Worcester Warriors prop Matt Mullan has today been named in the England Saxons Elite Player Squad.
Bromsgrove-born Mullan, 24, who has played on 84 occasions for Warriors, is part of a 32-man squad set for international duty.
England Saxons, who face O2 Ireland Wolfhounds at Sandy Park, Exeter on January 28 (17:00) and then Scotland A in Galashiels on February 3 (19:30), have an average age of 24 years, five months, with seven players under 21.
Coached by RFU National Academy coaches Jon Callard and Simon Hardy, the Saxons include 10 players who won the Churchill Cup last June as well as Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps) and Jonathan Joseph (London Irish) from the Under-20s squad which reached the final of the IRB Junior World Championship in the same month.
Head Coach Richard Hill said: “It’s great news for Matt that he has been included in the England Saxons set-up. His attitude has been outstanding all season and he deserves this recognition for the manner of performances he has put in for Warriors.
“Having spoken to the coaching team with England, I know it was a very close run thing for the senior squad and he is right on the edge of that level of call-up. If he continues to play the way he has recently for the club I know he will be pushing for elevation to the senior set-up very soon.”
ENGLAND SAXONS EPS (32)
FORWARDS (18)
David Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Chris Brooker (Harlequins)
Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
Matt Garvey (London Irish)
James Gaskell (Sale Sharks)
Jamie Gibson (London Irish)
Joe Gray (Harlequins)
Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby)
David Paice (London Irish)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
George Robson (Harlequins)
Andrew Saull (Saracens)
Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks)
Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers)
Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)
BACKS (14)
Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
Delon Armitage (London Irish)
Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
Karl Dickson (Harlequins)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
Ryan Lamb (Northampton Saints)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers)
Micky Young (Leicester Tigers)
“It’s great news for Matt that he has been included in the England Saxons set-up. His attitude has been outstanding all season and he deserves this recognition for the manner of performances he has put in for Warriors…"