Clubs pick seven England players

Brian Ashton's request for his England players to be rested ahead of next weekend's Six Nations clash with Ireland has, by and large, fallen on deaf ears with the majority of the squad due to line out for their clubs.

While the likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall will not feature in the English Premiership due to knocks picked up against Italy, seven of Ashton's starting XV have been selected by their clubs.

In addition, all seven replacements for the match at Croke Park also start matches.

Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan will start at Vicarage Road against a Saracens side containing his England teammate Andy Farrell. Wasps will also start with England pair Josh Lewsey and Joe Worsley against Sale, who include Jason Robinson and Magnus Lund. England replacements Tom Palmer and Tom Rees also feature in the Wasps side.

Ashton's former club Bath have also ignored his pleas with Danny Grewcock picked to face London Irish.

Leicester have been somewhat kinder to the international cause with  Harry Ellis, James Hamilton, Martin Castrogiovanni named on a replacements bench that also includes Ireland's Geordan Murphy.

Martin Corry, Louis Deacon and George Chuter are not in the match 22.

Newcastle have opted to include backs Toby Flood and Mathew Tait, both on bench duty
against Ireland, in their side to meet  Bristol who have another England replacement Shaun Perry in their ranks.

Ashton, who named his side earlier this week, had hoped the entire line-up selected for Croke Park would not start in domestic games this weekend, yet the clubs are under no obligation to rest their international players.