[2013 EOYT] England

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I think it will be Watson and maybe daly coming into the team. The reason being that in the dai young interview he said that daly was taken by Lancaster as there spare match day player which must mean he is in lancasters thoughts.

Then with Watson he brought him into camp and spoke very highly of him. I can't really think if any winger worse than Ashton and or Goode in the back three. Bring back cueto, bring back Ben Cohen.... Anyone other than ashton and Goode!

So if I have you all these players to choose from who would you have?

May
Sharpies
Varndell
Watson
Daly
Nowel

 

[TRF_Olyy]

11. May
12. Twelvetrees
13. Daly
14. Nowell
15. Brown

23. Watson

Which, to be fair, would be bloody good if Dickson/Farrell can get the ball to them (which is debatable).

May be a little harsh on Sharples, but the others are in better form. Don't think Varndell is back from injury yet (though he's not far off).

 

[ratsapprentice]

Nowell and Watson have definitely been impressive in recent weeks.
And both can cover FB and Wing. (not that I want them to, but it will increase the likelihood of them being picked if we're honest)

Nowell has the ability to beat the first defender almost every time, a bit like Brown does.
And Watson has ridiculous pace, and has used it to run some clever supporting lines.

The recent injury "crisis" is exactly why I think Kvesic has to be given significant game time in the 6N.
If Wood and Robshaw are injured then we will be forced to play a guy with very little experience.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Nowell and Watson have definitely been impressive in recent weeks.


The recent injury "crisis" is exactly why I think Kvesic has to be given significant game time in the 6N.
If Wood and Robshaw are injured then we will be forced to play a guy with very little experience.

Yes and it holds us back because England always have another, safer but more boring option to go back to because of our large playing pool. Teams with smaller playing pools are forced to blood talent - and I think it's a great thing if that happens with guys like Nowell, Daly, and to a lesser extent kvesic since he's already capped. It may be a nervy debut for some of them and for the coaches taking the punt on them, but in 3/5 games time when they have grown into the team, we'd be thankful for it.

 

[Peat]

I'd be ok playing an unexperienced guy in a strong team performing well. I want us to pick up some momentum. If that means keeping going with the Bill & Ben double team act with Wood & Robshaw on the flanks and no space for Kvesic, so be it.

Speaking of the 'safer' but more boring option, how's Hask getting along Henry?

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Didn't see our game against Irish but otherwise - impressive enough. He looks more focused, I think his months on the sidelines made him restless! Jackling more ball than I've seen a in a while. I still want to see him improve his carrying though, and I don't see how it's going to happen unless he loses weight. You're right to describe him as boring - as without the carrying facet of his game he is one dimensional at international level. I think that an intelligent club coach should have long ago told him to either lose-weight and stick to the flanks, or keep it and develop his number 8 skill-set. He's still suffering from being in the no-mans land between 6, 7 and 8 which is fatal in terms of accruing international caps for a good side (although Robshaw would beg to differ!) At club level his extra physicality is valuable and has seen him preferred already to the impressive Nathan Hughes and less impressive Ed Jackson - but at international level its just not enough.

In short, unlikely to be the answer in any position unless all of Wood, Robshaw and Kvesic are playing badly.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I'd be ok playing an unexperienced guy in a strong team performing well.

Maybe not the whole team, but the pack is in that position going into the 6N.
You'd honestly not want to give him 30 minutes against Italy and Scotland?

 

[Peat]

Maybe not the whole team, but the pack is in that position going into the 6N.
You'd honestly not want to give him 30 minutes against Italy and Scotland?

I'm not against the idea, I just suspect I'm more for ideas that will be mutually exclusive.

I want us to keep building the momentum, belief and expectation levels in the camp, which means no taking out foot off the accelerator. I want to give what will be a rookie backline the best possible shot, which means the strongest pack throughout. I'm not sure giving Kvesic playing gives us these things.

And because as you say the pack is there, I don't see the need to start giving him experience for the sake of experience, because I am reasonably confident of him slotting in and giving a decent account of himself in a strong pack straight away. But not decent enough to make me want to change what we've got.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I didn't say the pack is "there". It's unlikely to hamper someone coming in though.
I don't want us to rest on our laurels ever - we should always try and be as dominant as possible.

Sooner or later you will struggle to do that if you don't have people who can slot in should your first choice players get injured.
Was NZ playing Sam Cane the AB's "taking their foot off the accelerator"?

 

[Peat]

Its there in the sense that a good player dropping in will find things relatively easy.

And yeah, the Kiwis did take their foot off the accelerator a little, but as they're in an entirely different place to us I don't see it as relevant. Their momentum is set. They are not carrying around huge weaknesses in the rest of the team.

Tbh, I'd like to see what sort of form Kvesic is in come the Six Nations before saying anything definite. Maybe he'll be knocking on the door and demanding a start in one of those Scotland/Italy games. Maybe he'll be nowhere near. But, in terms of definitely needing to develop more flankers - nope. Injury will give us that chance soon enough anyway. You might see that as a reason to prepare and pre-empt it, I don't, and believe the best preparation is winning games anyway.

 

[Aedaphon]

I'm happy that I'm not the only one who has a soft spot for Cirpriani around here. Highly doubt he'll get back in, but on current form it really wouldn't be the worst idea. Burns has been tanking his chances and if we really do want an attacking backline we don't seem to have too many other 10s to attack the line at pace. Probably a vain hope, but at least he's getting the recognition again.

We have been royally done on the wings though- Yarde may make it back in time for the 6N but I have a terrible sinking feeling that Ashton will remain in the squad as a result of this godawful set of injuries.

Watching Daly gives me hope though, I'd rather see him come in at fullback but there's just no chance of him playing Brown out of the shirt right now are extremely slim.

 

[ianw16]

I'm happy that I'm not the only one who has a soft spot for Cirpriani around here. Highly doubt he'll get back in, but on current form it really wouldn't be the worst idea. Burns has been tanking his chances and if we really do want an attacking backline we don't seem to have too many other 10s to attack the line at pace. Probably a vain hope, but at least he's getting the recognition again.

We have been royally done on the wings though- Yarde may make it back in time for the 6N but I have a terrible sinking feeling that Ashton will remain in the squad as a result of this godawful set of injuries.

Watching Daly gives me hope though, I'd rather see him come in at fullback but there's just no chance of him playing Brown out of the shirt right now are extremely slim.

TBH, with Farrell at 10 it doesn't matter who is on the wings, as they're never likely to get the ball in a decent situation. I think Farrell and his dad, not to mention Catt, could have done worse than watching how flat Cooper played against Wales at times last weekend. Everyone is waxing lyrical about the offloads, but his all round game was on a different level to his opposite number, and way better than Farrell. I'm not being a wum by suggesting this, but I would struggle to see Farrell getting a Super XV contract if he'd been born in NZ. Would you pick him ahead of Carter, Cruden, Barrett, Taylor or Slade? I wouldn't.
Until they sort out that position, and get a 13 with vision, passing skills and a decent defensive game (no, I'm not a fan of Tuilagi!), then 11 and 14 are an irrelevance. Might as well play a 10 man game and bring back Wilkinson!

 

[j'nuh]

Nobody seemed to have picked up on this?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/03/toby-flood-leicester-england-call-time

If Flood does call time, I'm worried that it'll keep Farrell at 10 for good. Also, Burns will probably join Tigers. Double whammy of bad news.

 

[Peat]

Its been discussed intermittently over the last few pages or so. I was wondering why you hadn't commented.

It would appear to be Farrell at 10 for good whatever the weather. Kinda amusing that Ford might have jumped ship a season before Flood opened up the Tigers shirt for him anyway. Obviously losing Burns would be a hammerblow for Glaws.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Might **** off 36 a bit too...

 

[Aedaphon]

Its been discussed intermittently over the last few pages or so. I was wondering why you hadn't commented.

It would appear to be Farrell at 10 for good whatever the weather. Kinda amusing that Ford might have jumped ship a season before Flood opened up the Tigers shirt for him anyway. Obviously losing Burns would be a hammerblow for Glaws.

I mean, it's a bit of a pisser, but Ford's won 8 on the trot with Bath. Not really a poor record this season.

 

[Peat]

Meh. Short term its working ok for him, long term Leicester remains a better place to win caps and trophies barring a significant change in the wind - which I'll grant you may be happening.

 

[Patchey]

Also, he has won 8 in a row at Bath but not 8 in a row for Bath. I'm a big fan and think that on his best days Ford is a game winner. However he hasn't yet got to a stage when he consistently has 'good days'.

 

[Aedaphon]

Also, he has won 8 in a row at Bath but not 8 in a row for Bath. I'm a big fan and think that on his best days Ford is a game winner. However he hasn't yet got to a stage when he consistently has 'good days'.

You know who's been having consistently good days?

This guy:

 

[TRF_Olyy]