2014 Six Nations: Scotland vs England (Round 2)

[ratsapprentice]

I think it's clear that Nowell's future lies at FB.
I agree that no-one is going to walk in ahead of him proving he continues to play well.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

I think it was the Mail (hasten to add I don't read it) whose player ratings gave Goode an 8 and said 'Must start next week'. The entire world outside of TRF is insane!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I think it was the Mail (hasten to add I don't read it) whose player ratings gave Goode an 8 and said 'Must start next week'. The entire world outside of TRF is insane!

Ah the daily fail, no suprise.

 

[Big Ewis]

Seriously, the fact Goode has so many selections for England is downright ridiculous. He does fine for the Saracens it seems, well at least what I've seen of him there, but he's not an int'l level FB no fkn way, and certainly not that of the world's 4th team.

Mike Brown is downright fantastic, he's big time tbh, and doesn't need to be moved anywhere but stay at 15, and England have enough depth and int'l quality injury-free to fill up the 11-14 positions. There's NO EXCUSE for fkn Goode on that team, I don't care that he starts for the top Prem team.

 

[psychic duck]

I think it was the Mail (hasten to add I don't read it) whose player ratings gave Goode an 8 and said 'Must start next week'. The entire world outside of TRF is insane!

Dean Ryan is a fan as well. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/feb/01/france-england-replacements-match-winners

I don't think he's that bad a player, but I would agree considering England's depth in that position they have better.

 

[willutalk]

I reckon this should be the team for Scotland.
1) M.Vunipola
2) Hartley
2) Marler
4) Launchberry
5) Lawes
6) Wood
7) Robshaw (capt)
8) B.Vunipola

9) Care
10) Farrel
11) Nowell
12) Twelvetrees
13) Burrel
14) Watson
15) Brown

16) T.Youngs
17) Cole
18) Attwood
19) Morgan
20) B.Youngs
21) Ford
22) Eastmond
23) Goode
I really don't know why Semesa Rokoduguni isn't chosen, he's a beast of a winger and reliable on one v ones and built like a brick sh*t house, definitley capable of elite player squad rugger : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXljI8gmToA

 

[ratsapprentice]

You know you've picked two looseheads to start and you only have one prop on the bench. You must field two props on the bench.

 

[Patchey]

I'd disagree Patchey. Yes, Yarde and Wade were earmarked, and yes they've got longer track records... but at the end of this 6N Nowell will have a longer international track record than either. That's going to be huge going forwards.

More importantly, in terms of talent, does he stand to them? I think so. He's not as dangerous as either of them but looks more secure, more useful in tight spaces.

Long term I think we'll see Nowell move back to 15 mind.

Good point re the international record. I guess he doesn't stick in my mind as an attacking talent like Yarde and Wade do when I've seen them play. Admittedly I haven't watched as many Exeter games as other teams so I may be lacking in knowledge here but Yarde and Wade play like I want England wingers to play, Nowell doesn't.

Of course if he was to move to 15 long term that would make a lot more sense. Although he'll have just as tough a time securing a regular starting berth there.


In other news the RFU have confirmed May is fir for selection this weekend. So that is dandy.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

The only thing about Nowell going to 15 is that currently Mike Brown is the only part of our back line that isn't dysfunctional. After finally getting Goode out of the 15 top and doing a very good job there himself, I'm not too keen on seeing him replaced any time soon.

 

[Peat]

Well no. Yarde and Wade are seriously quick. Nowell's not slow but he's not standout. His best attributes are very Mike Brown-esque - the step, the leg drive, the ability to make ground in tight situations. Nowell is quicker than Brown, sufficiently so that the wing is not an odd call, but he's not a pace merchant. Which is probably why he'll end up at 15 where, yeah, the competition will still be tight, but not unbearably so.

Reality is that all of our potential young back three options have a serious, serious fight ahead of them. Even discounting the older generation, which is unwise, you've got Wade, Yarde, May, Nowell, Watson, Daly, Elliot, Walker, Sharples all going for three slots. Miller's not old either, Joseph could end up on the wing... Kiribrige, Earle, Collins, they're guys with a bit of rep. It's a good place to be in. If even half of them come through as the real deal, we've got some good times ahead of us there.

Shame about the rest of the pitch...

 

[RedruthRFC]

The only thing about Nowell going to 15 is that currently Mike Brown is the only part of our back line that isn't dysfunctional. After finally getting Goode out of the 15 top and doing a very good job there himself, I'm not too keen on seeing him replaced any time soon.

Agreed all round. IIRC Nowell played most of his rugby at 15 before he started getting AP game time, his running style is much more suited to playing full back.

 

[Maverick1987]

I think it was the Mail (hasten to add I don't read it) whose player ratings gave Goode an 8 and said 'Must start next week'. The entire world outside of TRF is insane!

The mail gave him a 6 and called his performance indifferent which I don't think is far wrong

 

[ratsapprentice]

Squad is unchanged.

 

[Patchey]

I'm going to have to face merge Lancaster and Troll Face of moments like this.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I accept that the selection is subjective, but it does feel a little bit like it's unchanged in defiance of the (slightly exaggerated) criticism of the bench.

 

[Patchey]

Exactly. I don't see why Ford isn't there at very least. Hike having him on the bench wouldn't have helped with the whole Burrell going to the wing fiasco it would have at least allowed us to replace Farrell when he was clearly done.

 

[j'nuh]

Not having a fly-half replacement (Twelvetrees isn't international quality at 10) on the bench is silly.

Eastmond/Watson and Ford are the only additions I want to see, so I guess he's got it mostly right.

 

[psychic duck]

Has this been mentioned? http://www.espn.co.uk/scotland/rugby/story/213393.html

Will likely mean for more collapsed scrums unfortunately.

 

[Crapspray]

I have to agree on the whole defiance thing. Though I'm happy with the starting XV not changing.

The other reason might be that he thinks that Barritt and Goode are going to stay in the EPS out into the 2015 RWC, so he wants the squad to gain some cohesion while blooding a couple of youngsters. (But Ford is going to have to be there now Flood is gone.) Or he's playing safe*. Or he's a troll.

I do think he'll regret it if one of May and Nowell get injured and Watson has no experience whatsoever for the Ireland or Wales matches.

*Though he capped seven players last time at Murrayfield and still won. Against a side I would say was better- albeit more dull.

---

Yeah, saw that this morning. It was probably going to tank it down (the weather here has been pretty bad the last week or so) so it probably won't make a huge difference to the bog it'll be anyway.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Has this been mentioned? http://www.espn.co.uk/scotland/rugby/story/213393.html

Will likely mean for more collapsed scrums unfortunately.

If it's not fit for club games then why the hell is an international being played there? If it rains too, it's going to make that game horrible to watch.