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[2014 Mid-Year Tests] England

Have we actually had confirmation Burgess is going to be used as a centre by Bath? I've been out of the loop for a month or two but I can't remember seeing anything of the sort. Last I heard there was still uncertainty about whether he'd be a back row or a centre. I'm personally still very skeptical about how useful he'll actually be in either position.
 
Patchey said:
Have we actually had confirmation Burgess is going to be used as a centre by Bath? I've been out of the loop for a month or two but I can't remember seeing anything of the sort. Last I heard there was still uncertainty about whether he'd be a back row or a centre. I'm personally still very skeptical about how useful he'll actually be in either position.
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I think he'd make a decent 6 or 8 if i'm honest - he'll be taught to ruck & scrum by professional coaches so no bad habits, he's going to be a big defender and will be a useful ball carrier around the 2nd guard/1st 5 area and he'll probably be ok at lifting at the line out as well - i think he needs to be close to the action.

I see him being a bit of a david lyons or even rocky elsom type backrower.
 
r even rocky elsom type backrower.
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No Pressure Then :p
I hope he can become a 6 as we don't really have the big mean Kaino sort of player (apart from Fearns but he wont get picked) and with Burgess-Robshaw-Morgan you have a horrible back row too play against.
 
TheSaffycen said:
No Pressure Then :p
I hope he can become a 6 as we don't really have the big mean Kaino sort of player (apart from Fearns but he wont get picked) and with Burgess-Robshaw-Morgan you have a horrible back row too play against.
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Meh .......

I'd take Armitage-Kvesic-Vunipola anyday
 
I agree... I would like to see him develop as a 6. He's already got a massive work rate - 4th highest tackler last season.
 
Last edited:
TheSaffycen said:
No Pressure Then :p
I hope he can become a 6 as we don't really have the big mean Kaino sort of player (apart from Fearns but he wont get picked) and with Burgess-Robshaw-Morgan you have a horrible back row too play against.
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Why wouldn't Fearns get picked for England?
 
He hasn't in the past, when fit, and now there's more options ahead of him (due in part to missing opportunities through injury).
 
For the Autumn I'd expect a 6.Robshaw, 7.Wood 8.Billy 20.Morgan line up for the first two tests. I'd then like to see Haskell and Kvesic involved against Samoa and Australia.

To be honest, taking into account his work in New Zealand, I can't help but think that Haskell should play all four tests. He was/is incredible in defense and against the Boks and the All Blacks we are going to need someone who chops people down like he does. Not saying Wood is bad in defense but Haskell brings a physicality that cn't really be matched by another England back row (until Burgess arrives to change everything, obviously).

But that won't happen so hey ho!
 
Patchey said:
For the Autumn I'd expect a 6.Robshaw, 7.Wood 8.Billy 20.Morgan line up for the first two tests. I'd then like to see Haskell and Kvesic involved against Samoa and Australia.

To be honest, taking into account his work in New Zealand, I can't help but think that Haskell should play all four tests. He was/is incredible in defense and against the Boks and the All Blacks we are going to need someone who chops people down like he does. Not saying Wood is bad in defense but Haskell brings a physicality that cn't really be matched by another England back row (until Burgess arrives to change everything, obviously).

But that won't happen so hey ho!
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agree about Haskell, he was superb in New Zealand.
 
Why wouldn't Fearns get picked for England?
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If they aren't going to be selecting Kvesic because of his inexperience, then i doubt they will pick someone older. I think Garvey will be ahead of him and i would love to see us just put out our biggest pack against Aus- 1.Corbisiero 2.Hartley 3.Sinkler/Wilson 4.Attwood 5.Garvey 6.Fearns 7.Haskell 8.Vunipola- scrums would probably go 40m down field

Edit Just seen that Fearns is 25 ! Maybe he might be picked ?
 
Maybe Fearns gets a few caps, maybe, but with our wealth of options who are either younger or much more experienced than him, I can't see it happening.
 
Yeah I know, but there is Kvesic, Wallace, Kruis and Fraser all younger and in the Saxons. A few guys from the 20s or who've recently left the 20s who look handy as well. I'm not saying he's old or past it (Robshaw was older when he was picked in 2012) but it seems that he's in a bit of a middle ground, stuck between younger guys who are maybe fancied a little bit more as future prospects and older guys with more club and country experience.

I'd like to see him and Garvey given a try out, but realistically I don't think that'll happen before the World Cup. Again, some of Lancaster's more conservative selections are biting us in the backside here as we have too many options to try in too little time. As you've mentioned before, albeit about backs I think it was, there are a lot of players lining up for their 'chance' and we probably will miss out because we can't give them all that chance.
 
Kvesic Wallace and Fraser are all clear-cut opensides and Fearns is a clear cut blindside.

The only guy who is younger than him who is of a similar style is Ewers.
 
Huh?!

England training group announced:

Loose-head props: Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Tight-head props: Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby), David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Hookers: Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Locks: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
Back rows: Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Will Fraser (Saracens), James Haskell (Wasps), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Jackson Wray (Saracens)
Scrum-halves: Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Fly-halves: Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Centres: Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
Back-threes: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Chris Pennell (Worcester Warriors), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Christian Wade (Wasps), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Injured: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Sam Dickinson (Northampton Saints), Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)

Callum Clark and Jackson Wray... setting the bar high, I see!
 

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