Recalled England centre Joe Marchant admits the RFU selection policy which prohibits players being selected from outside of the Prem is tough for players abroad to deal with. For three seasons between 2023/24 and 2025/26, Marchant - who has 28 caps - was ineligible to represent England due to playing with Stade Francais in France's Top 14. The 30-year-old returned to Prem Rugby with Sale Sharks over the summer, and has since been included in England's squad ahead of November's Nations Championship.
However, players like Jack Willis at Toulouse, Tom Willis at Bordeaux and Kyle Sinckler at Toulon still cannot be picked. "The whole time I was there, I wanted to be back playing for England," Marchant told Sky Sports. "We obviously know the rules, but I just wanted to be back in an England shirt.
"It's a tough one, and obviously it's a big debate at the moment. But especially when I was there, I just wanted to be back in the England mixer. "That's why, when the opportunity came to go to Sale, it was a good one for me at the time." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player England have an upcoming three-day training camp ahead of their Nations Championship schedule, for which Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad who will gather at England's performance centre at Pennyhill Park.
England face Australia, Japan and New Zealand throughout November, in a series that represents their final opportunity to test themselves against southern hemisphere opposition before the 2027 Rugby World Cup. For Marchant, he admits returning to the England fold has happened quicker than he imagined, while he now has hopes of forcing his way into Borthwick's England plans for the 2027 World Cup in Australia. "I'm absolutely buzzing, it's been really good to be back into camp.
All the boys have been great. It's been obviously a lot of new faces since I left, but I'm really enjoying being back in with the lads," he said. "I was just hoping, to be honest.
I was obviously coming back into England, and I wanted to put my best foot forward and see if I can get in the mixer. "There's still some selection stuff to go, and hopefully I'll be in the mixer when it comes in a week's time. "I think [I have] just a little bit more experience all round.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
