Share

Kruis axed by England ahead of Australia clash

London - England boss Eddie Jones has axed George Kruis for Saturday's showdown with old rivals Australia.

Kruis started England's 21-8 victory over Argentina on Saturday, but the second row forward has paid the price for a disappointing performance.

The 27-year-old Saracens star was released on Tuesday in the latest blow for a player who has suffered a number of form and injury setbacks this year.

Kruis was viewed as a key member of the England team as recently as last year's Six Nations, but he has failed to maintain that progress and was dropped following an error-strewn performance in the first Test of the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Jones has decided to include Charlie Ewels instead of Kruis in the 25-man training squad gathered at their Bagshot base ahead of the Australia Test.

Meanwhile, Joe Marler is set to feature against the Wallabies at Twickenham after Ellis Genge was among the 10 players released by Jones.

Marler returns after completing his three-week ban for striking with the elbow and will either start or be named on the bench against Australia, depending on whether Jones decides to reduce Mako Vunipola's workload.

Alex Lozowski has also been dropped despite appearing as a second-half replacement on Saturday.

Lozowksi's exit means that his Saracens colleague Owen Farrell is likely to be involved against the Wallabies after being rested for Argentina alongside Maro Itoje, who is also poised to make his comeback.

Mike Brown is present among the 25 despite being likely to miss out as he follows the return to play protocols for concussion, as is Jonny May who has made a full return to training following his recovery from a hamstring strain.

Jones is due to name his starting line-up on Thursday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE