Manu Tuilagi is among four Leicester Tigers players included in a 36-man squad by England head coach Eddie Jones for a training camp next week.
The 27-year-old Tuilagi, who last played for England during the 2016 Six Nations, is joined by club colleagues George Ford, Jonny May and Ben Youngs in a squad which will assemble in Bristol on Sunday.
Youngs, with 77 caps, is among the senior players in the squad, while Ford is three short of a half-century of Test caps.
Chris Ashton, now with Sale Sharks, is included four years after his last England cap, and there are places for uncapped wings Nathan Earle (Harlequins) and Joe Cokanasiga (Bath).
Eddie Jones said: “The training camp in Bristol is our last opportunity to get the squad together before the Quilter Internationals so it is vital we put down some parameters, particularly with John Mitchell coming in as defence coach.
“We’ll implement a slightly different defence philosophy, building on the great work Paul Gustard has done, to keep advancing our defence. It’s a great opportunity for the players to work with John and for the team to keep evolving.
“It’s a chance to get the players thinking about England and the way we want to play for England and the way we want to beat South Africa. These players have the opportunity to press their chances for selection ahead of the first Test so they will have to be enthusiastic and ready to give their best.”
Ahead of the Quilter Internationals in November, an England squad will be named on October 18 and they fly to Portugal a week later to begin final preparations for the four-Test series against South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.
Earlier this week, Mitchell was confirmed as England’s new defence coach on a contract until the end of the Rugby World Cup 2019. Scott Wisemantel will continue as attack coach for the Quilter Internationals.
England training squad
Forwards (20)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Nathan Hughes (Wasps)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)
Michael Rhodes (Saracens)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Nick Schonert (Worcester Warriors)
Brad Shields (Wasps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
Backs (16)
Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Nathan Earle (Harlequins)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Dan Robson (Wasps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
