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2014 QBE Internationals [EOYT] England

In fairness...

Kvesic, Clark, neither getting near a real 23. Cipriani, clearly also the same.

Getting shot of Ashton? That's money, son, that's money.

edit: I've read my post back and I'm not even fooling me.
 
In fairness...

Kvesic, Clark, neither getting near a real 23. Cipriani, clearly also the same.

Getting shot of Ashton? That's money, son, that's money.

edit: I've read my post back and I'm not even fooling me.

Ha! Yeah I don't really buy the 'but they probably wouldn't play' line either.

You always, always, need back up options who are both good enough to step up in the event of an injury, will push the incumbent to play better or lose their shirt and who can offer different approaches to different oppositions. Nothing about Clarke > Kvesic or Myler > Cips fits that.
 
i was going to post a joke EPS squad, but i couldn't think of anything that would actually be funnier than Clark and Myler getting selected.
 
Ha! Yeah I don't really buy the 'but they probably wouldn't play' line either.

You always, always, need back up options who are both good enough to step up in the event of an injury, will push the incumbent to play better or lose their shirt and who can offer different approaches to different oppositions. Nothing about Clarke > Kvesic or Myler > Cips fits that.

I'd agree with you but argue that the evidence shows that Lancaster is quite agnostic on that front, particularly the idea of different approaches to different oppositions.
 
God, I'd forgotten Henry Thomas was a thing...

I'd agree with you but argue that the evidence shows that Lancaster is quite agnostic on that front, particularly the idea of different approaches to different oppositions.

Agreed. I just don't get why a pretty thoughtful guys like Lamcaster can be so stubborn about certain aspects of selection.
 
[2014 EOYT] England

Ha! Quite.

I guess having spent too much time on the wrong side of the Pennines it was inevitable he's pick up some strange, strange habits.
 
I do t rate Clarke for England but he is not going to playing 7 and so shouldn't be compared to kvesic in terms of England.

I think robshaw is guaranteed the 7 shirt but if he got injured then we would have Haskell or wood in the 7 shirt.

Clarke must be seen as a backup 6 and to be fair Clarke is a better 6 than kvesic.....although ewers is better than Clarke but that's another point

I see lancasters thinking as this:

6 wood/Haskell then Clarke?
7 robshaw, Haskell/wood
8 Morgan , billy

Not my thinking
 
I mean if we were sensible we'd play the best (and most experienced) combo of 6. Robshaw 7. Haskell 8. Morgan/Billy but hey ho.

Hour and a half until our fears are confirmed.
 
My top 3 for each position would be ATM (not in any order)

6) Wood, Haskell, Lund
7) Robshaw, Fraser, Kvesic
8) Vunipola, Morgan, Ewers
 
If Lancaster was smart like Ratsapprentice he would pick:

6. Ewers
7. Kvesic
8. Vunipola

Herein lies the precedent to domination.

Ewers is a far better blindside than 8 IMO - his workrate is exceptional and his carrying is better when the opposition can't afford to put 2-3 guys on him.
Having him and Vunipola carrying against you would not be fun - two 125kg~ monsters running amok.
 
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We thought it was bad when Wray was getting selected. I would rather have him than that thug Clark
 
I'm interested to see how Kvesic goes at no.7 for England. 7 has been a bugbear for England since Neil Back left the scene.
Englad a have a very similar problem to Saffrica. They want to play monsters right through the forward pack instead of fielding a specialist sniffer at 7 like Aussie and the AB's do.
I think it hurts both teams in the long run. You pitch more turnover ball with a sniffer.
Robshaw plays out of his skin when he puts that England jersey on but he is not a no.7, he is a natural no.6.
 
Is Fraiser really better an Ceviche?
Over the past year n a bit? Easily.

I'm interested to see how Kvesic goes at no.7 for England. 7 has been a bugbear for England since Neil Back left the scene.
Englad a have a very similar problem to Saffrica. They want to play monsters right through the forward pack instead of fielding a specialist sniffer at 7 like Aussie and the AB's do.
I think it hurts both teams in the long run. You pitch more turnover ball with a sniffer.
Robshaw plays out of his skin when he puts that England jersey on but he is not a no.7, he is a natural no.6.
Kvesic is (almost definitely - Daily Mail is rarely wrong in these situations) not in the squad.
To be honest, barring a massive downturn in form and/or long term injury/absence to Robshaw, I can see Kvesic not playing for England while Lancaster is in charge. Robshaw is Lancaster's captain, and is young enough that he'll still be playing until the end of Lancaster's contract.
 
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