England 2023/24

[Lé Ddanno]

Wasn't he involved more in our attacking ruck work over any form of shape. It did feel our ruck speed was quicker and our players were looking to place the ball quicker once tackled. I may be wrong but that side of our game impressed me from the start of the 6N.

That's my understanding too. Definitely not unhappy about him coming back if that's the case, it's been a long old time since we looked so secure and quick on our own ball (including against bloody Ireland!)

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

England rugby it feels imo is in the cusp of something great
If Borthwick can embrace attacking rugby more


We are starting to find depth, the league being reduced to 10 is helping massively with squad depth and talent.


Yeah we still some problem positions but every season it seems like new players are starting to step up. I'm hopeful.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

England rugby it feels imo is in the cusp of something great
If Borthwick can embrace attacking rugby more


We are starting to find depth, the league being reduced to 10 is helping massively with squad depth and talent.


Yeah we still some problem positions but every season it seems like new players are starting to step up. I'm hopeful.

The only is the financial side. Teams have lost those extra games worth of revenue we will see how sustainable that is for these fragile clubs.

As for the rugby side it is promising, let's see how selection goes over the summer as borthwick still seems like he is finding his feet in terms of gameplan and players.

 

[Reiser99]

Definitely. Saints especially seem to have got the attack and defence balance right. I know international rugby is a step up, but essentially it's the same game. Ireland use Leinster as a blueprint, we used Sarries before. Why not use Saints as template?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Definitely. Saints especially seem to have got the attack and defence balance right. I know international rugby is a step up, but essentially it's the same game. Ireland use Leinster as a blueprint, we used Sarries before. Why not use Saints as template?

Cause they haven't won anything yet?

 

[Reiser99]

True, but then I don't think we have any truly dominant teams left.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Cause they haven't won anything yet?

Neither have Leinster and Ireland as well

Maybe it's not such a good system.

 

[BPM]

Quins and Saints players really putting their hands up for selection for the summer tour. Surely Baxter and Sleightholme are playing themselves in to the squad?

Touring NZ possibly isn't the setting for being too experimental, but could also be a brilliant opportunity.

 

[big ginger 8]

Neither have Leinster and Ireland as well

Maybe it's not such a good system.

Ireland just won the Six Nations for the second year in a row?

 

[Reiser99]

Ireland just won the Six Nations for the second year in a row?

Only thing I remember was from this year was England battering Ireland.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd rather Ireland's campaign than ours, tbh

Consistently losing to Scotland is far more embarrassing than anything Ireland has done

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

We have some very exciting players coming through, but they need to get experience and then be properly melded into a cohesive team with the right tactics, a balance of youth and experience etc. As we saw with Chiefs yesterday, talent and youth isn't enough.

Of the emerging crop I particularly like the look of Baxter and F Smith. Both just have a stamp of class. CCS has some raw edges and possibly some fitness to work on, but the physicality in the tackle and carry is something else.

When I watched Collier at the weekend I was wondering what planet successive coaches have been on.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It's a interesting one from what I remember he wasn't even out and out first choice for his club until what 2021?
Breakout seasons i'm pretty sure he had some badly timed injuries in regards to six nations selection period
Pre 2019 I would say he was prob rightly behind Sinckler and Cole at the time
Post 2019 he was behind Louw at quins
2020 season If I remember rightly he was injured until like April
2021 season was the season he should have been really given a chance with
2022 season injured for most of it
2023 Could honestly still be picked, but moving to France next season.

I feel you could def point fingers at some coaches but at the same time, he's been unlucky with injuries and being behind Sinckler and Louw at club level for chunks of it.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

It's a interesting one from what I remember he wasn't even out and out first choice for his club until what 2021?
Breakout seasons i'm pretty sure he had some badly timed injuries in regards to six nations selection period
Pre 2019 I would say he was prob rightly behind Sinckler and Cole at the time
Post 2019 he was behind Louw at quins
2020 season If I remember rightly he was injured until like April
2021 season was the season he should have been really given a chance with
2022 season injured for most of it
2023 Could honestly still be picked, but moving to France next season.

I feel you could def point fingers at some coaches but at the same time, he's been unlucky with injuries and being behind Sinckler and Louw at club level for chunks of it.

Fair points. He could have had a better crack before now but the graph's never even. With Cole's recall I am hoping that we are seeing an increased emphasis on scrummaging props. Foundations, piano shifters and all that.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Fair points. He could have had a better crack before now but the graph's never even. With Cole's recall I am hoping that we are seeing an increased emphasis on scrummaging props. Foundations, piano shifters and all that.

It seems a no brainer to me that you pick your best scrummaging props, especially against south africa. Every time a penalty is given away at the scrum thats 3 points to the opposition. That seems to outweigh the benefit of having a prop that is a good carrier (though obviously having a prop that can do both would be nice).
A couple of nice passes from Mako Vunipola doesn't outweigh all the penalties he has given away.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England Rugby just did a social media post that's a bit of a love in about Wilko, with a bunch of players saying how he was their hero growing up - while a Wilko love in is always justified, it's an odd time to do it as it's not his Birthday or any real anniversary that I can see?

I wonder if it's a lead up to him being named in a permanent role in the coaching set up? Sinfield is current skills and kicking coach but leaves at the end of the summer tour

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

England Rugby just did a social media post that's a bit of a love in about Wilko, with a bunch of players saying how he was their hero growing up - while a Wilko love in is always justified, it's an odd time to do it as it's not his Birthday or any real anniversary that I can see?

I wonder if it's a lead up to him being named in a permanent role in the coaching set up? Sinfield is current skills and kicking coach but leaves at the end of the summer tour

IDK, might just be social media needing something to talk about so just doing a random love in

 

[Noonz]

Will there be a new EPS squad named for the Autumn Series? I can never recall how that works

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah it's a mess trying to find anything concrete about it

I think it's 10 changes per international period, and then a whole new squad at the start of the RWC cycle
Injury replacements are unlimited, and the squad varies in size each international period (away tours seem to have larger squads, Six Nations has a fixed number, like the RWC) so there's plenty of ways to make sure you've got who you want

That said with this new central contract agreement (of which we only know of two players in it, and both of them just from a newspaper report about their new deals and now anything from the RFU or even the clubs) who knows what the situation is moving forwards - could've been completely rewritten

 

[gbdh68]

Hi does anyone know if you join the England fxv membership scheme if you can purchase more than one ticket or do you require a membership for each ticket you require ?