Stuart Lancaster has given the strongest indication yet that Steffon Armitage’s dream of playing for England in next year’s World Cup will not be realised. The Toulon flanker cannot currently be selected for England due to the RFU’s strict policy on overseas players, and last week The Mail on Sunday revealed that Lancaster’s refusal to guarantee he would pick him if he moved to Bath played a large part in scuppering the deal. Armitage, 29, sought assurances that he would be included in Lancaster’s 33-man elite player squad, which was named on Wednesday, but the England head coach would not offer preferential treatment, leading to the Bath deal collapsing and Armitage hinting that he could now try to gain selection for France on residency grounds.
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England coach Stuart Lancaster said he won't guarantee anyone's place
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Lancaster said he stands by the rule that to be in the England squad players must be plying their trade in the Premiership
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He added that not even captain Chris Robshaw is guaranteed a place
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Semesa Rokoduguni compared rugby with his time in the armed forces, and Lancaster may ask him to relay his experiences to the squad
Armitage's choice to stay at @placeholder has shut the door on his England hopes, says Stuart Lancaster