Mike gets old heave-ho

MIKE BROWN has been dropped by Eddie Jones for the first time.

England’s most-capped full-back, who made a successful switch to the wing on the summer tour to South Africa, will not feature in Saturday’s Test against the Springboks at Twickenham.

Now the Harlequins star is facing up to the reality that, at 33, he is seen as too old for next year’s World Cup in Japan.

He was one of 10 players released from the squad’s training camp in Portugal last night.

Brown, who has won 72 caps, had missed just two internationals during Jones’ spell in charge.

He was rested against Fiji in 2016 and sat out a Test against Australia the following year with concussion. But the recall of Chris from NEIL SQUIRES in Vilamoura

Ashton and the return to fitness of Jack Nowell has cost Brown his back-three spot.

Ashton will play his first Test in four years after being retained in a trimmed 25-man squad, with Elliot Daly set to start at full-back.

Bath No.8 Zach Mercer, 21, who played for Scotland at under-16 level, is set to make his debut with Ben Morgan also cut.

Mercer’s club-mates Charlie Ewels and Elliott Stooke have both been retained as second-row options as Courtney Lawes has been ruled out after suffering a back injury. The 25 players remaining in the Algarve will be snipped down further to the match-day 23 tomorrow.

Already on their way home are Michael Rhodes, who misses out on a Test debut against the land of his birth, and Sam Underhill, who has been beaten to the No.7 jersey by Tom Curry.

Alex Lozowski was another to be despatched home and will attend a European disciplinary hearing in London.

The Saracens fly-half is accused of making a high tackle on Glasgow’s Ruaridh Jackson in a Heineken Cup clash a fortnight ago.