Centre Olly Barkley has been ruthlessly axed from Martin Johnson's plans at the start of the World Cup season.
The England manager yesterday dropped long-serving captain Steve Borthwick to the second-string Saxons squad as predicted, but Bath centre Barkley, who toured Australia last month with the senior squad, has been surprisingly axed altogether.
It may be punishment for his decision last month to break ranks and publicly bemoan a lack of chances in the two-Test tour.
Johnson said yesterday that choosing England's top 64 players was the most difficult process of his two-year reign.
Johnson said: 'This was undoubtedly the most difficult squad selection we've had to make in my time in the job. I think we've picked the best players and the fact that some experienced guys have missed out goes to show the depth we've now got.'
Johnson paid tribute to Borthwick for doing a 'fantastic job' in leading England in 20 games. The Saracens lock missed the tour of Australia to overcome injury, but Johnson has picked three players who missed the trip in centre Riki Flutey, prop Andrew Sheridan and hooker Dylan Hartley.
Borthwick's absence allows Lewis Moody to grab the captaincy while Gloucester lock Dave Attwood surged up the second-row ratings behind Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer and Courtney Lawes.
Bath's rugby league recruit Shontayne Hape won the centre vote ahead of Barkley who finds himself out of the two senior squads. The only other tourist to miss out altogether is Bath prop David Flatman. Barkley said on the trip that he had gained a false reputation for a poor defence. He also questioned Johnson's assertion that Test places were still up for grabs after he was picked to play in a midweek game.
In the year-long absence of tighthead Phil Vickery, who has returned to training with Wasps after a neck operation, England have developed a new generation of props in Leicester's Dan Cole, David Wilson of Bath and Gloucester's Paul Doran-Jones.
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