Former Raiders named in Six Nations squad

The Wasps lock and Harlequins prop along with fellow Sussex-based star Billy Twelvetrees are, as expected, in Stuart Lancaster’s squad for the Six Nations matches next month.

Harlequins loanee James Chisholm, who is playing for Raiders this season, has been named in the under-20s squad.

For the seniors, Bath fly-half George Ford has replaced Toby Flood in England’s elite player squad.

The dropped Flood, 28, has won 60 caps for his country but is leaving Leicester at the end of the season for an unspecified French club.

Eight more players join Ford in being called into a 35-man Six Nations squad.

They are Northampton centre Luther Burrell, Exeter flanker Tom Johnson, Gloucester wing Jonny May, Wasps prop Matt Mullan, Exeter wing/full-back Jack Nowell, Leicester lock Ed Slater, Sale prop Henry Thomas and Bath wing/full-back Anthony Watson.

All are part of the second-string Saxons squad but will be part of the Six Nations training set-up because Lancaster has a number of elite squad players unavailable because of injury.

Lancaster said: We have kept changes to a minimum because we believe that this squad can take us forward into 2015 and we are hopeful that some of those injured may be available before the end of the Six Nations and certainly for the New Zealand tour.”

The Six Nations kick-off on Saturday, February 1, when France host England at 5pm.

Full elite squad - forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), David Attwood (Bath Rugby), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints).

Backs: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Marland Yarde (London Irish), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

England Six Nations squad - forwards: David Attwood (Bath Rugby), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Matt Mullan (London Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens).