[2015 RWC] Warm Up Match: France vs England (22/08/2015)

[ratsapprentice]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Dawson is a cracking pundit?

He's genuinely awful - good captain on QOS, but a ****ing terrible pundit.

 

[TheSaffycen]

How do folk feel about Barritt? I reckon in Lancasters mind (if fit) he's nailed on to start with JJ. Personally I think he's a bit underrated, and a pretty consitent peformer, but ultimately limited. I guess we'll find out against Ireland if he is preferred-don't think he's played with Joseph yet in the England set up?

He is good guy to have at the World Cup. He will do his job when required, but hopefully after the world cup we bring somebody else in like Slade or Hill. Ireland might be the first time we see them together.

On who will go on after the world cup-
Webber, though only 29 he hasn't been performing for his club. LCD and George should be able to cover for him.
Hartley, 29, already has one foot out the door, I think that he will also get taken over.
Parling, 31, he is a lineout general but Lawes is getting so much better.
Haskell, 30, not an incredible performer consistently so I think Japan or France after the WC.
Easter, 37, Ewers/Morgan/Vunipola/Evans are all good enough now.
Wigglesworth, 32, Robson and Simpson will come in.
Care, 28, with the talent of Simpson and Robson it will be hard. Spencer maybe ?
Cips, 27, He isn't really there now
Barritt, 29, Only his age as his performances are admirable. Slade/Burgess/Hill
Brown, 29, Depends how long his athleticism holds up.
Goode,27, Depends on how Watson/Ransom/Hague develop

 

[TobesHodges]

Barritt is probably the best defensive 12 in the world, he's miles behind in attacking game, but best defence will count for a lot..

 

[Willodell100]

How do folk feel about Barritt? I reckon in Lancasters mind (if fit) he's nailed on to start with JJ. Personally I think he's a bit underrated, and a pretty consitent peformer, but ultimately limited. I guess we'll find out against Ireland if he is preferred-don't think he's played with Joseph yet in the England set up?

I'm not a fan. I don't like the way he is the perceived 1st choice for the 12 shirt especially as he has been out of the side for so long.

We know he is injured for the French game but I think he should have been dealt the same way as Alex Corbisiero has. Corbs is apparently 'running out of time' so I'm not quite sure why Barritt isn't also when arguably there's more competition for places in the centres.

I know I am bias but Barritt is up against Burrell, Burgess & Twelvetrees (Slade & Farrell) for the two squad spots and I haven't seen anything in his form for Saracens at the end of the season to say he deserves to take that shirt off Burrell (who played there last and did pretty well in the Autumn).

Yes he is the best organiser of a defence of all the centres and he has the best tackle completion % probably. He has never let the side down with his commitment but then, for me, that should a given when you are putting on the shirt.

 

[Peat]

He is good guy to have at the World Cup. He will do his job when required, but hopefully after the world cup we bring somebody else in like Slade or Hill. Ireland might be the first time we see them together.

On who will go on after the world cup-
Webber, though only 29 he hasn't been performing for his club. LCD and George should be able to cover for him.
Hartley, 29, already has one foot out the door, I think that he will also get taken over.
Parling, 31, he is a lineout general but Lawes is getting so much better.
Haskell, 30, not an incredible performer consistently so I think Japan or France after the WC.
Easter, 37, Ewers/Morgan/Vunipola/Evans are all good enough now.
Wigglesworth, 32, Robson and Simpson will come in.
Care, 28, with the talent of Simpson and Robson it will be hard. Spencer maybe ?
Cips, 27, He isn't really there now
Barritt, 29, Only his age as his performances are admirable. Slade/Burgess/Hill
Brown, 29, Depends how long his athleticism holds up.
Goode,27, Depends on how Watson/Ransom/Hague develop

No offence Saffy, but I think you're overrating the young guys and being terribly optimistic in general.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Don't see Ransom being in the mix internationally at all, barring a significant step up... looked promising (if not incredible) at age-grade, but hasn't really done much with a reasonable amount of game-time for Sarries.

 

[Chistera]

France Line up:

15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Bernard le Roux, 6 Damien Chouly, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous


Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Uini Atonio, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Rory Kockott, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Gaël Fickou

Does this mean Michalak is PSA's first choice 10?

This motsly means that Saint-André is trying its 17th halfback partnership... Michalak is Saint-André's favourite, if he has a decent game, he'll start against Italy.
Glad to see Picamoles among the rescapees from Twickenham, impatiently awaiting his confrontation with Vunipola.

 

[JJFlash]

This motsly means that Saint-André is trying its 17th halfback partnership... Michalak is Saint-André's favourite, if he has a decent game, he'll start against Italy.
Glad to see Picamoles among the rescapees from Twickenham, impatiently awaiting his confrontation with Vunipola.

I can't see Michalak being ahead Tales and FTD at 10.
Picamoles is a beast and Vunipola's going to come a distant second, in my opinion.

 

[The Jones Boy]

As a Kiwi I hope they play Barritt, he's a bit cumbersome and offers nothing on offence.
England have so many better options in the midfield than that journeyman

 

[TheSaffycen]

No offence Saffy, but I think you're overrating the young guys and being terribly optimistic in general.

Yeah I know, it's really a list of might's. Out of them only Haskell, Parling, Easter, Cipriani, Wigglesworth will actually go.

 

[Grizwald]

It's moved away from this over the years but simplistically the attributes of a good 12 were basically those of a 10 but ideally bigger and quicker. 36 on paper at least fit this mold but in practice doesn't cut it at international level (and never will IMO). Farrell at 12 for the senior side was a failed experiment as he's just too slow, good in defense but too light weight to truck it up when required.

I think as England followers you can easily work out Lancaster's psychology/thinking. He goes on about having 'credit in the bank' which is why I expect Barritt to come and why others are still lingering about like a bad smell when other players should have had at least a few caps by now.

I jumping on the pro Burgess band wagon and would take a punt. Slade too, although he should have half a dozen caps by now IMO.

- - - Updated - - -

As a Kiwi I hope they play Barritt, he's a bit cumbersome and offers nothing on offence.
England have so many better options in the midfield than that journeyman

I reckon if he were a bit bigger he'd have been back-row forward, probably big enough elsewhere but not really in SA. I was about to say I couldn't remember SA fielding anyone on the relatively small side in the backrow in recent years but then remebered Heinrich Brüssow.

 

[Wendigo7]

France Line up:

15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Bernard le Roux, 6 Damien Chouly, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous


Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Uini Atonio, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Rory Kockott, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Gaël Fickou

Does this mean Michalak is PSA's first choice 10?

Strong outfit.

You'd expect so. I think we'll be looking or hoping for a win of 8 or 9 points. Maybe more if we can soak up the early french forward onslaught, let them tire and we'll do the running.

 

[Peat]

Yeah I know, it's really a list of might's. Out of them only Haskell, Parling, Easter, Cipriani, Wigglesworth will actually go.

I wouldn't be that confident about Cipriani, Haskell and Parling either - they all could reach the next World Cup. You'd expect them not to (although I'm 50-50 on Cips) but it's not beyond possibility, particularly if one of them can do an Easter-esque last minute resurrection.

Also varies somewhat depending on whether we're talking about reaching the next World Cup, or who gets replaced in the next year or so.

Also also, fair chance of seeing a bunch of people we didn't expect to miss out do so, based on the last four years. Not that it can be predicted.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I wouldn't be that confident about Cipriani, Haskell and Parling either - they all could reach the next World Cup. You'd expect them not to (although I'm 50-50 on Cips) but it's not beyond possibility, particularly if one of them can do an Easter-esque last minute resurrection.

Also varies somewhat depending on whether we're talking about reaching the next World Cup, or who gets replaced in the next year or so.

Also also, fair chance of seeing a bunch of people we didn't expect to miss out do so, based on the last four years. Not that it can be predicted.

Won't be at the next world cup. Cipriani I don't think will be in England, Parling might still be around for the next year, Haskell again not in the country.

 

[ncurd]

Honestly most of this speculation depends on whether Lancaster''s tenure lasts beyond the RWC

 

[goodNumber10]

Why wouldn't it?

 

[Grizwald]

Why wouldn't it?

I know he signed a long term deal along with the rest of the coaching staff but he'll be under pressure one would have thought should England not get out of their group?

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Why wouldn't it?

Group stage failure and English sport culture combined would mean his head on a plate. Particularly in a home tournament scenario and that probably means anything lower than the semis and SL gets the chop.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I bet Cipriani is really really regretting the mistakes he made when he was younger, he could have been our definite 10 but blew it big time and now it doesn't look like his international career will ever be revived.

 

[ncurd]

Wasn't cips career more ended by broken ankle against Bath that ended up taking years to rediscover the form he had prior to that injury?