Saxon Attwood suffers Churchill Cup final blow

Sale Sharks back rower Carl Fearns has been called into the England Saxons squad as an injury replacement for Gloucester’s Dave Attwood ahead of this weekend’s Churchill Cup final against Canada. Lock Attwood has been ruled out of the game by a right knee injury sustained in the Saxons’ 41-14 win against Tonga on Sunday and is due to see a specialist.

Fearns played in the back row for England in the 38-32 defeat against the Barbarians last month and the Saxons already have James Gaskell (Sale Sharks) – at blind side in the opening two rounds of the Churchill Cup – in their squad as ready-made second row cover.

Revised England Saxons squad

Forwards: Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby), Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers), Carl Fearns (Sale Sharks), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Jamie Gibson (London Irish), Joe Gray (Harlequins), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), David Paice (London Irish), Matt Stevens (Saracens).

Backs: Miles Benjamin (Worcester Warriors), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Rory Clegg (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Topsy Ojo (London Irish), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby), Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers), Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons).