Sharks)

Eddie Jones says about the Curry brothers: “I'm looking forward to working with the Currys because I want to find out if I can tell the difference between the two of them. They tell me one's got short hair and one's a bit stockier. I've played with the Ellas and they were hard to work out who was who. They would swap roles and no-one knew. We're going to have to find a way to work out who's who. I hear they're very competitive about everything: A-levels, their weight, their haircuts, their girlfriends, everything. I think we'll keep them competing against each other.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Tom Curry, flanker, 18 (Sale Sharks)

Eddie Jones says about the Curry brothers: “I'm looking forward to working with the Currys because I want to find out if I can tell the difference between the two of them. They tell me one's got short hair and one's a bit stockier. I've played with the Ellas and they were hard to work out who was who. They would swap roles and no-one knew. We're going to have to find a way to work out who's who. I hear they're very competitive about everything: A-levels, their weight, their haircuts, their girlfriends, everything. I think we'll keep them competing against each other.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Sam Underhill, flanker, 20 (Ospreys/Bath)

Eddie Jones says: “He’s got good potential as an openside flanker, he’s a genuine openside flanker, he’s dedicated, he’s determined, he’s desperate to play for England, we’re delighted to have him. He’s an out and out seven but he could play six. The Ospreys have done a really good job bringing him through and we’re grateful for the work they’ve done.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Jack Maunder, scrum-half, 20 (Exeter Chiefs)

Eddie Jones says: Maunder's an interesting player. He's a cheeky little bugger, that's what I like about him. He's got something about him. His pass is okay but he looks for opportunities, generally makes good decisions and he's a good size of a lad. We're excited by him and he's young. He's only just 20.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Piers Francis, fly-half, 26 (Auckland Blues/Northampton Saints)

Eddie Jones says: “I've watched a fair bit of him playing. I know he played for Doncaster a few years ago, Doncaster to Auckland is bit of a change. He's got a good kicking game, is a big, strong lad and he presents a different option for us at 10 and that's what we're looking for. Good, solid player. He’s got a good kicking game, he’s very good defensively, he likes putting his head in the dark areas. He plays very deep but that’s the Kiwi way so we’ll have to work on that with him and I’m sure we can. He’s an interesting player and he’s good enough to play Super Rugby. He’s a handy player.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Alex Lozowski, fly-half, 23 (Saracens)

Eddie Jones says: “Lozowski is a good player, I’ve been really impressed. I think he’s been the best find of the Premiership. He’s come in, he’s got a nice feel about the game and he’s a rugged defender and he kicks his goals. He works hard and he’s a good fella.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Sam James, centre, 22 (Sale Sharks)

Eddie Jones says: “James is a bit like Denny. Sale have a way of producing quite funny sort of players. There’s nothing great about him but he finds the line, he finds space and he’s strong and has a good feel for the game.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Joe Marchant, centre, 20 (Harlequins)

Eddie Jones says: “This is the ideal opportunity to bring young guys through. The talent there is just so exciting – look at it, good young athletes, desperate, desperate to play for England. Every time they play for their club, they are willing to die for their club, obsessed by being great, and if players aren’t like that, then they won’t play for England.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Harry Mallinder, centre/full-back, 20 (Northampton Saints)

Eddie Jones says: “I think he can play 15 and I think he can play centre and I think he can potentially play on the wing. Big, strong lad. Good in the air. Massive kicking game. Kicks the ball 60m. Needs to work on his defence, but for a young player that’s OK. He’s got a feel for the game. Possibly to start with he might be looked at as a winger or centre or full back, I’m not sure yet.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Denny Solomona, wing, 23 (Sale Sharks)

Eddie Jones says: “There’s something about him. He finds the line. He’s got that ability, when he gets the ball, to score a try. I went to watch him against Gloucester at the weekend. He’s still got a lot of work to do on his game, positionally, but we can work on those areas with him. He’s got a certain amount of X-factor about him though.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Joe Cokanasiga, wing, 19 (London Irish)

Eddie Jones says: “He’s big mate. And he’s fast. That’s the only thing I see, I don’t care who he plays for, he could be playing for anyone. He’s big and fast.”

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England's uncapped players to tour Argentina

Nathan Earle, wing/full-back, 22 (Saracens)

Eddie Jones says: “I’m interested in this Nathan Earle from Saracens. I watched him play ITM Cup for Canterbury and he’s got real potential. He’s a big, tall guy who’s got pace, so he has been selected ahead of Christian [Wade] and Marland [Yarde]. There are a lot of disappointed players. Given that we’ve had 16 picked for the Lions, we’ve still got a lot of good players who haven’t been picked by England, which shows the depth of talent in England.”

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But with Hartley unavailable this weekend due to Northampton Saints’ participation in the European Champions Cup play-off final against Stade Francais this weekend – and vice-captains Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola absent through the British and Irish Lions and injury respectively – Jones has elected to trust Robshaw to guide a youthful team alongside fly-half Ford.

"I've decided to have co-captains this weekend with Chris Robshaw and George Ford,” Jones said. “We need the responsibility of leadership shared. Chris will look after the forwards and defence while George will look after the backs and attack. Its splits the responsibility nicely and with so many younger players there we need co-captains rather than just one guy responsible for everything."

The decision is all the more surprising given that Jones had not spoken to Robshaw about potentially taking on the captaincy before this week, while Mike Brown and Danny Care, along with Ford, were named as vice-captains to Hartley for the upcoming two-Test tour of Argentina.

Jones named eight uncapped players in his side that will face the BaaBaas, with Saracens providing three of those plauers in wing Nathan Earle, centre Alex Lozowski and lock Nick Isiekwe. Sale Sharks centre Sam James joins Lozowski in a very inexperienced centre partnership, while the front-row offers just one cap between them, with Leicester Tiger prop Ellis Genge the only current international alongside Worcester’s Jack Singleton and Harlequins’ Will Collier.

 Hartley is on club duty with Northampton Saints this weekend  (Getty)

The other two uncapped players come in the back-row, with Sale’s Josh Beaumont starting at No 8 and Bath-bound flanker Sam Underhill named at openside flanker.

"I'm excited about this squad playing the Barbarians on Sunday," Jones added. "The players have trained really well with intensity over the last few weeks and now we need to put that onto the field this weekend.

"While we have some really experienced players starting the game there is a great opportunity for some of the younger players to show what they are about against a Barbarians team full of quality international players.

"We will be treating this game as a Test match and expecting the Barbarians to start the game quickly. This match will be crucial preparation ahead of our two-Test series against Argentina next month.”

Rob Buchanan, Ryan Mills, Nick Schonert and Marland Yarde were not considered for selection due to injury, with both Buchanan and Mills sent back to their clubs, while Ben Spencer and Tom Curry are on reserve should there be any issues ahead of Sunday’s encounter.

England team to face Barbarians:

Mike Brown; Nathan Earle, Sam James, Alex Lozowski, Jonny May; George Ford, Danny Care; Ellis Genge, Jack Singleton, Will Collier; Charlie Ewels, Nick Isiekwe; Chris Robshaw, Sam Underhill, Josh Beaumont.

Replacements: George McGuigan, Ross Harrison, Jamal Ford-Robinson, Tom Ellis, Ben Curry, Mark Wilson, Richard Wigglesworth, Mike Haley.

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