[2015 Six Nations] England vs Italy (Round 2)

[Patchey]

I think Croft was rushed back into the side because they weren't sure how the lineout would function without any of Lawes/Launchbury/Parling/Wood there - it's gone well enough so far (or at least not bad enough that they've tried to get Croft involved earlier).
Would prefer his bench spot to be taken by either a true lock (Kitchener) or a proper powerful flanker for when Haskell goes off (can we call up Ewers as injury cover for Brown? Is that a thing that the EPS rules allow?)

Yeah, pretty sure they don't have to be a like for like replacement.


I'm always at my most critical immediately post-game so in a few hours I'll probably be agreeing with Peat I think.

 

[Peat]

Croft was called back early because, like last time, Croft is a player that Lancaster really rates.

We could call up Ewers for Brown but if you think Lancaster's calling up a player he's not had in an EPS before to put him right into the team for Dublin, then...

 

[ratsapprentice]

I don't think he's likely to at all... I just don't think he's recognised which of Haskell's qualities have been of most benefit to the team.

Hint: It's not his pace in the wide channels.

 

[TommiG88]

I'm disappointed with some bits of our game. I feel our defence was a mixed bag and we didn't defend as a unit at times. May's tackle at the end was feeble for an international winger. In our attack I thought our line was a tad deep at times, very kicks behind or up and unders.

 

[ncurd]

Overall regulation win over Italy, most of them go that way.

No real complaint from English players except Jonny May defensive lapses you'd expect all over the place including at least one try. But more importantly committing the cardinal sin of not passing the ball for clear try scoring opportunity. Yeah he redeemed himself a little later but with defensive errors as well I'd ditch him.

 

[chippieolamus]

Player ratings (I'll do the team that played most of the game, not the starting XV)

Marler - 6.5 - Solid in the scrum, made a lot of tackles
Hartley - 5.5 - Good throwing but anonymous elsewhere
Cole - 6 - Good scrummaging
Attwood - 7.5 - Great overall, would've been an 8 but he was largely at fault for one of their tries
Kruis - 5.5 - Didn't do much of note
Haskell - 6.5 - Good carrying again, not as influential as last week though
Robshaw - 7 - typical Robshaw game, made a load of tackles and hit plenty of rucks
Vunipola - 8 - Great carrying and tackling
Youngs - 6 - Meh, some poor service for Ford but scored a nice try
Ford - 8 - Composed, created a fair few chances and put Joseph in well for his try
Twelvetrees - 8 - Controlled the game very well, seemed to link up very well with Ford. None of his usual stupid moments and solid in defence
Burrell - 6 - Pretty anonymous
Joseph - 9 - What a player.
May - 5.5 - Was pretty awful aside from the run and offload for Cipriani's try (which was admittedly great). Missed an easy tackle for the final Italy try and
Watson - 6.5 - Couple of nice bursts

Thoughts?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

England's defense a complete change from last week. Seriously the weak tackling in midfield was a joke, people slipping off double tackles all over the place and May's attempt at trying to kindly suggest the Italian go into touch at the end... So so poor by England.

On the good side, 12trees actually had a decent game I feel and JJ doing even more to put him ahead of Tuilagi in the competition for the 13 shirt. Also Robshaw fantastic again.

As I said last week, Youngs is NOT good, he finds it impossible to give fast ball and slows down EVERY attack. We need a scurm half who will get the ball out fast so we can maintain momentum, Youngs just kills it all the time with poor passing requring players to check their runs and such slow delivery.

 

[Patchey]

England's defense a complete change from last week. Seriously the weak tackling in midfield was a joke, people slipping off double tackles all over the place and May's attempt at trying to kindly suggest the Italian go into touch at the end... So so poor by England.

On the good side, 12trees actually had a decent game I feel and JJ doing even more to put him ahead of Tuilagi in the competition for the 13 shirt. Also Robshaw fantastic again.

Thing is, in the last ten we tackled like monsters in midfield. Odd.

12Trees didn't even fall over comically this week. Revelation!

 

[Crapspray]

Weird game. Attack decent. Defence abysmal.

All the Italian tries came from glaring defensive errors in relatively innocuous situations. About four tackles missed for Parrise's, Dog-legged line stuffed with forwards for the second, and the last... well May* hasn't done himself many favours this afternoon.

I hope Farrell beasts them this coming fortnight, otherwise Ireland will run riot. On the plus side, a good reality check and some obvious areas to work on.

* I keep wanting May to kick-on for England, but for every good thing he does he seems to undo it with two bad in the same game. He was effectively, solely responsible for a 12-14 point swing against England. I'd stick with him, but I'm increasingly desperate for him settle down and look comfortable.

 

[Peat]

Big difference for me from last week - apart from the slightly understandable complacency - is that this week we seemed to be trying to go wide a lot earlier and a lot often. We weren't bashing it up through the small gaps in the middle to force gaps as much, we were looking to make them run and run and tire them out to force a lot of scoring late in the game. Which worked, with the small caveat that they weren't meant to get one of those late scores, but it's always going to look a bit ugly at times as you're not playing sensible rugby.

Hopefully we'll be a lot more direct against Ireland, it suits us better.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Croft was called back early because, like last time, Croft is a player that Lancaster really rates.

We could call up Ewers for Brown but if you think Lancaster's calling up a player he's not had in an EPS before to put him right into the team for Dublin, then...

Of course I don't think we'd actually do that.
We'll put out the same 23 as this week - if Brown is out then Watson will be at 15, JJ on the wing and Nowell or Goode on the bench.

 

[Peat]

Of course I don't think we'd actually do that.
We'll put out the same 23 as this week - if Brown is out then Watson will be at 15, JJ on the wing and Nowell or Goode on the bench.

That would be foolish. Back 3 positioning will be very key against Ireland. JJ did well enough but it'd be an entirely different test and I've got some questions about Watson's positioning for the first Morisi try.

I suspect we'll see a change in the locks, possibly Tom Wood, and if Corbs doesn't come in for Mako I'll be fuming. It's been a decent start but not so good that everyone deserves to keep their shirt imo.

 

[Patchey]

That would be foolish. Back 3 positioning will be very key against Ireland. JJ did well enough but it'd be an entirely different test and I've got some questions about Watson's positioning for the first Morisi try.

I suspect we'll see a change in the locks, possibly Tom Wood, and if Corbs doesn't come in for Mako I'll be fuming. It's been a decent start but not so good that everyone deserves to keep their shirt imo.

BBC report on the Saints game last night said Corbs has a strained thigh? If fit he should play though, agreed.

Will Parling not be fit next week?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That would be foolish. Back 3 positioning will be very key against Ireland. JJ did well enough but it'd be an entirely different test and I've got some questions about Watson's positioning for the first Morisi try.

I suspect we'll see a change in the locks, possibly Tom Wood, and if Corbs doesn't come in for Mako I'll be fuming. It's been a decent start but not so good that everyone deserves to keep their shirt imo.

Who are we bringing in to the locks? You think they'd give Kitchener his first cap as a start in Dublin?
I'm not saying this is what I'd do, I'm saying it's what I think Lancaster will do, and I genuinely think it's the kind of thing he'd do.
If he's happy to play Brown on the wing, when he's never played there before, he'd be happy to put the much-more-experienced JJ there. This is only if Brown is out, though, and considering there's a week off he probably won't be.
If Wood is fit he'd probably come in for Croft, I agree.

 

[yaboyjj]

Surely May is in the last chance saloon now with his awful defense, that one-on-one down with the touchline, all he had to do was give him a shove- pretty unforgivable imo. Nowel to start against Ireland (Wade would have done a better defensive job than either of the starting wingers today). Lawes in for Kruis to shore up the line-out, which will be a key area in Ireland (Kruis unlucky to just bench). Twelvetrees at 12 and Joseph at 13.

 

[Peat]

I'm assuming one of Parling, Lawes or Launchbury is available for Dublin. If Corbs is injured that'd suck.

There is a huge difference between Brown and Joseph in terms of positioning, fielding and returning the kick to the back three, imo.

 

[Tony Manx]

Launchers has been ruled out for the rest of the season after an operation............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/30533194

 

[Peat]

Clearly I'd blocked such a traumatic piece of news from my memory. Eh. Parling and/or Lawes in then.

 

[chippieolamus]

Lawes in for Kruis, Kruis to bench for Easter. Maybe Wood in for Croft, but Croft's more of an impact player. Also would put Nowell on the wing instead of May, and I would consider 12T over Burrell.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I thought Lawes was missing the whole lot, and Parling was only a maybe for the last round?

Might be mistaken, though - we've had that many injuries I can't remember who's out for how long.