English Rugby
Burns set for EPS promotion
ESPN Staff
January 4, 2013
Freddie Burns made his England debut against the All Blacks in December
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Gloucester's Freddie Burns will be promoted to England's senior squad from the Saxons, according to reports. England's revised Elite Player Squad will be released on January 9 and the fly-half looks set to be a notable addition. Burns has been in sparkling form for his club side this season and there were calls before the All Blacks Test on December 1 that he should get the nod at fly-half for England ahead of Owen Farrell. As it transpired, Farrell produced an assured performance to help Stuart Lancaster's men beat the Kiwis with Burns taking his England bow as a second-half substitute. Before the autumn Tests, Burns was a member of the England Saxons squad rather than the senior group of players, but according to reports in the Daily Mail, that looks set to change. The Gloucester half-back would have to replace a current member of the senior squad with Jordan Turner-Hall one potential candidate to drop out down to the Saxons to make way for Burns. Farrell looks set to keep the fly-half berth for England's first game of the 2013 Six Nations - against Scotland on February 2 - but Burns is in within a shout of making the bench in what looks likely to be a straight shootout between him and Toby Flood for the backup fly-half shirt. The newspaper also reports that Bath's Kyle Eastmond could get called into the Saxons squad as a reward for his impressive form for the West Country side. © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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