England bolters, Steward's potential switch & a 'Carewell'

England will denote a training squad for their circuit of Argentina and nan United States later this week.

With those picked for nan British and Irish Lions and players from Bath and Northampton, who are preparing for European finals, to beryllium near out, location are immoderate intriguing options pushing hard.

Uncapped full-back Joe Carpenter put successful different prestigious show astatine nan backmost successful nan triumph complete Bristol and has been integral to Sale's late-season form.

Team-mate Raffi Quirke came disconnected nan chair to people a crisp try, aft Harry Randall had done akin for Bristol successful nan first half. Fellow 9 Jack van Poortvliet impressed again for Leicester, delivering zippy work and mounting up Joe Woodward's effort pinch a well-weighted cross-field bomb.

Winger Adam Radwan now has 9 tries successful 9 games since joining Tigers mid-season from Newcastle and will beryllium difficult to ignore.

Seb Atkinson purred successful Gloucester's midfield, deftly mounting up Chris Harris and teenage helping Jack Cotgreave for tries and racing distant for 1 of his own, arsenic they hit Newcastle.

Saracens number 8 Tom Willis took retired immoderate of his vexation astatine being overlooked for nan Lions pinch a large deed connected Henry Pollock successful Saracens' nonaccomplishment to Northampton.

Exeter backmost statement Ethan Roots, whose past quality for England was backmost successful March 2024, besides put successful a timely performance, menacing nan breakdown and rattling ribs successful nan loose against Harlequins.

Will Evans, who leads nan league's turnover charts pinch team-mate Jack Kenningham, was besides successful typically light-fingered form, pilfering shot connected nan floor.

The past clip England toured Argentina successful a Lions year, a teenage Tom Curry made his debut. Only wounded has shifted him from England's backmost statement ever since. Opportunity knocks.

Tom Dunn had a landmark to observe connected Saturday. On nan juncture of becoming Bath's all-time starring appearance-maker successful Premiership history, he plucked a statement portion retired of his pouch - trading Leicester full-back Freddie Steward an outrageous dummy earlier sauntering successful for nan convention leaders' 4th try.

Steward has been stepped by acold much agile attackers. Jamison Gibson-Park, Grant Williams and Cheslin Kolbe each evaded him pinch unsettling easiness connected Test work this season. Steward revealed connected Stick to Rugby earlier this month, external that one-on-one defence was an area England coach Steve Borthwick had told him to amended on.

Steward besides suggested that he would beryllium unfastened to trying a move to wrong centre, wherever England person comparatively less options, he is little exposed to gait and his powerful, rangy moving and brave front-on tackling could adhd impetus.

Jamie Roberts and Jordie Barrett some made akin moves retired of nan backmost 3 into midfield successful their careers.

With England's sometime centre option, backmost rower Ben Earl, connected circuit pinch nan British and Irish Lions this summer, could Steward's move to 12 beryllium an research for England's circuit of Argentina?

Perhaps nan astir in-form man of each will move retired for nan Pumas though.

Saracens' flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez has scored 8 tries successful his past six games arsenic nan crushed has firmed up and his fast, lung-burning crippled has travel into its own.

The 24-year-old had to travel disconnected conscionable earlier half-time astatine Franklin's Gardens connected Saturday pinch a knock, but his team's nonaccomplishment intends he is apt to person much clip to recover.

Saracens slipping to sixth spot pinch their last-gasp, possibly-forward-pass conclusion by Northampton intends they request to hit a Bath team, who whitethorn good remainder their front-line stars, and dream for slip-ups from 2 of nan teams supra them successful nan last information if they are to widen their run into nan play-offs.

Should Sarries neglect to make it, this will beryllium nan first clip successful 16 years that they person grounded to make nan play-offs successful a Premiership run unaffected by their salary-cap scandal.

The play-off permutations are fascinating.

If Bristol tin do a number connected a Harlequins squad pinch thing to play for connected a Super Saturday information of simultaneous kick-offs successful a fortnight's time, they will likeliest extremity up successful 4th place.

That result would group up a West Country ding-dong pinch leaders Bath astatine nan Rec successful nan semi-finals.

Leicester return connected bottommost broadside Newcastle connected nan last time truthful should unafraid nan different location semi-final, pinch third-placed Sale, who person won 5 of their past six successful nan Premiership and recreation to Exeter, their astir probable opponents.

Gloucester, for illustration Saracens, lurk, hoping to capitalise connected immoderate deviation from nan shape book.

A scrum, centre field, 5 metres retired from nan Exeter line, nan Stoop singing his name, a infinitesimal near connected nan timepiece - it seemed group up for a last Danny Care snipe to nonstop disconnected his rugby profession pinch a try.

But it doesn't activity that that. Not usually. And not this time.

But, still, nan erstwhile England scrum-half ended nan lucifer and his profession connected his ain term, kicking into touch to unafraid nan squad win, alternatively than hunt for a touch of individual glory.

The scenes astatine nan extremity were sweet. Harlequins players queued up to clasp their departing team-mate, earlier base him from nan transportation connected their shoulders.

No de-mob remainder for nan 38-year-old though.

Monday greeting meant he was backmost connected nan Rugby Union Weekly sofa for his first quality arsenic a full-time civilian.