Ted Hill earns England Nations Championship call-up after impressing against France XV

Bath loose forward Ted Hill has been rewarded with a place in Steve Borthwick’s 36-man England squad for the inaugural Nations Championship, following an eye-catching display for England XV against their French counterparts. Hill was not part of the original training group but has now forced his way back into contention for a first Test appearance in 12 months.

The 26-year-old, who can operate at flanker or lock, won the last of his five caps against the USA a year ago. His club captain at Bath, Ben Spencer, once described him as “a freak” owing to his physical attributes and pace. Hill comes into the squad in place of Chandler Cunningham-South.

Bath teammate Charlie Ewels is also included despite not featuring during the Six Nations, with his selection coming at the expense of Nick Isiekwe. Sale Sharks hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, who was absent from the original training group while undergoing injury rehabilitation, has been cleared fit and will compete for a starting berth alongside Saracens pair Jamie George — who captains the side in Maro Itoje’s absence — and Theo Dan.

The squad contains five uncapped players: Noah Caluori, Greg Fisilau, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, George Kloska, and Vilikesa Sela. The group will train at England’s Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park until Wednesday before departing for South Africa, where they open their Nations Championship campaign against the Springboks at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday 4 July.

England then return for a home fixture against Fiji at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, before travelling to Argentina to face Los Pumas at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero, in Round 3.

“We’ve selected a squad with a good blend of experience and emerging talent,” said Borthwick. “The Nations Championship presents an exciting challenge for this group. We will face strong opposition in demanding environments, with extensive travel, and changes in climate all testing the squad throughout the tournament. I am sure by preparing well and continuing to demand the highest standards from one another every day, we will be well placed to meet the challenge of a very demanding summer schedule.”