World Cup axe for Lund

By Graeme Mair  

World Cup axe for Lund

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England head coach Brian Ashton has reduced the size of his preliminary World Cup squad from 46 to 40 with Magnus Lund and Olly Morgan among the six players cut.

Lund, Morgan, Fraser Waters, Shane Geraghty, Louis Deacon, and Andy Hazell are the men to miss out following England's training camp on the Algarve.

Sale flanker Lund, who has won 10 caps, and Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan are the most surprising of the six to be left out.

Morgan started twice during last season's Six Nations but his omission suggests that Ashton has earmarked Wasps youngster Danny Cipriani for the No.15 jersey.

It is also good news for some of the veterans from the 2003 World Cup win - Lawrence Dallaglio, Mike Catt and Mark Regan all remain on course to take part in England's defence of the Webb Ellis trophy.

"It has been a very difficult decision to let the six players go," said Ashton, who also lost prop Julian White from his squad after the prop ruled himself out for family reasons on Thursday.

"They have all worked hard in training, and it has been good working with them.

"I have taken the decision to reduce the squad now because I've had a good look at everybody in the training camp, and it is important that we spend more time giving consideration to those who will make the 22 for the first of our warm-up games against Wales on August 4, France on August 11 and the World Cup squad to be announced on August 14.

"I am considering a further cut of players at the end of next week's training, but at this stage I am not going to comment on who, or how many, as I haven't made those decisions yet."

Ashton will name his final 30-man squad on August 14. Prior to that his reduced 40-man group will reconvene next week for a training camp at the University of Bath.

The World Cup takes place in France from September 7-October 20. England's opening fixture is against USA in Lens on September 8.

Revised England preliminary World Cup squad:
Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), O Barkley (Bath), M Catt (London Irish), D Cipriani (Wasps), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), A Farrell (Saracens), T Flood (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins), D Hipkiss (Leicester), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), J Lewsey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), S Perry (Bristol), P Richards (London Irish), J Robinson (Sale Sharks), P Sackey (Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), J Wilkinson (Newcastle)
Forwards: S Borthwick (Bath), G Chuter (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), L Dallaglio (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins), P Freshwater (Perpignan), J Haskell (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), M Regan (Bristol), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Stevens (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), D Ward-Smith (Bristol), J Worsley (Wasps), K Yates (Saracens)