Hape and Ashton in England squad

Former New Zealand rugby league international Shontayne Hape has been named in the England squad for the Six Nations Championship…

Former New Zealand rugby league international Shontayne Hape has been named in the England squad for the Six Nations Championship.

Hape, 28, is joined in the 32-man squad by Northampton winger Chris Ashton, another league convert, and his Saints team-mates Courtney Lawes and Ben Foden.

There is no place in the senior squad for Danny Cipriani or Shane Geraghty, who have to be content with places in the second-string England Saxons.

Delon Armitage, Riki Flutey, Toby Flood and Nick Easter are all back in the fold after missing England's disappointing autumn international campaign through injury.

England's revised 32-man senior elite player squad for RBS 6 Nations Championship:

Forwards

: S Armitage (London Irish), S Borthwick (Saracens), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), C Lawes (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Thompson, J White (Leicester), D Wilson (Bath).

Backs

: D Armitage (London Irish), C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton), R Flutey, S Hape (Bath), D Hipkiss (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), U Monye (Harlequins), M Tait (Sale Sharks), J Wilkinson (Toulon).

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