[2021 Six Nations] England Squad

[higgik]

Wilkinson was always aware of his own failings, often to his detriment in training.

He worked hard at eliminating them, but he was aware that other people around him had other skills that would help him.

In fact, he wasn't that quick, he was a great visionary compared to some FH, but he was a great listener and talker, ensuring the best option was taken most of the time.

Just listen to him on Saturday after the game saying how the 2003 team were over their peak but rode on just enough to win the WC. So honest.
Also look at how we completely changed during the French game due to conditions, or how changes to the plan v Samoa meant we could get a win there.

Completely different mindset amongst all of the players as to their role.

 

[Scotty]

View attachment 9232

Love to kick the ball on a 6 on 2 with three of fastest people on the pitch in that 6

Wow faz to slade, lawrence fixes player, slade to watson at pace, dummy through the gap or pass to may on the outside, all through this Daly is pacing through ready to support along with Watson.

Or good defence by Scotland stops you... but no reason for the kick. Is this one that went straight to hand of the scotland player?

 

[Reiser99]

Wow faz to slade, lawrence fixes player, slade to watson at pace, dummy through the gap or pass to may on the outside, all through this Daly is pacing through ready to support along with Watson.

Or good defence by Scotland stops you... but no reason for the kick. Is this one that went straight to hand of the scotland player?

Pretty sure it did, then Faz kicked another bad one and it ended up with a lineout somewhere near our 22. If not then there was another time it ended up like that.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

You have to ask what mentality as Captain Farrell is bringing into the side we've had dressing room rebellions in the past when coaching has been ******** but Farrell appears to breeding a culture of mindless yes men. Its rare to for a FH, goal kicker to be captain but looks at the past. If Wilkinson ever got the yips like Farrell did in the ANC final with two other kickers on the pitch nobody would of gone up to WIlkinson and gone 'look mate today's not your day why don't you late Daly/Ford take em from now'. Then I also belive Wilko would of owned up to it and given the tee to someone else as well. But not a single player was willing to turn around to Farrell and 'look skip I think you need to bench yourself'

Faz is ultra competitive and never shirks responsibility. Those are massive plus points, but the flip side is that focus / intensity doesn’t always lead to clear thinking. A captain, above all else must have that clarity of thought in the big moments.

I’ve said it here loads of times but I do have sympathy for Faz as it’s just wrong to load one player with play making, goal kicking and captaincy duties. That’s Jones fault although there weren’t many other options at the time - the root cause of our perennial leadership vacuum is a much wider issue.

Now though there are options going into the next RWC. Few with any real leadership experience, but some who seem to have the right stuff: Itoje, Curry, George. But if we are going to make a change it must be sooner rather than later.

 

[McTallshort]

Bit of reflection on Saturdays game:

• England kicked too much ball away and didnt play with any ambition at all. They didn't look like scoring a try in 80 minutes.
• Scotland looked very comfortable on the ball and were happy to keep possession.
• Apart from Maro the English pack looked tired and unmotivated.
• Scotland had a very good set piece and supplied good back to their backline giving the likes of Redpath plenty of running opportunities.
• Finn Russell is great but hasnt a chance of getting the nod from Gatland.

 

[will311293]

I just don't understand the logic of kicking to two of the most attacking players in 6 nations (Russell & Hogg) and also backs who generally don't kick (Price, Van De Merwe, Maitland etc).
It is also so obvious what our tactics are.
The other issue is not only are we picking players who haven't played for a while but also we are so dependent on 1 player for so many key positions in 8,9,10 and fullback.
We so rarely rotate Billy, Farrell, Ford, Daly and Youngs that we never have any experience to our young guns. Ireland suffered the same with Murray and Sexton.

For me even as a wasps fan and loving Umaga, Smith or Simmonds needs to be around the squad or starting. We need consider players who are not only in form but are FIT. why pick Sarries players who realistically aren't match fit. Why keep picking players like Mako and Billy who sadly constantly break.

I think we will see a fair few changes for Italy game but tbh it would surprise me if we saw no changes at all.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

View attachment 9232

Love to kick the ball on a 6 on 2 with three of fastest people on the pitch in that 6

Good point from Tom May on this image:
There's 13 Scottish players in shot (on the uncropped version) meaning there's two covering exactly where we kicked to - making it an even worse decision

 

[Jashay]

Not actually the case: Only Hogg to cover. This was at 43 minutes so Finn Russell was still off the field. But Hogg wasn't even moving when the kick got to him; I don't think he needed to move more than 5m

 

[higgik]

Is Sinckler available for next match or not?
If so
Genge, LCD, Sinckler
Itoje, Hill
Willis, Wilson, Curry
Youngs, Ford
Lawrence, Slade
Watson, Malins, Daly

 

[higgik]

Team if EJ had them in squad
Mako, LCD, Sinckler
Itoje, Launchbury
Underhill, Dombrandt, Curry
Randall, Simmonds
Devoto, Slade
Watson, Malins, May

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is Sinckler available for next match or not?

He's not been named in the squad/I'm not sure if he can be brought in with COVID bubbling protocols

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

He's not been named in the squad/I'm not sure if he can be brought in with COVID bubbling protocols

Yeah he can. Eddie said he'll decide whether or not to call him up when his suspension finishes. I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Jonny Hill made 24 tackles and some England fans feel he should be dropped.

AWJ makes 23 tackles and Wales Online call him superhuman. God I love Wales Online!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

with all the media talk about him now Ford will never play for England again

I blame Spidge for making that Ford is the best 10 in the world video, for Eddie not starting him v Scotland also.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Jonny Hill made 24 tackles

This number keeps creeping up, haha
He made 20, according to the official stat pack

Great effort tbf - he was also top three for attacking and defensive ruck hits which surprised me a lot.

 

[Wasps92]

View attachment 9232

Love to kick the ball on a 6 on 2 with three of fastest people on the pitch in that 6

Unbelievable that.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Yeah he can. Eddie said he'll decide whether or not to call him up when his suspension finishes. I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

Have read that Mako is fit again and they’re both likely to be called up. Some bubble.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Faz is ultra competitive and never shirks responsibility. Those are massive plus points, but the flip side is that focus / intensity doesn’t always lead to clear thinking. A captain, above all else must have that clarity of thought in the big moments.

I’ve said it here loads of times but I do have sympathy for Faz as it’s just wrong to load one player with play making, goal kicking and captaincy duties. That’s Jones fault although there weren’t many other options at the time - the root cause of our perennial leadership vacuum is a much wider issue.

Now though there are options going into the next RWC. Few with any real leadership experience, but some who seem to have the right stuff: Itoje, Curry, George. But if we are going to make a change it must be sooner rather than later.

I think that's the problem, just because Faz can make a lot of noise that doesn't meant he can think or lead, it just means his mouth is very active.

Faz could be a good lieutenant or sergeant in the team, someone who is a talisman but he should not be a decision maker. Most 10's come across as reasonably astute in interviews etc, Faz comes across like a brick.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

This number keeps creeping up, haha
He made 20, according to the official stat pack

Great effort tbf - he was also top three for attacking and defensive ruck hits which surprised me a lot.

Yeah, it was 24 immediately after the game but has been updated to 20 since.

Where do you find stats about hitting rucks? Wouldn’t mind having a look at them.

 

[klitarris]

What an absolute sack of sh*t that was on Saturday. So much has been said already that I'm not going to repeat it (much). For me, Farrell looks shot and like he needs a break from the pressure. That certainly means giving up the captaincy, but I think it's got to the point where he needs a break from England as well. My 100% uninformed opinion is that the RWC final and the Saracens mess affected him far more than anyone realised and that he would admit - he doesn't seem like the most talkative or in touch with himself person. I'm still a big fan of his, and I believe he will come good again. But if you look back 2-3 years he was capable of making decisions in the moment and doing some lovely passes to put people through or round the opposition. He just doesn't do that any more, I think his mind is so jumbled he's lost the ability to just do what feels best at the time. It probably doesn't help that he doesn't have Tuilagi outside him either as a bosher or to draw defenders and create space for others. I think that this a failing of the coaching rather than Farrell himself - we've got to accept that for the foreseeable (maybe forever) we haven't got Tuilagi available and so need to change the plans to suit who we do have.

2 other people to single out. Youngs and Billy:

I accept that Billy plays himself into form, but it is not England's responsibility to do that, that is down to his club and the player. It's all very admirable staying at Saracens for their year in the championship, but even without COVID he was never going to get the right kind of match experience. He should have been seeking a season long loan somewhere else where he would play against top opposition. As it is he needs to be dropped, otherwise he'll just about play himself into form by the end of the 6 nations, in time for another break where he'd lose that form before the next set of England and/or Lions games.

Re: Youngs. Eddie has always had a blind eye at 9. Someone else will know the number of new caps he has handed out there, and it won't be many (well, unless you count 5 minutes off the bench at the end of a game). Youngs is probably very comfortable knowing that if he is fit he starts. I'm not saying that he isn't good (no one who gets 100 caps isn't good), or that he doesn't try. But I can't see anyone who doesn't have someone breathing down their necks as a rival not pushing themselves 100% to improve, even if it is subconsciously.

I said in the Autumn that my guess was that Jones's 2020 mission was to (re)shore up the set piece and really nail the defence before adding the attack in 2021. The evidence form Saturday suggests i was completely wrong and that Jones has no intention of doing that, more's the pity. I'm not in the camp of getting rid of him yet, but he's got to make it obvious that he is heading in some direction at some point very soon, otherwise I will be.