2014 QBE Internationals [EOYT] England

[TRF_Olyy]

I honestly rate Daly much much higher than either Trinder or Joseph

I'd definitely have him over Trinder, but not Joseph.
There's still big question marks over his defence, and Joseph is playing very very well at the moment.

Still plenty of time to go, though - Daly will be Wasps' first choice 13 going into Europe, so if he performs there's he'll probably make the EPS and have his chance to stake his claim on (at least) the 23 shirt.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Joseph seems to have really added to his game with bringing in other guys, he did do it before but his decision and passing has been at another level to any of our other 13's. Daly has the problem that he starts to drift wide on the ball and eats up the space for his winger. Now with how we use wingers it could be even worse in the England set up. There are many different combinations we could select from and does anyone think we could try Manu at 12 ? We have a second playmaker with Farrell but you put Cipriani at 10 then we can have Manu and Burrell / Joseph. Maybe just keep the Bath axis but in a way this is a good place to be in for England. My mind changes every week for who should play.

 

[ratsapprentice]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29505600

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29505600

Supports the idea of a Bath England partnership. Guess the Burgess thing seal it.

 

[Peat]

We have actually tried the Tuilagi/Jospeh partnership before. Possibly a failing of fly-half, but there wasn't so much for Joseph to do, which is a shame, as at the time it looked like being our best 2 centres. Still may be our best 2 centres. I'd sorta welcome that try it again, maybe, but I wouldn't do it myself, even with Cips.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

We have actually tried the Tuilagi/Jospeh partnership before. Possibly a failing of fly-half, but there wasn't so much for Joseph to do, which is a shame, as at the time it looked like being our best 2 centres. Still may be our best 2 centres. I'd sorta welcome that try it again, maybe, but I wouldn't do it myself, even with Cips.

From memory when we tried tuilagi at 12 JJ at 13 in South Africa manu didn't make 1 pass! I half remember people getting on at JJ but then the statistics came out.

Manu will not work at 12 (whoever much I'd want him to). I think we have to scrap him and tell him to up his game for the moment.

 

[Maverick1987]

From memory when we tried tuilagi at 12 JJ at 13 in South Africa manu didn't make 1 pass! I half remember people getting on at JJ but then the statistics came out.

Manu will not work at 12 (whoever much I'd want him to). I think we have to scrap him and tell him to up his game for the moment.

We need to make sure we use him a dummy runner more . Farrell just shipping him the ball 30 times a game isn't going to wash to be honest . Manu offloads for leicester so I don't know why it doesn't happen for england ...... Maybe he's being told to take it up and bend the defensive line ?

 

[Peat]

Tuilagi passed 5 times and ran 6 times in the first test, the one we played with Flood. Joseph touched the ball 9 times and didn't really do much with it. Was solid in defence though.

Second test is the one Tuilagi didn't pass but just ran 7 times and in which Joseph touched the ball twice. I feel it's potentially relevant that Farrell came on very early in that one.


Tuilagi looked good at 12 with BOD outside him too for the Lions, who's not a bad comparison style wise for Joseph. I wouldn't rule him out as a 12. You'd like him to exert his distribution skills more from there - although half passed, half ran is fine - but you'd like him to do that everywhere. Sticking him at 12 might force him to do that when there's no longer tempting possible outside breaks everywhere. There will always be a problem that the coaches will be very reluctant to drop Tuilagi for obvious reasons, but that maybe he needs that threat to bring his full game to the fore. Or maybe it's just a problem with the England coaches.

I think if I was playing Tuilagi at 12 I'd look more at Slade or like player as a potential partner though. Gives the option of potentially swapping around for Slade to act as second distributor and puts in a second kicking option. Tuilagi and Joseph could work though.

 

[Geordie]

Yeah its alll very well criticising Manu...but you need some players around him to show intelligence and use him properly.

He's a potent weapon...but i'd like to see the FH and 12 putting Manu into some gaps now and again...not just expecting him to carry 10 men on his back, burst through and score!

If its Farrell then he must show increased creativity and intelligence....however im not sure he's as capable of that as say Ford, Burns or Cipriani....or even Slade.

Eastmond at 12 would help this.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Thing is Eastmond has a good kicking game which is also useful at 12. The less said about Tuilagi's kicking the better. I think Tuilagi is actually becoming a bit detrimental to England, we are so certain we need him yet when he wasn't in the team did we really suffer? Whilst Tuilagi is in the team, the attitude seems to be just ship it to Tuilagi when you want to try to break the line whilst when he isn't there we tend to look for other options. He definitely has a place in the England squad but I think we need to recognise he plays one style of rugby and we need to look at how well that works with the people around him, not just as an individual. It would be useful if we have developed more than one style of play so we can play Tuilagi when we want pure power and swap him out for someone else if we want to play a different style.

Ultimately we don't want to go the way of Wales, they can be deadly but they don't vary their playing style enough. Now teams are beginning to figure them out and they are finding it much harder. They try a different game plan and it doesn't work because they had put everything into plan A working, relying on crashball.

 

[ratsapprentice]

It's a bit early to say kyle has a "good" kicking game.

I think his short kicking and grubbers are good (RL halfback and all that) but he's only really started kicking for territory this season.
The kicks he has made have been good ones, but at the moment we don't really have enough to go on to judge it properly.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Tom Arscott is the top try scorer in the premiership ATM, so clearly he should be in England contention.
Justice14Arscott.
Realistically, though, he has been brilliant this season so far (I thought he was excellent when at Welsh, too, but had a quiet first season for us). I wouldn't be surprised to see him around the Saxons squad in the 6N (not named outright, but one of the, inevitable, injury callups - like Brady last season).

Also, Magnus Lund has been outstanding since his return (anyone else see Ashley Johnson try and bump him off and get dumped on his arse?), so should be there ahead of Wood, partnering Seymour in the backrow.


Maggie also has a top notch moustache/hair combo, which is worth a few more caps at least.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Good dedication to his Nordic heritage, that... his brother and all.

 

[Maverick1987]

There's every chance Tuilagi won't be fit buy the time the Autumn internationals come round ..... He's hardly played a game so far if so then I'd love Lancaster and co to throw caution to the wind and play the bath centre partnership as we are getting fairly desperate to find a pairing now . I suspect we are more likely to see 36 (bad times) and Burrell though ......

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Good dedication to his Nordic heritage, that... his brother and all.

He's more Manc than the Gallagher brothers

 

[Tony Manx]

He's more Manc than the Gallagher brothers

Good to see him back after dreadful time with injuries with us! He still on his Harley? His brother is sadly missed with Achilles problem both as lock and skipper!!

 

[goodNumber10]

What is the difference?

The difference is one is selected on performance and one in spite of performance

For me the bath midfield has been the best in the competition followed closely by Saints, so I think we'll see a combination of:

09: Care
10: Farrell
11: Yarde
12: Eastmond
13: Burrell
14: Nowell
15: Brown


Bench:
Dickson, Ford, Joseph

 

[TheSaffycen]

The difference is one is selected on performance and one in spite of performance

For me the bath midfield has been the best in the competition followed closely by Saints, so I think we'll see a combination of:

09: Care
10: Farrell
11: Yarde
12: Eastmond
13: Burrell
14: Nowell
15: Brown


Bench:
Dickson, Ford, Joseph

Wouldn't be unhappy but I don't think Rokoduguni can be overlooked.

 

[goodNumber10]

Wouldn't be unhappy but I don't think Rokoduguni can be overlooked.

I wouldn't personally, he was incredible against Sarries, but (and i hate to keep saying this) will he fit into the England style of play?

England look for their wingers to work off counter attack ball, not 1st line attack, where Roko really is excellent..

 

[TheSaffycen]

I wouldn't personally, he was incredible against Sarries, but (and i hate to keep saying this) will he fit into the England style of play?

England look for their wingers to work off counter attack ball, not 1st line attack, where Roko really is excellent..

He has all the pace and power to work of counter attack ball, if he is in space he is just incredible. He is also the best winger we have working in tight conditions, I think he is our best winger for the style we play. Added to that a scary powerful defensive game and I think he will be playing opposite Savea in the Autumn.