Number eight Billy Vunipola has been left out of new head coach Steve Borthwick's 36-man England Rugby team for the Six Nations. Other high-profile omissions include skilled wings Jonny May and Jack Nowell. Meanwhile, Borthwick has recalled 95-cap veteran prop Dan Cole, 35, who last played for the England Rugby team in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

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England Vs Japan: Billy, Jonny & Jack were left out by Steve Borthwick

Northampton fly-half Fin Smith is one of five uncapped players in the squad. London Irish wing Ollie Hassell-Collins, Gloucester hooker George McGuigan, and Harlequins pair Cadan Murley and Jack Walker are the four other new caps.

"This is an exciting team, with a blend of Six Nations knowledge and young talent and includes players who are in superb form in the Premiership," Borthwick stated.

England Rugby team Six Nations squad

Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, George McGuigan, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.

Backs: Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Dan Kelly, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Alex Mitchell, Cadan Murley, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Youngs.

Borthwick, who was appointed on 19 December after Eddie Jones was fired following a run of five wins in 12 Tests in 2022, added: We are all looking forward to the challenges of the Six Nations and we will approach this great tournament with a spirit of bravery and total commitment. I know the players can't wait to get back to Twickenham and give our fans a performance they can be proud of. The hard work for the Scotland game starts now.

Borthwick proved Owen Farrell will be England's skipper for the tournament, with Ellis Genge and Courtney Lawes, who returns to the team after injury, named as vice-captains. The former Leicester head coach also says he has been told unequivocally by the RFU's legal department that Farrell will be available for England's opener against Scotland, despite the debate over the terms of his suspension for contacting Gloucester forward Jack Clement's head.

Forwards Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, and Nick Isiekwe all return to the England fold, as do backs Elliot Daly, Dan Kelly, Max Malins, and Joe Marchant. England starts their campaign against Scotland at Twickenham on 4 February, before hosting Italy on 12 February. A trip to Wales follows on 25 February, before a home game against 2022 champions France on 11 March. They then finish in Dublin against Ireland on 18 March. The Six Nations precedes the World Cup, which starts in France on 8 September.

Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith are included as Billy Vunipola misses out

Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith have both been named in Steve Borthwick's side; Billy Vunipola, Jack Nowell, and Jonny May miss out on selection; Farrell confirmed as captain for Borthwick's first campaign since succeeding the sacked Eddie Jones as head coach.

England Vs Japan: Billy, Jonny & Jack were left out by Steve Borthwick

England head coach Steve Borthwick has named Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith in his squad for the Six Nations, with Billy Vunipola, Jack Nowell, and Jonny May missing out. Farrell will once again captain the side, with the new England coach putting his faith in the veteran as Eddie Jones did before.

Courtney Lawes is back in the squad following injury and there are also returns for Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, and Nick Isiekwe, plus backs Elliot Daly, Dan Kelly, Max Malins, and Joe Marchant. Veteran prop Cole's last match was the World Cup final defeat by South Africa in 2019 but his set-piece form at Leicester, where Borthwick coached until replacing Jones at England last month, has earned the 35-year-old a recall. Worldwide Tickets and Hospitality offers Rugby World Cup tickets for the France Rugby World Cup 2023 at the best prices. Rugby fans can buy England Rugby World Cup Tickets at exclusively discounted prices.

Borthwick has also handed a call-up to Northampton Saints' Fin Smith, who is one of five uncapped players in the group alongside Ollie Hassell-Collins, George McGuigan, Cadan Murley, and Jack Walker. England begins their Six Nations campaign at home to Scotland on Saturday, February 4, before returning to Twickenham the following weekend to take on Italy (Sunday, February 12). Borthwick's side then visit Wales (Saturday, February 25) and hosted France (Saturday, March 11) before concluding the competition with a trip to Ireland (Saturday, March 18).

Borthwick said: "This is an exciting squad, with a blend of Six Nations experience and young talent and includes players who are in excellent form in the Premiership.

We are all looking forward to the challenges of the Six Nations and we will approach this great tournament with a spirit of courage and total commitment. I know the players can't wait to get back to Twickenham and give our fans a performance they can be proud of. The hard work for the Scotland game starts now.

When we met the players, we sensed the pain from the Tests in the autumn but also a determination and excitement to get to work. Every game matter when you play for England, and we have 19 days to prepare for Scotland at Twickenham.

Japan Rugby team faces tall order replicating Rugby World Cup success

Having achieved new heights at the past two tournaments, the Japan Rugby team faces an uphill battle to replicate their success at this year’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. Jamie Joseph’s men will tackle heavyweights England and Argentina in Pool D at the Sept. 8 to Oct. 28 Rugby World Cup and must beat at least one of them to reach their goal of a second straight trip to the knockout stage.

They will also need to survive an always-hurting encounter with Samoa and avoid falling points against first-time qualifiers Chile in the round-robin, which they will start with considerably less training time than in the past.

England Vs Japan: Billy, Jonny & Jack were left out by Steve Borthwick

The Brave Blossoms served notice to the rugby world in England in 2015 by upsetting giants South Africa in a match dubbed the Brighton Miracle. They made further inroads four years later on home soil, advancing to their first quarterfinals after toppling traditional rugby nations Ireland and Scotland in the pool stage. Rugby fans can buy Japan Rugby World Cup Tickets at exclusively discounted prices.

Before both tournaments, the national squad went into extended camps focused solely on the World Cup. For 2019 in Japan, they had a seven-month buildup with the added benefit of the Joseph-coached Super Rugby team Sun wolves serving as a virtual training side for the Brave Blossoms. This time around, they will have under four months from the end of the Japanese club rugby playoffs until the World Cup, having played fewer high-level games in the four-year interim due to the COVID-19 pandemic and dissolution of the Tokyo-based Sunwolves.

The condensed timeframe makes the domestic competition, now in its second season under its Japan Rugby League One rebranding, more important to international players than ever, according to prop Keita Inagaki, a member of the defending champion Saitama Wild Knights.

“We have to maintain the skills, physical condition and mentality needed to take on the world,” said Inagaki, whose club is likely to once again be involved until late in the postseason.

Inagaki, a veteran of the past two Rugby World Cup campaigns, said Japan’s success depended on elaborate game planning and being better drilled than their bigger, more physical international opponents. If we play straightforward rugby like the stronger countries, we’ll lose out physically, he stated. Each player needs a deep understanding of his role, and that doesn’t develop as soon as you get together.

Inagaki’s Wild Knights teammate Atsushi Sakate is set to captain Japan at a Rugby World Cup for the first time after taking the reins last year. The 29-year-old hooker has big shoes to fill as he follows in the footsteps of his predecessor Michael Leitch, who was an inspirational figure in 2015 and 2019. Sakate has so far appeared up to the task while captaining his country in test matches against Uruguay, France, New Zealand, and England in 2022. While their only wins came in a two-test sweep of the South Americans, the Brave Blossoms gave both the visiting Bleus and All Blacks a scare in Tokyo. A lopsided loss to England at Twickenham in November, meanwhile, was a more sobering reminder of rugby’s world order.

“It was a great experience being able to play matches against the best teams,” Sakate told.

World No. 10 Japan have not beaten a higher-ranked nation since the 2019 World Cup, but strong showings by some of their emerging players against top-class opponents are the reason for optimism. Among those to have made their mark are flyhalf Lee Seung Sin and scrumhalf Naoto Saito, who marshaled the attack in a closely fought 20-15 defeat to France in the second of two July tests.

“I developed the mindset that I can do it,” 21-year-old Kobe Steelers star Lee stated.

England Vs Japan: Billy, Jonny & Jack were left out by Steve Borthwick

New Zealand-born Warner Dearns was also a standout for the Brave Blossoms in his second year as an international. The 201-centimetre lock produced one of the highlights of Japan’s 38-31 loss to the All Blacks in October, charging down a kick to score a second-half try that gave the hosts a shot at a historic upset. Although no longer captain, the 34-year-old Leitch remains an integral member of the national squad, providing leadership on and off the field ahead of his fourth Rugby World Cup.

The Brave Lupus Tokyo back rower has undertaken intensive rehabilitation for groin and knee injuries to return to rugby’s biggest stage. People around me say this will be my last (Rugby World Cup) but I’m not going to say it’ll be my last, said Leitch, who feels fully fit as he approaches a career milestone. Only a select group of people can achieve four Rugby World Cups. I’m in the form of my life. While Japan will accomplish their stated goal if they reach the last eight again in France, Leitch wants his teammates to set their sights higher.

“I have a dream of Japan winning the World Cup, he stated. We can do it someday if we increase the number of players who aim for it. I want to go for it.”

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