2014 6 Nations: England vs Wales (Round 4)

[AKA]

Already have - unchanged apart from Morgan in for the injured Billy V.

England squad to play Wales: M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), L Burrell (Northampton), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Gloucester).
Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), H Thomas (Sale), D Attwood (Bath), T Johnson (Exeter), L Dickson (Northampton), G Ford (Bath), A Goode (Saracens).


EDIT: Jake Ball in for Luke Charteris who is out injured! Andrew Coombs comes onto the bench for Wales.

Thanks, I guess everyone deserves to keep their place after the Irish game. I would have thought Tuilagi would at least be on the bench. He is fully fit now and great impact player to bring on in the last quarter. Why isn't he in the squad and what's the point bringing him back against Italy?

Also big blow for Wales losing Charteris, but if Ball plays like he did against France than Charteris won't be missed that much and Wyn-Jones can cover for the line-outs. Still see Wales winning by 10.

 

[Patchey]

The BBC should be commended for managing to give conflicting information within the couple of inches which make up a bbc sport column:

JAKE BALL FACTFILE
Born: 21 June, 1991, Ascot
Position: Lock
Team: Scarlets
Height: 6ft 6in
Weight: 19st
Wales caps: 2

Immediately below:
Ball, who is 6ft 7in and weighs 19st 11lb, was regarded as one of the most promising talents in the Pindan Premier Grade competition in Western Australia.

Well done Beeb, well done.

The BBC has taught me that Jake Ball was born in the same hospital as me, a year beforehand. How depressing.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

The BBC has taught me that Jake Ball was born in the same hospital as me, a year beforehand. How depressing.

Ah man, sucks to be you. You had a year headstart and he still emerged with a more triumphant beard. Well, I presume you either don't have one or its not as glorious, I guess I don't really know. As I have no clue what any of you look like, I imagine most people as the person in their profile picture. So in your case, Patchey, I imagine you as being 2 people connected by an arm.

AKA: Remember Tuilagi hasn't played since the lions tour, and even then he didn't get much time. He can't be thrown straight into a match squad, not for reasons of fitness but because of rustiness which impacts your timing, positioning, decision making. Even coming off the bench for five minutes at the end you can lose your team a game. This sort of thing has happened to many teams, including England in recent years; subs not being able to hack it.

 

[Rich Taff]

Just a note, I wasn't criticising England with that comment about the psychology. It's more of a newspaper thing than a team thing, I was just saying how it's being reported.

 

[Patchey]

Ah man, sucks to be you. You had a year headstart and he still emerged with a more triumphant beard. Well, I presume you either don't have one or its not as glorious, I guess I don't really know. As I have no clue what any of you look like, I imagine most people as the person in their profile picture. So in your case, Patchey, I imagine you as being 2 people connected by an arm.

AKA: Remember Tuilagi hasn't played since the lions tour, and even then he didn't get much time. He can't be thrown straight into a match squad, not for reasons of fitness but because of rustiness which impacts your timing, positioning, decision making. Even coming off the bench for five minutes at the end you can lose your team a game. This sort of thing has happened to many teams, including England in recent years; subs not being able to hack it.

I do have a beard. And while it is a fine, manly example of facial hair, Jake Ball's is so much larger (innuendo much) that it makes me sad.

Re Tuilagi on the wing, I don't think he has the pace? Remember that try against France in 2012, he had a lot of space and was closed down vey quickly. Someone like May would have gassed the covering defense and been able to get in under the posts.

 

[Big Ewis]

hmmm, true...he actually looks somewhat slow there...not nearly as I remembered it. I remembered he stormed past everybody and scored a try and nobody was even remotely close !...funny thing, what memory decides to pick.
You're right, he wouldn't make a great winger.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I think he could make a good winger. He does have acceleration and that's the main thing for a winger as they very rarely get to sprint full tilt.

Just a question, why are we talking about tuilagi on the wing? Was this a Lancaster comment?

Would we really want to do that?

 

[Tony Manx]

................... I would have thought Tuilagi would at least be on the bench. He is fully fit now ..............

Really?!!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I wouldn't put Tuilagi on the wing. It comes across wrong if one of our new, young wingers gets sidelined in favour of playing a player who isn't at full fitness, hasn't played for ages and is out of position. Don't see any logic in having Tuilagi return anywhere except to his original position and even then I don't think it should be done until he is fully fit again.

 

[Tony Manx]

I wouldn't put Tuilagi on the wing. It comes across wrong if one of our new, young wingers gets sidelined in favour of playing a player who isn't at full fitness, hasn't played for ages and is out of position. Don't see any logic in having Tuilagi return anywhere except to his original position and even then I don't think it should be done until he is fully fit again.

....and proves himself better than the incumbents also!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I'm actually looking forward to watching this one more than I was for my own team's fixture this weekend. I think I might have to change nationalities until PSA and staff leave the FFR, will anyone pick me up ??...I have a beautiful smile...

 

[Peat]

We'll adopt the odd frog.

Re Manu on ze wing - long term, yeah, I'd be interested - for next week? Mm, feels a reckless gamble to me.

 

[Maverick1987]

We'll adopt the odd frog.

Re Manu on ze wing - long term, yeah, I'd be interested - for next week? Mm, feels a reckless gamble to me.

Reckless and needless IMO . We have 4 good centres . Who he picks is irrelevant but I wonder how long he can continue to ignore eastmond he offers so much more then 36 I think

 

[Big Ewis]

We'll adopt the odd frog.

Re Manu on ze wing - long term, yeah, I'd be interested - for next week? Mm, feels a reckless gamble to me.

K, I'll be English for a little while if I get another vote.

 

[AKA]

Really?!!

He may not be fully match fit but he is physically fit and also fit from injury. If he wasn't fully fit, than he wouldn't have played 70 minute for Leicester last week. Jon Davies is in similar situation and he is playing for Wales because he is also fully fit. He might be bit rusty and might not last the full 80 but he is ready. And I am sure Tuialagi could last the last 20 minutes of the game if he came off the bench. If England had 12tree or Burrel injured, Tuialagi would have played, so yes, he is fully fit to play.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Either way I'd rather have tuilagi on the bench than Goode who seems to do everything wrong and never get dropped!

My predication about today is that it's a close game and Goode comes on and looses it for us! Would not be surprised at all!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I can understand Goode being there, as much as it sickens me.
He had a very good(e) game vs Bath last week (though it was a massive arm chair ride) so Lancaster et al will have seen that and blocked out all of the....nothingness he brings to the England side.

 

[Patchey]

I can understand Goode being there, as much as it sickens me.
He had a very good(e) game vs Bath last week (though it was a massive arm chair ride) so Lancaster et al will have seen that and blocked out all of the....nothingness he brings to the England side.

He did have a very good(e) game against Bath, but as a ten. Sarries actually looked better going forward with him there than they usually do with Farrell. But Goode isn't going to play 10 for England, so as you say he's there to bring some nothingness to the game in the event of a full back or wing injury.

If he was our ten cover I could understand the Bath game being taken into account. As it is though if rather have one of the (many) on form 15s on the bench.

 

[gaston le gaff]

2 very good teams so a fair result would be a draw!!!!!!!! then no one is disappointed!!!!!!!!!!
This could be Poite's chance to redeem himself for all the bad decisions he has made in the TOP 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Thingimubob]

2 very good teams so a fair result would be a draw!!!!!!!! then no one is disappointed!!!!!!!!!!
This could be Poite's chance to redeem himself for all the bad decisions he has made in the TOP 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you mean EVERYONE bar the French and Irish would be disappointed I'm not looking forward to Poite's refereeing...