[2014 Mid-Year Tests] England

[mt518]

If Burns and Cips are set for the first test in nz, would it be henry slade to start for the barbarians game?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Looks that way - with Robson and Eastmond as cover!

 

[TheSaffycen]

Because there isn't an Amlin final thread im going to make some points regarding England-
Corbisiero looks really good from injury and is beating Wilson in the scrum.
Myler vs Ford is a heavily one sided affair and Ford is playing brilliantly with great tactical kicking.
All the Bath players are putting their hand up to be selected Fearns, Joseph, Ford, Watson and Abendanon (I know he's going france)
Rokoduguni has North in his pocket

 

[goodNumber10]

Because there isn't an Amlin final thread im going to make some points regarding England-
Corbisiero looks really good from injury and is beating Wilson in the scrum.
Myler vs Ford is a heavily one sided affair and Ford is playing brilliantly with great tactical kicking.
All the Bath players are putting their hand up to be selected Fearns, Joseph, Ford, Watson and Abendanon (I know he's going france)
Rokoduguni has North in his pocket

Agreed.

Northampton look like they have their minds elsewhere.

Where is eastmond? He's not featured for a while now.. Is he injured?

 

[goodNumber10]

Having said that. For all their work Bath aren't putting Northampton away are they?

 

[LittleGuy]

Because there isn't an Amlin final thread im going to make some points regarding England-
Corbisiero looks really good from injury and is beating Wilson in the scrum.
Myler vs Ford is a heavily one sided affair and Ford is playing brilliantly with great tactical kicking.
All the Bath players are putting their hand up to be selected Fearns, Joseph, Ford, Watson and Abendanon (I know he's going france)
Rokoduguni has North in his pocket

Yeah I just got in from work and noticed that, does anyone want me to set one up quickly? There is only like 20 minutes left in the game and it's not even on Television over here in Canada, St. Helens vs. Huddersfield is actually on LOL. I'm guessing there wasn't a lot of interest if no one in the membership fired up a thread on it.

 

[goodNumber10]

No need mate... It's not a great game.

 

[goodNumber10]

Well that was disappointing.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Right the game has ended and I pretty much have to reverse everything I said-
Myler vs Ford, at half time Ford looked in control and was moving his team around the field perfectly. Second half he doesn't put boot to ball gets caught twice, knocks on the ball and misses 3 kicks, really weird performance- 4/7 off the tee. Myler in the first half was like the whole Saints team and then second half comes around and they actually give a ****, 7/8 and 20 points was bloody impressive from him.
Scrum wise Corbisiero was really good and so was Waller in his brief appearance, whole pack was good.
Back row wise Wood was a great leader and tackled and jackled well, Fearns was an absolute monster all game and I have said it a couple of times but he should be facing New Zealand- 6.Fearns/Haskell 7.Kvesic/Robshaw 8.Morgan/Fearns
Backs wise Devoto looked really classy and made some good breaks and offloads, Joseph looked great in attack and defence even holding Burrell up in the air when he tried to score a try. Rokoduguni still looked dangerous even when Bath went to ****, he and Yarde will make a scary good combo. Burrell others something really different to Tuilagi as you think he might actually pass, he carries in one hand and you see defenders not 100% committed either way and it does seem to put them off. Foden had a great game with boot and ball in hand.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh Corbisiero is back ? Can someone tell me his situation, there's nothing on "the news".

 

[ratsapprentice]

Corbisiero just put in one of the most ludicrously illegal scrummaging performances I have ever witnessed. Absolutely astonishing.

Ford played phenomenally in the first half and then lost his head - it's as simple as that really.
Had Ford nailed those kicks then I think we would have kept the pressure and won fairly comfortably.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

oh Corbisiero is back ? Can someone tell me his situation, there's nothing on "the news".

He's back, but has the summer off to get a full pre-season in.



From what I've read on twitter Ford choked harder than he did against us at the rec.
Any truth in that, or is it just bitterness?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Nah... he fell apart.

He was killing it in the first half though.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ah right.
Worth trying to track this down to watch it? Was working while it was on (and same again tomorrow for the HEC )

 

[ratsapprentice]

Was a good game - go for it.

 

[Big Ewis]

He's back, but has the summer off to get a full pre-season in.

k thank you. Yeah I heard about that sabbatical thing.
Was he THAT good in the scrum ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

It's not really a sabbatical - there are very real concerns that his career isn't going to last very long because of his knees.

Was he THAT good in the scrum ?

He was flagrantly illegal in his technique.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh I thought you'd just thought up some humorous exaggeration or smt, didn't think it was literal.

Well I REALLY hope that doesn't happen and he stays strong. There's nothing worse in sports than "what could've beens" and ppl will exaggerate the impact he'd have had for whatever team he plays for and all that...I wish him the best health possible. And for England, it's about time they play with their first choice LH. Again, if they at least had a fully healthy front row, that's one advantage they'd have had in NZ.

 

[goodNumber10]

It's not really a sabbatical - there are very real concerns that his career isn't going to last very long because of his knees.



He was flagrantly illegal in his technique.

I'll bow to your superior scrum knowledge here mate, but i thought it was wilson turning in.

Really struggled with that game, it just didn't seme to have any intensity about it... thought Joseph ran some great very aggresive lines though (and he got alot of praise form will greenwood on defence), and i'm still a fan of Abendanon.

burrell very much butchered that saints try...fodens face when he didn't pop it off the floor to him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've read elsewhere that Joseph had a very good game, too.
I wonder if he might make the England squad. Seems unlikely with Tuilagi fit again, Burrell looking at home at 13 and Trinder in the squad, but stranger things have happened.