George to captain England, Sinckler out

LONDON :Saracens hooker Jamie George was named as the new England captain on Wednesday as coach Steve Borthwick included seven uncapped players in his 36-man squad for the Six Nations championship, which begins for his team on Feb. 3 away to Italy.

George, who has 85 caps, is one of the few players absolutely assured of his place as England undergo a period of transition in the wake of regular captain Owen Farrell's decision to stand down from international rugby.

The uncapped players are Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks) and Fin Smith (Northampton Saints).

There are recalls for Northampton's in-form back George Furbank, Bath scrumhalf Ben Spencer, whose last appearance was as a late replacement in the 2019 World Cup final, centre Henry Slade and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Prop Kyle Sinckler, reported to be on the brink of securing a move to French club Toulon, and number eight Billy Vunipola, are notable absentees.

"Building on the foundations of what the England team achieved in the Rugby World Cup, I have selected a squad that provides strong continuity and experience, whilst at the same time providing an opportunity to develop the talent of a number of new and less experienced players,” Borthwick said.

On George's appointment, he added: "Jamie has been a respected leader in this group for a number of years now. He is a quietly influential character who has an excellent tactical understanding and who sets high standards, whilst building strong relationships with the people around him.

"This, together with his previous experiences of captaining Saracens and the British &