2014 mid-year tests

[Big Ewis]

Interesting matchup for France. Our defense sure will be tested.

The England tour of NZ will be quite telling with just over a year to go for the RWC. France let its chance slip away last summer, England is very focused atm, should be very interesting. We haven't seen England play NZ in NZ in a while.

Ireland should get to test their depth. The Pumas will again field a mostly B or even C side as they do this time of year, while the actual team is on rest preparing for TRC.

Wales will be hugely tested as they attempt to get a good result in a very well established Boks' home.
If anybody has any interesting information about that Boks vs World XV match ??

An odd but full schedule for Scotland. The first 3 can be interesting, but the last test could be a nightmare. Vern Cotter will be in command this tour, no ?

Finally, Italy, as sad as it is for me to say this, have a relatively easy summer, which they deserve at this point. A fitting calendar at this point in time for them, and they better show a bit of why they're Tier 1.

 

[TheSaffycen]

You can right the first NZ test off because some bright spark has arranged it so that we won't have any players from the premiership final. Most likely Saracens and Northampton so we won't have probably
m.Vunipola, b.Vunipola , Farrell, Barritt, Tomkins, Ashton, Goode, Hartley, Corbisiero, Lawes, Wood, Dickson, Myler, Foden, Burrell

 

[RWC2011Fan]

If anybody has any interesting information about that Boks vs World XV match ??

Very interested in this fixture as well. Apparently they're planning to stage it at Cape Town Stadium:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Boks-v-World-XV-in-Cape-Town-20140129

 

[goodNumber10]

Are England the only team playing a midweek game? Will be interesting to see how they go against the Crusaders - will be middle fo their Super Xv campaign.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I thought every tour was supposed to have a midweek these days? didn't they announce that a year or two ago?

 

[goodNumber10]

indeed, hence i'm just wondering if anyone else is playing.

 

[lynam1104]

I thought every tour was supposed to have a midweek these days? didn't they announce that a year or two ago?

I thought that was them going back to 3 test series tours?

 

[Patchey]

You can right the first NZ test off because some bright spark has arranged it so that we won't have any players from the premiership final. Most likely Saracens and Northampton so we won't have probably
m.Vunipola, b.Vunipola , Farrell, Barritt, Tomkins, Ashton, Goode, Hartley, Corbisiero, Lawes, Wood, Dickson, Myler, Foden, Burrell

Bolded players we'll miss.

I think the *worst* scenario would be a Saints/Bath final. We'd loose the majority of our best forwards and be lumped with an excess of Sarries backs starting the first test.

If Bath get knocked out in the semi-final we get Webber, Wilson and Attwood in the forwards and can give Ford, Eastmond, Watson and Joseph opportunities.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Yeah I was just naming players who are realistically in and around the squad so players like wigglesworth aren't really in there and hopefully Goode ain't there anymore. For Northampton that Stephenson looked quite impressive and he is my outside bet to get into the squad. Won't happen though because Eastmond, Twelvetrees and Burgess soon.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Pray to god that Saracens make the final,

One thing is for sure: Launchbury will be available.
Italy deserve an easy run-in to be fair:
If you think about it, Italy have been accepted into an elite competition and this has come to mean that they also get games against the southern hemipshere teams. So if you look at their yearly schedules, you'd have to say that the summer tour is the main opportunity to play someone weaker than them. I guess its just what comes from being included in the top tiers but at the same time being the weakest team.

 

[Big Ewis]

You can right the first NZ test off because some bright spark has arranged it so that we won't have any players from the premiership final. Most likely Saracens and Northampton so we won't have probably
m.Vunipola, b.Vunipola , Farrell, Barritt, Tomkins, Ashton, Goode, Hartley, Corbisiero, Lawes, Wood, Dickson, Myler, Foden, Burrell

we were undermanned too in test 1 last year.

Very interested in this fixture as well. Apparently they're planning to stage it at Cape Town Stadium:
View attachment 2748
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Boks-v-World-XV-in-Cape-Town-20140129

Cool man. I wonder what the XV will be like: what caliber the players, who coaches it...

Italy deserve an easy run-in to be fair:
If you think about it, Italy have been accepted into an elite competition and this has come to mean that they also get games against the southern hemipshere teams. So if you look at their yearly schedules, you'd have to say that the summer tour is the main opportunity to play someone weaker than them. I guess its just what comes from being included in the top tiers but at the same time being the weakest team.

well yeah but reading your post one gets the impression you're referring to Italy at the beginning of the millennium when they'd just been integrated to the 5N.
Italy have had all the time in the world to develop and I'm not criticizing them as I say this. But they've had really good tours before.
This is almost like a coincidence, a fortunate coincidence that they're playing all Tier 2 opposition, as if they knew beforehand they weren't going to be good this year and were picked to play in the Pacific.

Samoa might be their biggest challenge, although Japan will slowly improve with the rise of their championship there. All 3 tests will be a matter of limiting the running of the opponents, and imposing their pack onto the pace of the game, slowing it down. That'll be their objective all three times.

Considering Fiji last November came to Italy and only lost 37-31, scoring 5 tries while receiving 5 yellows...

 

[Draggs]

Wales trying to arrange a fixture v Southern Kings.
I can see Wales resting Jenkins, Jones, Phillips.

 

[dullonien]

Gatland has a lot of decisions to make for the SA tour.

1. Does he try to tweak his game plan, because it's been totally ineffective against the SANZAR nations in the past? It was also out-thought by Ireland and England.

2. Does he rest some of his players. The likes of Jenkins, Hibbard, Adam Jones, AWJ, Faletau, & Phillips, who have had precious little chance to rest and recover with the Lions tour last summer. Warburton and Halfpenny have already been ruled out of the tour.

3. He needs to decide on his 10. It should be an easy choice, and for the first time, I think Gats will see it as an easy choice as well, because with Halfpenny missing, Biggar's place kicking becomes invaluable.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Re Wales: The thing is, you literally can't win in this series if you don't play at least some of the above players. Those players you list are not just great players but also the backbone of leadership and experience in the team.
Its one thing fielding a raw back division against South Africa - but I just think you can't go to South Africa with a green pack.
On the other hand, there are other potential leaders waiting in the wings I suppose:
James, Tipuric and Charteris would have to step up as senior players. Ryan Jones would no doubt start at 8 if Faletau is out.
But Starting someone like Rhodri Jones against the Saffas would be lunacy imo.

Sure, it'll be a learning experience regardless, but how much learning can really take place if you don't give them a reasonable chance from the start?

@Ewis: I see your point definitely, but even 10 years is not a lot to make big headway against unions who have had their own professional game and competitions for far longer. There was never much chance that in a decade Italy could become better than France, Wales, England or Ireland - only Scotlands embarassing nosedive has allowed them the odd dosage of self-respect. In other words it's a completely logical and predictable thing that they should still be a bottom of the table team. Especially when you consider their far from ideal domestic league and the turbulence that Treviso, Aeroni and Zebre have had in different leagues.
It's hardly as if Italy haven't improved in the bigger picture: Compare players like their current half-backs to those of 6 years ago

 

[Crapspray]

Assuming a Saints-Sarries final, then the team is not terrible. In fact, the backs may be better than this Six Nations'. The four Saints forwards will be the loss. Vunipola to Morgan isn't as big of a drop as Corbisiero to Marler (though Marler has been good).

Something along the lines of:

1. Marler
2. Youngs*
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Parling*
6. Kvesic
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan

9. Care
10. Ford
11. Yarde
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tuilagi
14. Wade/Nowell**
15. Brown

16. Webber
17. Mullan
18. Wilson
19. Attwood
20. Johnson
21. Youngs
22. Burns
23. May

*Parling will hopefully undo some of Youngs' **** throwing. Not that he did last year, but might as well gamble.
**Don't like the idea of Savea running straight at Wade.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Anyone know how far off Wade is from returning?
I seem to remember he was "a doubt" for the summer when he f***ed his foot up.

Wasps have 7 - 9 (depending on how they go in the Amlin) games left this season - presuming Wade misses at least 3-4 of those I'd say that the right wing will be Nowell's for the first test (at least).

Also, when's Parling due back? I really want to see Attwood start vs the ABs, but Parling is vital to making Youngs' lineout throwing not terrible, and we can't afford a terrible lineout vs the ABs, so I'd half lean towards Parling starting.
Unless Lancaster went a bit loopy and but Launchbury at 6, and Attwood and Parling in the Donkey row.....which, thinking about it, might not be all that bad...

 

[Shaggy]

Gatland has a lot of decisions to make for the SA tour.

1. Does he try to tweak his game plan, because it's been totally ineffective against the SANZAR nations in the past? It was also out-thought by Ireland and England.

2. Does he rest some of his players. The likes of Jenkins, Hibbard, Adam Jones, AWJ, Faletau, & Phillips, who have had precious little chance to rest and recover with the Lions tour last summer. Warburton and Halfpenny have already been ruled out of the tour.

3. He needs to decide on his 10. It should be an easy choice, and for the first time, I think Gats will see it as an easy choice as well, because with Halfpenny missing, Biggar's place kicking becomes invaluable.

Not a big fan of resting players during the test windows to be honest, and I could be wrong (and probably am), but I thought there was agreements in place that all of the tier one sides would send the strongest squads possible when they were playing each other ... what's wrong with resting them for a couple of weeks during the club season?

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

lol using information from Wikipedia are we Big Ewis

 

[dragos03]

I would love the World XV selection to be a real attempt to give a chance to the best players from Tier 2 nations and below a chance to play against the Springboks. Some of them are quite famous, while other are largely unknown to most international rugby fans, but I would like to see players like Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia), Catalin Fercu (Romania), Jacques Burger (Namibia), Dumitru Arhip (Moldova), Vladimir Ostrousko (Russia), Julien Bardy (Portugal), Samu Manoa (USA), Mihai Lazar (Romania), Merab Sharikadze (Georgia), etc.

Sadly, it will probably be another side full of fringe/old players from Tier 1 nations.

 

[TheSaffycen]

With Parling playing just have Webber playing with Attwood. Youngs shouldn't be let back into the team if he cant throw, doesn't matter if its the all blacks or Scotland, as he showed, you can't get points on the board. With wade I think he is too small if im honest. I know we like to throw the ball around and play attacking rugby but its not just the savea's of the world but players like Jane can just swat him away. But I wont complain if he gets selected.