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

[B10]

I'm worried Lancaster will move JJ to the wing to accommodate Barritt to the starting 15 v Ireland.

For Ireland I'd bring Nowell in for May and start Twelvetrees and JJ in centre. Lawes or Parling on the bench too. Ewers to bench instead of Croft.

 

[Peat]

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.

From BBC dated 4th Feb:

Ben Foden (knee - out for season)
Manu Tuilagi (groin - could return next month)
Kyle Eastmond (shoulder - will miss first Six Nations match)
Brad Barritt (knee - will miss first Six Nations match)
Owen Farrell (knee - out for whole Six Nations)
Joe Launchbury (neck - could be fit by April), Courtney Lawes (ankle - could return mid-late February)
Geoff Parling (knee - will miss opening Six Nations match)
Ed Slater (knee - could be fit by April)
Tom Wood (ankle - will miss first Six Nations match)
Ben Morgan (leg - out for season)
David Wilson (neck - will miss first Six Nations match)

Some of its out of date I think, but Parling and Lawes both could be contention from the looks of it.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Interesting!
Would definitely bring one in, would say both but Kruis has been very impressive....
Maybe go from having two backrows on the bench to two locks?

 

[Peat]

I have to admit I'm still mildly Kruis-skeptic. I think I'd probably put Parling on the bench and let Lawes get some fitness with his club with an open mind to week 4 though, tinkering with the team mid-window rarely goes great for us.

 

[Patchey]

I'd be a bit miffed if Easter was dropped for a lock. IMO as the area we're stroll struggling in involves carrying of rather not have a very lightweight back row sub in Croft.

 

[Willodell100]

I'm worried Lancaster will move JJ to the wing to accommodate Barritt to the starting 15 v Ireland.

For Ireland I'd bring Nowell in for May and start Twelvetrees and JJ in centre. Lawes or Parling on the bench too. Ewers to bench instead of Croft.

If he brings Barritt back in I have lift all faith in this management. We can't keep picking inside centres at 13 and expecting any kind of creativity. Burrell did ok there but Barritt was awful there.

Joseph is no winger either. Did ok in an emergency but not as a starter. Leave him at 13 where he can do serious damage. The two major reasons why we look like much more of a threat going forward is a) George ford standing so flat and b) JJ fast feet and outside break

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We can't keep picking inside centres at 13 and expecting any kind of creativity. Burrell did ok there but Barritt was awful there.

I'm in no way calling for BB to be in the side, but that bull crap. Barritt was good in the autumn for England at 13.

 

[chippieolamus]

I'm in no way calling for BB to be in the side, but that bull crap. Barritt was good in the autumn for England at 13.

*Barritt was good in defence in the autumn for England at 13. Not in attack.

 

[oldprussians]

As an Italian fan I am very sad..

Haimona was a disgrace and should be banned from even watching Italy play again on telly let alone play for them again.....

Unfortunately Brunel is defending him....

 

[j'nuh]

May's defence isn't bad. He's quite slight, so will never win in a strength contest like what happened with Morisi. Morisi only managed to score the try because of the pop-pass from whoever, that May wasn't expecting and so had to adjust a little too late and so was taken on his outside shoulder. I mean, other England contenders would probably have more strength than May to put Morisi out, but it's such a rare situation that this kind of thing happens that I'm not too concerned about it.

May is fantastic at positioning when the opposition are pulling a backline move. I don't believe that there is another England potential that is as good as he is at drifting through an opposition's attack.

Not a great game for him, but I wouldn't be changing him now.

- - - Updated - - -

May's defence isn't bad. He's quite slight, so will never win in a strength contest like what happened with Morisi. Morisi only managed to score the try because of the pop-pass from whoever, that May wasn't expecting and so had to adjust a little too late and so was taken on his outside shoulder. I mean, other England contenders would probably have more strength than May to put Morisi out, but it's such a rare situation that this kind of thing happens that I'm not too concerned about it.

May is fantastic at positioning when the opposition are pulling a backline move. I don't believe that there is another England potential that is as good as he is at drifting through an opposition's attack.

Not a great game for him, but I wouldn't be changing him now.

I'm in no way calling for BB to be in the side, but that bull crap. Barritt was good in the autumn for England at 13.

I think he was mainly talking from a creativity POV.

 

[ncurd]

As an Italian fan I am very sad..

Haimona was a disgrace and should be banned from even watching Italy play again on telly let alone play for them again.....

Unfortunately Brunel is defending him....

I wouldn't knock him too much I personally though he was fairly well equipped 10. What Italy need is a kicker in the backs to supplement him.

 

[chippieolamus]

I thought Haimona was one of the better Italian players, apart from his kicking...

 

[TheSaffycen]

Right I had to watch the game on a delay after work so this is straight after for me. We were so poor. Italy scored 3 tries and only 1 of them had a piece of skill, even then May still should've stopped it. We scored tries, but the first one IMO wasn't a try. Against Ireland if we give them so many weak shoulders we will concede over 30 points, but wont put 47 on the board. Anyway my ratings would be
1.Marler 7 Against Italy if you props get one over their scrum you have done your job. Added with good line speed and hits.
2.Hartley 5.5 Did pretty much nothing, rucking is poor.
3.Cole 7 Again scrum was dominant, slows down Italy's ball as well.
4.Attwood 6.5 good in the lineout and made one good carry. At fault for a try though.
5.Kruis 6.5 Took the ball well and linked in attack a couple of times. Not a bad 5th choice.
6.Haskell 7.5 I thought he was brilliant over the ball and carrying. Stupid penalty though.
7.Robshaw 9 Made another 18 tackles. That's now 44 tackles in 2 games.
8.Vunipola 7.5 made 15 tackles. Clean break, 44m and 1 try from tight carries.
9.Youngs 7 couple of nice breaks and a try, needs to be faster at ruck time.
10.Ford 8 Had a good game, played flat but hard to judge him on this game as it was an arm chair ride.
11.May 5.5 apart from Cips try he was poor. Butchered a try, and for someone who has so much pace he doesn't (too me) seem to cause enough problems.
12.Burrell 6 Didn't do poorly just wasn't a stand out like last year, also threw a ridiculous intercepted pass.
13.Joseph 9 2 tries and great pace for both. 123 meters and not one missed tackle.
14.Watson 6 thought he did okay and footwork was dangerous.
15.Brown great to see him okay afterwards.

From the bench
Youngs 7 good lineout work, tackles like a missle. Pushing for a start but will have to show more set piece as Ireland are dangerous.
Vunipola not enough time to show much, did get a turnover but was poor in one scrum.
Brookes 6 carrying was really good.
Easter 7 got a try but also helps Billy with carrying.
Croft 6.5 Great lineout take and made 7 tackles
Wigglesworth 6 didn't do much apart from one poor kick under pressure
Cipriani 7.5 His try was great work joining the line and then supprot running. Watching that he would attack well from full back.
Twelvetrees 8 Good width brought to the game and helped Ford I think having another kicking option. Pushing for start.

My team v Ireland
1.Marler
2.Hartley
3.Cole
4.Attwood
5.Parling
6.Haskell
7.Robshaw
8.Vunipola
9.Youngs
10.Ford
11.May/Nowell
12.Burrell
13.Joseph
14.Watson
15.Brown
16.Youngs 17.Corbisiero 18.Brookes 19.Kruis 20.Easter 21.Care 22.Cipriani 23.Twelvetrees/Nowell

 

[oldprussians]

I wouldn't knock him too much I personally though he was fairly well equipped 10. What Italy need is a kicker in the backs to supplement him.

I thought Haimona was one of the better Italian players, apart from his kicking...

You are both very kind but the reality is that he was bought and paid for by the FIR so he is playing.

His own club coach considers Orquera and Padovani in front of him as a 10.

A 10 MUST be able to Kick to the posts with 80 or more percent success rate. and he failed.

Allan's Kick was harder and he got it, and he is more dynamic as a 10...

Yes we lost our head for 20 mins.. but.... oh well.... we'll see but a suspect a wood spoon beckons!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, I thought Haimona played well, but I question him as a 10 and massively question him as a goal kicker. Think he could go well as a 12, but then Italy have a few decent centres knocking about now and I wouldn't say any of them deserve to be dropped to make way for him.

 

[ncurd]

A 10 doesn't need to just look at Wales. However I understand your frustration knowing the politics behind it all, imports are a complex subject at international level.

 

[Peat]

I feel Marler is possibly as much to blame for Attwood for that try; certainly some at fault. He shot up without paying attention to who was outside him when he needed to be drifting like mad. I'm suspicious that Watson shouldn't have so far to run as well, in which case he might have made the tackle (I'd have liked him to make the tackle anyway). In fact - 3 missed tackles and a bit of suspect positioning, I don't think Watson did himself too many favours as a full-back.

Twelvetrees added a good distributing option but, in other games, I want to see him straighten the line more and better.

 

[Irishkid]

Brown got concussion and is out of Ireland game.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Who do we use at Fullback? Nowell and Watson both can go there but I haven't seen Nowell playing there. If he is good at the FB basics, I think I'd prefer him there and then keep Watson on the wing. Having said that, I'd also like to have seen Nowell replace May on the wing, he's a bit too inconsistant for my liking. Definitely deadly if he plays right but he's made too many defensive errors recently and not made up for it with enough good attacking play. Responsible for 2 tries in 2 games now, both simply involved shoving someone into touch.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If Brown is definitely out then it does raise the difficult question.
I would've looked to have Nowell involved vs Ireland regardless, probably in place of May. I'm a big May fan but he's not been particularly impressive the last two rounds, and I think Nowell deserves a shot.

Of Nowell/Watson I'd choose Watson - more recent exposure to test rugby, so should be more composed, and also has more experience/more recent experience/more experience at a higher level of playing 15 (I think he played there in Europe, anyway?). He's also better under the high ball (not saying Nowell is poor by any means, mind) which would be handy with the Sexton/Kearney combo he's likely to come up against.
So I'd have 11. May, 14. Nowell, 15. Watson

Really got no idea what Lancaster will do, though. Part of me thinks he might parachute Goode in for this game, then drop him back out of the 23 when Brown is fit.




Unless they call Pennell up as cover for Brown, in which case I would (genuinely) consider him for the 15 shirt.