[2014 EOYT] England v Australia

[Jaguares]

15 Mike Brown
14 Anthony Watson
13 Brad Barritt
12 Billy Twelvetrees
11 Jonny May
10 George Ford
9 Ben Youngs
8 Ben Morgan
7 Chris Robshaw (c)
6 Tom Wood
5 Courtney Lawes
4 Dave Attwood
3 David Wilson
2 Dylan Hartley
1 Joe Marler

Replacements:

16 Rob Webber, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 George Kruis, 20 James Haskell, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Owen Farrell,
23 Marland Yarde

15 Israel Folau
14 Henry Speight
13 Adam Ashley-Cooper
12 Matt Toomua
11 Rob Horne
10 Bernard Foley
9 Nick Phipps
8 Ben McCalman
7 Michael Hooper (c)
6 Sean McMahon
5 Rob Simmons
4 Sam Carter
3 Sekope Kepu
2 Saia Fainga'a
1 James Slipper


29 November 2014
14:30 GMT (UTC+0)

City: London
Country: England
Stadium: Twickenham
Capacity: 82,000
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FRA)

 

[Irishkid]

If Barrett plays were going to lose because we won't score a try. Bring JJ or Burrell to make us go forward. Also if eastmonds fit he should play and ford to start again.

 

[Jbobo]

Hugely important game for both teams and I think it will be a cracker.

England will find out where they are present depending on the result. A good close performance is not good enough, they need to win this. If they win, this will bode really well for the WC. If not, then they can be deemed to be in a similar position to Wales which isn't too good.

Australia, weirdly, are in a similar position to England and Wales atm in that this is an absolute must win game. Lose this and it will truly confirm the Aussie decline or at the very least, a difficult period of change following a change of coach. I'd note that i reckon if one of Aus, England and Wales will be able to bounce back from a terrible Autumn, it's going to be Australia. No matter what happens between now and the WC, i think they will be the favourites to top the group. Even if they lost by 20 next week.

Going to be a great game and both teams will be frothing at the mouth to get that win. I can't call it. I'll have a go when i see the teams.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

England to lose by 15.

 

[goodNumber10]

England to lose by 15.

doubtful.

It should be interesting. Australia will be coming out to run England ragged, and for that i think we're going to see guys coming back in.

I reckon the line up will be:

01: Marler
02: Hartley
03: Wilson
04: Lawes
05: Attwood
06: Wood
07: Robshaw
08: Morgan
09: Wigglesworth
10: Farrell
11: May
12: Barritt
13: Burrell
14: Watson
15: Brown

just a gut feeling.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/rugby-union

Bloody hell Dean Ryan is advocating Goode instead of Brown at full back.

Not confident about this Saturday. Yes forward pack should be fine and like last year it will be about Robshaw and co really disrupting the Wallabies' half back pairing. But again it is the centre combo that concerns me. I really will be peeved if Lamcaster sticks with Farrell and Barritt at 12-13. Barritt is not a 13 and never will be at international level v the big teams. I also hope he recalls Burrell at 13 and personally would prefer 36 at 12.

I hope he sticks with Ford at 10 though, but doubt it and think he'll be put back on the bench.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I reckon we'll see the same 23 as the NZ game, but with Farrell at 12 and Eastmond on the bench.
Either that or Burrell on the bench instead of Eastmond.

 

[goodNumber10]

burrells been called up.

 

[ENZED-88]

Without seeing the teams england pack shouldn't have to much trouble handling the Aussies. Hopefully Genia gets a start Phipps is rubbish, if the wallabies pack can match England's than wallabies by 5-10

 

[Mikel92]

A few weeks back I was saying England with some of their powerful forwards, but even in their loss to Ireland, Australia did show some moments of brilliance. For some reason it's just hard to see the Wallabies lose three on the trot. England had their win against Samoa, surely luck will swing around so the Wallabies will pick one up as well.

Very interesting game. They are both in the same pool with Wales next year. The mental edge will be important. Yeah, the World Cup is an unpredictable beast, but any advantage I'm sure a team will take. If the Wallabies win at least they know they can beat the hosts at home. If England win, they'll take confidence and have something to build on. Proof that they CAN beat one of the "big three" and all is not lost.

Just FYI, the winner in that pool at the World Cup gets to face Scotland in the quarters (assuming the Scots come second in their pool). The runner up? Heh, the Springboks. (assuming the Boks win their pool). That's why any advantage would be beneficial I reckon. You do NOT want to come second in Pool A.

 

[goodNumber10]

ok, changing my call here after reading the Lancaster comments on the BBc.

I think he'll stick with Ford and Farrell at 10 & 12 for the game.

 

[Crapspray]

I think if England try and play to much rugby (if they do go Ford-Farrell) then the Aussies will run away with it. If they shove it up the jumper, I think the advantage in the forwards should be enough to scrape home.

It's tragic that after the promising Six Nations and summer tour, I can only think that England's best chance is 10-man rugby. But, heck, it worked last year.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

ok, changing my call here after reading the Lancaster comments on the BBc.

I think he'll stick with Ford and Farrell at 10 & 12 for the game.

So what you're saying is....I'm a genius?


Just seen Waldrom has been called in instead of Binny. Not sure who will get the bench spot between him and The Hask.

 

[Patchey]

Waldron in the squad for a concussed Billy...

We all knew this day might come.

 

[goodNumber10]

full squad:

http://www.englandrugby.com/news/lancaster-names-players-for-wallaby-week/#

England Squad
Loose-head props
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)

Tight-head props
Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)

Hookers
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Rob Webber (Bath Rugby)

Locks
Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)

Back rows
Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, captain)
Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)

Scrum halves
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Outside backs
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)

Back threes
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Semesa Rokoguduni (Bath Rugby)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)

 

[Patchey]

So if Ford and Farrell start does Myler bench? I'd assume they'd put a centre or a more utility player in the 22 shirt but maybe not if he's included?

I really hope Haskell isn't just thrown aside / Waldron brought in on the bench.

Lawes really needs a rest.

Still no third hooker in the squad?

 

[goodNumber10]

So if Ford and Farrell start does Myler bench? I'd assume they'd put a centre or a more utility player in the 22 shirt but maybe not if he's included?

I really hope Haskell isn't just thrown aside / Waldron brought in on the bench.

Lawes really needs a rest.

Still no third hooker in the squad?

I'd imagine we'll see 36 or Eastmond on the bench, with OF covering 10, really interesting week for England - if Eastmond gets benched i think we'll have found out everything we needed to about his standing in the squad,

 

[Patchey]

I'd imagine we'll see 36 or Eastmond on the bench, with OF covering 10, really interesting week for England - if Eastmond gets benched i think we'll have found out everything we needed to about his standing in the squad,

Quite. I am a bit confused about where he is in the squad. As much as I disagreed with Farrell's selection last week, I could understand where it was coming from. Eastmond injured, no other centres reall up to speed, 'inferior' opposition, let's see how he does. This week though, with Kyle fit...

I guess if Eastmond is benched it suggests that the coaches would prefer to have Farrell involved, even if that means a much better 12 has to sit on the bench.

Joseph's continued absence from even a training squad is mental.

 

[goodNumber10]

yeah, it's a difficult process to understand.

Honestly, i was very underwhelmed with Eastmond's contributions in the NZ & SA games, but he did show some moments - i wonder if he's still suffering form the 3rd test in NZ int eh eyes of the coaches.

 

[TommiG88]

yeah, it's a difficult process to understand.

Honestly, i was very underwhelmed with Eastmond's contributions in the NZ & SA games, but he did show some moments - i wonder if he's still suffering form the 3rd test in NZ int eh eyes of the coaches.

He did have a very off form 9 and 10 inside him doing very little to help.

I feel he's been made the scapegoat for that third test.