England make five changes in elite squad

Ben Foden’s blistering form for Northampton has been rewarded with a call-up to the elite England squad.

Foden, equally adept as a full-back or scrum-half, is one of five selection changes in a revised 32-man group ahead of this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Foden, 23, replaces London Irish’s Peter Richards from the squad announced by England team manager Martin Johnson last July.

Seasoned campaigners Mark Cueto and Mike Tindall are also called up, with Sale Sharks wing Cueto replacing Olly Barkley and Gloucester centre Tindall taking over from Dan Hipkiss.

The other selection-based changes see Harlequins wing Ugo Monye in for James Simpson-Daniel, and Quins number eight Nick Easter preferred to Leicester back-row forward Jordan Crane.

Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan is also named, while Johnson is still considering possible injury replacements for Wasps forwards Tom Palmer and Tom Rees, who are both in the squad, but currently sidelined from competitive action.

England kick off their Six Nations campaign against Italy at Twickenham on February 7, and the squad will head to Portugal on January 25 for a week’s training as part of their preparations.

Revised 32-man England senior elite player squad:

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins), D Cipriani (Wasps), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton), R Flutey (Wasps), S Geraghty (London Irish), U Monye (Harlequins), O Morgan (Gloucester), J Noon (Newcastle), P Sackey (Wasps), M Tait (Sale Sharks), M Tindall (Gloucester).

Forwards: S Borthwick (Saracens), G Chuter (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), N Kennedy (London Irish), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester), T Palmer (Wasps), T Payne (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Stevens (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps).