Vainikolo named in England Six Nations squad

He’s not in the country at the moment, but Lesley Vainiokolo is English … and to prove it, the Tongan winger is in the England squad for the Six Nations tournament, named today by coach Brian Ashton. But while the former Rugby League star, who has shone after his summer switch to Rugby Union, is named, many Glaws fans will be surprised by Kingsholm players who have not been selected.

In fact, Big Les is one of only three Glaws players in the squad, joined in the list of backs by Iain Balshaw (right) and Mike Tindall.
But there’s no room for players like Anthony Allen, James Simpson-Daniel, Ryan Lamb, Andy Hazell, Luke Narraway and Nick Wood, though some have had injury problems in recent weeks. Six Glaws players do make the Saxons squad (see below).
Big Les, who is currently in New Zealand for the second time in recent weeks because of what the club has described as a family crisis, qualifies for England in residency.
Fears expressed by some fans that he may not be back appear to be killed off by his England selection, which indicate that he has been consulted by Ashton and asked if he wants to represent his adopted country.
ENGLAND:
Backs: Balshaw (Gloucester), Cipriani (Wasps), Cueto (Sale Sharks), Flood (Newcastle), Gomarsall (Harlequins), Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Noon (Newcastle), Richards (London Irish), Sackey (Wasps), Strettle (Harlequins), Tait (Newcastle), Tindall (Gloucester), Wigglesworth (Sale), Wilkinson (Newcastle), Vainikolo (Gloucester).
Forwards: Borthwick (Bath), Croft (Leicester), Chuter (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), Easter (Harlequins), Haskell (Wasps), Kay (Leicester), Mears (Bath), Moody (Leicester), Payne (Wasps), Rees (Wasps), Regan (Bristol), Shaw (Wasps), Sheridan (Sale), Stevens (Bath), Vickery (Wasps, capt), Worsley (Wasps).
Meanwhile, Chris Paterson, Alasdair Strokosch, Rory Lawson and Alasdair Dickinson have been named in Scotland’s squad for the Six Nations and report for training at Murrayfield on January 14.
Gloucester are expected to lose Marco Bortolami and Carlos Nieto to Italy, while Will James, Gareth Delve and Gareth Cooper are competing for places in the Wales squad.
SIX NATIONS FIXTURES
Sat Feb 2
England v Wales, England v Italy
Sun Feb 3
Scotland v France
Sat Feb 9
France v IrelandWales v Scotland
Sun Feb 10
Italy v England
Sat Feb 23
France v EnglandIreland v Scotland, Wales v Italy
Sat Mar 8
Ireland v Wales, Scotland v England
Sun Mar 9
France v Italy
Sat Mar 15
England v Ireland, Italy v Scotland, Wales v France 

SPORTNETWORK ENGLAND SITE.

There are six Glaws players in the England Saxons squad for February games against Italy and Ireland.
England Saxons squad: Backs: Abendanon (Bath), Allen (Gloucester), Armitage (London Irish), Arscott (Bristol), Ashton (Northampton), Brown (Harlequins), Care (Harlequins), Dickson (Newcastle), Geraghty (London Irish), Hipkiss (Leicester), Hodgson (London Irish), Lamb (Gloucester), Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), O Smith (Leicester), Varndell (Leicester).
Forwards: A Brown (Gloucester), Blaze (Leicester), A Clarke (Bristol), Crane (Leicester), Dowson (Newcastle), Hartley (Northampton), Hobson (Bristol), Kennedy (London Irish), Lipman (Bath), Lund (Sale Sharks), Narraway (Gloucester), Paice (London Irish), Palmer (Wasps), Titterrell (Gloucester), Wilson (Newcastle), Wood (Gloucester), B Woods (Newcastle).