[2014 Mid-Year Tests] New Zealand vs England (2nd Test)

[Patchey]

Oh dear:

 

[Big Ewis]

Yup, Folau is the best fullback in world rugby at the moment, best back 3 would be: 11: Savea, 14: Smith, 15: Folau

My best back 3 would have to be

15. Folau
14. North (I know he's a left wing but he's too good not to pick)
11. Savea

ditto.

And Manu Tuilagi to play on the wing after all.....mmm...well England sure have a ton of MASS in those backs with Burrel, Twelvetrees and Tuilagi all on at once.
They're actually benching Vunipola ??...and Lawes off the bench I'm sure because it's his first in a while test.
Ashton makes his return...I don't think he'll bring a whole lot or take away a whole lot. He'll come in around the 65th and will be fairly discreet.
Also, Hartley off the bench. Same reason as Lawes.

 

[Patchey]

Just going to reiterate.

Chris Ashton. At 23.

Ben Youngs. At 21.

Manu on the wing.

It's like we WANT to screw around.

 

[Maverick1987]

Oh dear:

View attachment 3003

Ffffffuuuuuuuuu !!!!!!

Why is Ashton on the bench !!!! He can play one position . Lancaster really needs to learn the 23 shirt is for a utility player

Kyle eastmond will be saying "is it cos I is black"

Glad webber and parling got retained though really deserved it after last weekend

 

[Maverick1987]

Just going to reiterate.

Chris Ashton. At 23.

Ben Youngs. At 21.

Manu on the wing.

It's like we WANT to screw around.

I don't mind manu on the wing so much just for a lets have a look sort of thing . If it doesn't work he comes back in to 13 though

 

[barkinghooker]

23 for saturday just in. Manu on the wing. Haskell and Eastmond dropped. Ashton on the bench.


England:*Mike Brown, Manu Tuialgi, Luther Burrell, Billy Twelvetrees, Marland Yarde, Owen Farrell, Danny Care; Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw, Tom Wood, Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury, David Wilson, Rob Webber, Joe Marler.

Replacements:*Dylan Hartley, Matt Mullan, Kieran Brookes, Courtney Lawes, Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs, Freddie Burns, Chris Ashton.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Oh dear:

View attachment 3003

Good to see Webber, Parling and Morgan start after their performances last week. Not surprised with 36 and Burrell being reunited and Tuilagi on the wing will be interesting.

Brookes to be the substitute tighthead prop. Not seen him play, is he any good? Ahead of Sinkler and Thomas? The latter not really a surprise.

Aaaahhhh Ashton back in an England shirt. Why not Foden or Eastmond in the 23 shirt?

 

[Maverick1987]

Good to see Webber, Parling and Morgan start after their performances last week. Not surprised with 36 and Burrell being reunited and Tuilagi on the wing will be interesting.

Brookes to be the substitute tighthead prop. Not seen him play, is he any good? Ahead of Sinkler and Thomas? The latter not really a surprise.

Aaaahhhh Ashton back in an England shirt. Why not Foden or Eastmond in the 23 shirt?

Eastmond would have been my pick but May would be good in the 23 shirt having played wing, FB and OC for club this year

 

[ollecrab]

I don't mind manu on the wing so much just for a lets have a look sort of thing . If it doesn't work he comes back in to 13 though

Manu in 14 sounds good for kiwi fans as he would steam train the other wing. It will be a good battle with the big boys out wide. Go Savea...

 

[Big Ewis]

Ffffffuuuuuuuuu !!!!!!

Why is Ashton on the bench !!!! He can play one position . Lancaster really needs to learn the 23 shirt is for a utility player

Kyle eastmond will be saying "is it cos I is black"

Glad webber and parling got retained though really deserved it after last weekend

Lancaster is obviously going for MASS. Eastmond was good, but England want a couple of bulls at midfield, and along with Tuilagi on the wing simultaneously, they're going for a battering ram strategy. All they need now is Banahan on the other wing, and they're all set.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Eastmond would have been my pick but May would be good in the 23 shirt having played wing, FB and OC for club this year

Yep, agreed, May also did not do anything wrong last week and covers more positions. Anyone but bloody Ashton.

 

[Patchey]

Ffffffuuuuuuuuu !!!!!!

Why is Ashton on the bench !!!! He can play one position . Lancaster really needs to learn the 23 shirt is for a utility player

Kyle eastmond will be saying "is it cos I is black"

Glad webber and parling got retained though really deserved it after last weekend

A one position player can work in the 23 shirt providing that your other backs are versatile. New Zealand so far this series are a perfect example. Fekitoa is a centre but because they also have Barrett on the bench (a great 10 and a very good 15, and wingers who can play full back well (indeed Ben Smith is arguably a better 15 than winger but can also play 13/14) they get away with it.

I guess our logic is that Ashton can come on for Manu or Burrell with one of them remaining at or moving to 13. If Brown goes down then Burns will play full back, which is an interesting idea but not one to test out now surely?

It's great to see Webber and Morgan retain their places. But baffling all the same. It shows that in some cases our management is happy to reward form while in others we seem to drop players regardless of their performances (May, Eastmond).

Haskell can count himself very unlucky not to have been retained.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Manu v Savea. Now that is a contest worth watching. Hopefully, Manu does a fireman's carry on Savea ala North did to Folau last year. .

 

[Maverick1987]

Lancaster is obviously going for MASS. Eastmond was good, but England want a couple of bulls at midfield, and along with Tuilagi on the wing simultaneously, they're going for a battering ram strategy. All they need now is Banahan on the other wing, and they're all set.

MASS doesn't work though especially against SH opposition take wales for example ........

 

[Maverick1987]

Manu v Savea. Now that is a contest worth watching. Hopefully, Manu does a fireman's carry on Savea ala North did to Folau last year. .

That would literally make me cream my pants ......

I do feel better now with how the bench looks . What does everyone thinks Lancaster has to do if this team is much poorer than last weeks team ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Have they finally lost patience with Thomas?


EDIT: Nope... Henry has "a bit of a neck problem"

 

[barkinghooker]

Eastmond is gonna go back to league at this rate..

When did 36 last play?

Ashton on the bench tells me 36 is more of a risk than Manu is.

 

[Maverick1987]

Have they finally lost patience with Thomas?

In fairness to him I haven't seen him let England down . I understand his scrummaging is below par for Sale but for England he's been ok (attwood helps a lot understandably)

 

[Big Ewis]

MASS doesn't work though especially against SH opposition take wales for example ........

it's not that simple. You can't brush all instances of it off just like that. Tuilagi's MASS has been cryptonite to NZ. (Note: please refer to Twickenham 2012).
And don't tell me that anyways, I'm just a TRF poster. Go tell Lancaster who just picked a backline incl. Burrel-36-Tuilagi. They're all 106kg or more, ain't exactly finesse players.

 

[Maverick1987]

it's not that simple. You can't brush all instances of it off just like that. Tuilagi's MASS has been cryptonite to NZ. (Note: please refer to Twickenham 2012).
And don't tell me that anyways, I'm just a TRF poster. Go tell Lancaster who just picked a backline incl. Burrel-36-Tuilagi. They're all 106kg or more, ain't exactly finesse players.

I'll save calling Stuart on the private number he gave me till after the game to save making myself look a plonker ! Haha