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- Jack Van Poortvliet sustained a serous ankle injury at Twickenham last August
- The 23-year-old scrum-half made his comeback for Leicester Tigers in March
- Borthwick named a provisional 19-man squad ahead of England’s summer tour
Jack Van Poortvliet has been recalled by England and is on track to reignite his Test career after being forced to miss the World Cup due to a serious ankle injury.
The 23-year-old Leicester scrum-half had been the country’s pre-eminent No 9 until he sustained major ligament damage during the summer warm-up clash with Wales at Twickenham last August.
In his absence, Alex Mitchell of Northampton seized the opportunity to claim a place in the tournament squad and went on to become the undisputed starter, with Danny Care acting as his under-study.
Now that Care has retired from Test rugby, with a century of caps, there is a place up for grabs and Van Poortvliet is set to claim it.
He made his comeback for the Tigers in late March and was soon demonstrating a heartening return to prime form. The dazzling solo try he scored against Exeter in Leicester’s final Premiership fixture at Welford Road was hailed as a ‘ripper’ by the East Midlands club’s Australian head coach, Dan McKellar.
Jack Van Poortvliet is set to claim a spot in the England team following the retirement of Danny Care
The 23-year-old sustained major ligament damage during the summer warm-up clash last August
England head coach Steve Borthwick has included the Leicester man in his provisional training squad containing 19 players
He has been included in a provisional training squad containing 19 players, which will go into camp in Surrey to begin the build-up to England’s summer tour of Japan and New Zealand.
In due course, additional players will be added from the Premiership play-off clubs – while rookies such as Exeter forwards Greg Fisilau and Rusi Tuima, Newcastle flanker Guy Pepper and Gloucester fly-half Charlie Atkinson have been included to gain experience and may not travel.
As first reported by Mail Sport, there is a place for Harlequins’ new prop star, Fin Baxter – but injury to leading loosehead Ellis Genge means that Joe Marler is now set to go on the tour, rather than stay at home as planned.
He and fellow veteran Dan Cole will come into camp next week.
Gloucester No 8 Zach Mercer has had an impressive season and has spoken of his desperate desire to earn a place on the tour, but he has been overlooked by head coach Steve Borthwick yet again.
England take on Japan in Tokyo on June 22, before back-to-back Tests against the All Blacks – in Dunedin on July 6 and in Auckland on July 13.
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