Wednesday 26 October 2016 16:11, UK
Head coach Eddie Jones says he is "excited" to have Tom Wood in the England squad for the first time since he took charge.
The Northampton flanker has not been part of the set-up since Jones took charge following England's disappointing showing at the World Cup last year.
And a recall had appeared unlikely, Wood having said in January that Jones had told him he was "distinctly average".
But the 29-year-old now finds himself with a great chance of adding to his 42 caps, as the apparent beneficiary of a back-row injury crisis.
However, Jones told Sky Sports News HQ that Wood's inclusion is thoroughly merited, following some fine performances for Northampton this season.
"I think the long hair and the beard has done him well," said Jones with a smile. "He is a bit like Samson.
"He has come back better than ever. His work rate has been exceptional for Northampton and I am excited to have him back in the squad."
Jones is not concerned about the injury situation, feeling it is an opportunity to give other players a chance to impress.
"It is a great opportunity for us," he added. "We have got a great chance to blood some new players, bring some older players back, and increase the depth of the squad."
Uncapped players Charlie Ewels, Mike Haley, Nathan Hughes, Alex Lozowski, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Te'o are all in the squad and Jones agreed that they could all feature in the coming weeks.
"One hundred per cent," he said. "It is up to them now to show they have got the work ethic, they have got the commitment to the team, and they have got the skills to play international rugby."
Brilliant young Saracens forward Maro Itoje is among the players who will miss out due to injury but Jones thinks the break might actually benefit the 21-year-old in the long term.
"It is a loss but he is a young guy," said Jones. "He has had a lot of rugby, and a short break like this through a small injury, I think will stand him in good stead for the future."
It had been suggested that Itoje might drop back from lock to fill one of the flanker positions and the back-row selection is now possibly Jones' trickiest dilemma.
Former skipper Chris Robshaw could switch to the open side but he has been playing well for England at blind side since Jones took over and the coach indicated that, despite his proven versatility, he would remain in that spot
"He keeps that six-and-a-half jersey in his locker all the time," said the coach.
"We are still looking at him mainly at six. He has been exceptional for his club Quins, he has played well for us over the last 12 months at six, and there is no reason to change him from there."
Some of the injured players were hurt during a previous England get-together, prompting the suggestion that sessions Jones and his team prepared were too intense.
However, the Australian feels such work is vital and says he is not planning to change his approach.
"No, at all," he said. "Injuries are part and parcel of rugby.
"They are unfortunate and we were disappointed by the injuries, but we need to train with an intensity that is going to make us the number one team in the world and that is what we want to be."
England are unbeaten under Jones and already have a Grand Slam and a 3-0 series win in Australia under their belts since his arrival.
They will go to Portugal on Sunday for a week-long training camp before matches against South Africa (November 12), Fiji (November 19), Argentina (November 26) and Australia (December 3).
