Ashton and Easter on edge over cut to England World Cup squad

• First cull to come ahead of two warm-up matches against France
• ‘We are a long way from naming the 31,’ says Stuart LancasterStuart Lancaster mused at the start of the week that there was much for the England management to discuss. Friday’s pruning of the 46-strong squad will have taken less time than the debate later this month about who should make the 31 for the World Cup.The first cull will include players who are some way from first choice in their positions: the prop Matt Mull