Shropshire’s Jonny Hill rewarded for double with England call call-up
Shropshire’s Jonny Hill has been rewarded for his fine form for club side Exeter Chiefs with a call-up to the England rugby union Six Nations squad.
Ludlow-born lock Hill, helped the Chiefs to Gallagher Premiership final success over Wasps on Saturday, making it a double success for his side.
And his impressive displays for the Devon club have caught the eye of head coach Eddie Jones, as Hill becomes one of nine uncapped players, and three from Exeter, called up for the autumn squad.
England face Italy on Saturday tea time knowing they require a handsome bonus-point victory to stand any chance of Six Nations glory.
After that contest, Jones’ side begin preparation for the Autumn Nations Cup, where they will face Georgia, Wales and Ireland in Group A. For second-rower Hill, who attended Ludlow School and previously played for Gloucester, a call-up to the 36-man squad represents a second chance of a first cap after he was an uncapped tourist of South Africa with England in 2018.
Hill scored eight tries over the season Exeter claimed a stunning Premiership crown just a decade after coming up from the Championship.
The top flight success came seven days after the Chiefs downed Racing 92 to win the Champions Cup.
And the the 26-year-old rugby star, who joined the club in 2015, played a leading role in the 19-13 Premiership final victory over Wasps.
Hill said after the win: “It’s incredible, it feels like a dream to be honest. We worked extremely hard for the whole year and we’re over the moon.”
