[2015 Six Nations] England

[Willodell100]

I think Goode deserves his spot. He might not be the quickest but has a great rugby head, is a well balanced runner and has a great kicking game to boot. He also can play 1at recieved very comfortably and has performed consistently well for Saracens. I would have had him ahead of Foden anyway.

 

[Patchey]

Mako had an absolute ball in the scrum against Munster - maybe this got him over the line ahead of others?

But was that a one off or has his scrummaging been better since coming back?

Wig just said on twitter that 'retuning lions offer great experience' in response as to whether Mullan, Webber and Brooke's are most unlucky players not to be on squad.

 

[glawsfan]

Reasonably happy with the squad. Was dissapointed not to see Wade or Simpson in there though. I can see Wade being the next James Simpson Daniel has all the talent but is always ruled out internationally because of his size.

Also thank you for picking 36 you've done Gloucester a favour!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

But was that a one off or has his scrummaging been better since coming back?

Wig just said on twitter that 'retuning lions offer great experience' in response as to whether Mullan, Webber and Brooke's are most unlucky players not to be on squad.

yeah I can't say I've watched much of him.

I find Lancasters embracing of Mako really strange.

Mako's weakness at scrum time is arguably a similarly significant weakness to, say, how Ciprianis defence used to be. I would have thought, therefore, that lancaster would make Vunipola work like the devil to get anywhere near the EPS.

 

[Peat]

Vunipola's scrummaging weakness is, imo, rather overtalked; particularly in the context of an impact sub, where I've rarely seen him beat.

More to the point though, he is at the age where the odd scrummaging mishap is part and parcel. Marler had them, Mullan had them, Corbs had them. Vunipola is in because long term, the coaching team see him as outgrowing that, at which point they get a solid international prop with plenty of experience and serious pace and agility for a 20 stone man. Does he deserve to be in the squad right now? Debatable, Mullan's done nothing wrong. Is it the right call? Yes, I think so. Right now I think he offers as much as Mullan off the bench at least, and long term it's probably going to pay off. Very hard on Mullan, but there we go. That's international rugby.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Mako on form is one of the best "impact" players I can think of, and as Peat says: Marler is a great example of why young props getting perhaps more gametime than they seem to be worth at the time does pay off.

 

[Peat]

I'd just like to add... there's a lot of complaint about picking solid players with obvious limitations to their top level of ability over players with bigger flaws and bigger strengths, flaws that can be ironed out and strengths that others simply can't mimic, particularly when it comes to squad players who are mainly going to be learning rather than playing. Picking Mullan ahead of Vunipola would have been just that. I know that props are a real liability when scrummaging is a flaw but the principle stands.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Breaking down the squad:
Hookers- Hartley, Youngs- They are both very different but on their day very good. Hartley is our best dart thrower and Youngs is our best loose guy. George could be annoyed not to even get into the Saxons as he has the higgest tackles in the ERC and one of the top in the Prem. Webber will probably head into the main squad if one goes down.
Props- Cole, Wilson, Corbisiero, Marler, Vunipola- Cole and Wilson are the best tightheads we have, Brookes is not far behind. Is mullan unlucky not to be included ? Not really IMO, he would only be 3rd choice and out of Mullan and Vunipola. Mako is another carrying threat and handling threat, Mullan is an good all rounder.
Locks- Attwood, Kitchener, Kruis, Parling- not bad for our 6th choice lock. Attwood and Parling is a very good balanced pairing but Kitcheners loose running or Kruis' grunt could be utilised over Parling's lineout strength. Attwood must be the first name on the sheet.
Backrow- Clark, Haskell, Robshaw, Wood, Vunipola, Easter- Ewers and Kvesic should felt hard done by. Easter is 36, he has looked very good but with no intl' physical games to have to deal with. Clark is a..... so why have them two ? Clark has been brilliant I know but I just hate him, so much. Wood has done nothing to be played ahead of Hask and if he is than Lancaster clearly doesn't look at form what so ever.
Scrum Half- Care, Wigglesworth, Dickson- all of them have been good this season. Personally I feel Simpson has been unlucky as Dickson hasn't shown anything other than he can get forwards around the corner with the most dominant pack in the prem. WW has a bit of variety and a very cultured left boot which is always helpful.
Fly Half- Cipriani, Farrell, Ford, Myler- Why have we got 4 ? Maybe Cips is seen as a 10/15 ? I think that Ford will start and Farrell will be 22 as he can cover 10/12/13. Hopefully Cips has Italy and Scotland.
Centres- Barritt, Burrell, Eastmond, Joseph, Twelvetrees- Slade possibly ahead of 36 but not really a massive problem. Now it's down to SL to select the right combo, will the Bath combo get a chance ?
Back Three- Brown, Goode, May, Nowell, Watson- I would say Banahan is pretty unlucky not to be in either squad, been scoring tries for fun recently. Brown-May-Watson is a very pacy back three but adding Nowell may be a safer bet against North.

 

[Wendigo7]

Wonder what bets there are on both Cips and Farrell on the bench at the same time.

 

[Aristodemus]

Youngs was selected, not Dickson.

I am disappointed that Yarde wasn't picked, I still think he is the best winger we have and his form has improved vastly over the last few weeks. That being said I also like Nowell and Watson (not a fan of May) so I can't complain too much. I want to see a team with Eastmond and Haskell in it lining up against Wales but something tells me I won't see either. Kvesic should be in over Clark, but neither would play anyway so it doesn't matter too much.

 

[Peat]

I'd just like to add that I am incredibly disappointed that Hartley remains in the squad after his latest acts of ill-discipline and will probably be using it for my main example of why Lancaster's utterances means little to me for a long time.

Also, I really doubt he has any intention of actually playing Cipriani.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Also, I really doubt he has any intention of actually playing Cipriani.

I'd agree, I think Ben Foden's injury has been incredibly convenient for him.

 

[Irishkid]

I am disappointed that Yarde wasn't picked, I still think he is the best winger we have and his form has improved vastly over the last few weeks. That being said I also like Nowell and Watson (not a fan of May) so I can't complain too much. I want to see a team with Eastmond and Haskell in it lining up against Wales but something tells me I won't see either. Kvesic should be in over Clark, but neither would play anyway so it doesn't matter too much.

Yarde hasn't clicked quite yet all season whereas the others are still playing very well and don't forget about wade and sharples. On another note what the hell has happened to Henry Trinder.

 

[Peat]

I'd agree, I think Ben Foden's injury has been incredibly convenient for him.

Apparently the Government are looking at having Ben Foden and Una Healy front a campaign promoting more flexible maternity/paternity cover or something. I can almost hear Lancaster's teeth grinding at the thought from here.

 

[j'nuh]

Breaking down the squad:
Hookers- Hartley, Youngs- They are both very different but on their day very good. Hartley is our best dart thrower and Youngs is our best loose guy. George could be annoyed not to even get into the Saxons as he has the higgest tackles in the ERC and one of the top in the Prem. Webber will probably head into the main squad if one goes down.
Props- Cole, Wilson, Corbisiero, Marler, Vunipola- Cole and Wilson are the best tightheads we have, Brookes is not far behind. Is mullan unlucky not to be included ? Not really IMO, he would only be 3rd choice and out of Mullan and Vunipola. Mako is another carrying threat and handling threat, Mullan is an good all rounder.
Locks- Attwood, Kitchener, Kruis, Parling- not bad for our 6th choice lock. Attwood and Parling is a very good balanced pairing but Kitcheners loose running or Kruis' grunt could be utilised over Parling's lineout strength. Attwood must be the first name on the sheet.
Backrow- Clark, Haskell, Robshaw, Wood, Vunipola, Easter- Ewers and Kvesic should felt hard done by. Easter is 36, he has looked very good but with no intl' physical games to have to deal with. Clark is a..... so why have them two ? Clark has been brilliant I know but I just hate him, so much. Wood has done nothing to be played ahead of Hask and if he is than Lancaster clearly doesn't look at form what so ever.
Scrum Half- Care, Wigglesworth, Dickson- all of them have been good this season. Personally I feel Simpson has been unlucky as Dickson hasn't shown anything other than he can get forwards around the corner with the most dominant pack in the prem. WW has a bit of variety and a very cultured left boot which is always helpful.
Fly Half- Cipriani, Farrell, Ford, Myler- Why have we got 4 ? Maybe Cips is seen as a 10/15 ? I think that Ford will start and Farrell will be 22 as he can cover 10/12/13. Hopefully Cips has Italy and Scotland.
Centres- Barritt, Burrell, Eastmond, Joseph, Twelvetrees- Slade possibly ahead of 36 but not really a massive problem. Now it's down to SL to select the right combo, will the Bath combo get a chance ?
Back Three- Brown, Goode, May, Nowell, Watson- I would say Banahan is pretty unlucky not to be in either squad, been scoring tries for fun recently. Brown-May-Watson is a very pacy back three but adding Nowell may be a safer bet against North.

Hookers - agree with Peat, Lancaster has sold his own message out by picking Hartley. It would have been reasonable to have gone with Youngs and Webber, so there's not really an excuse here. My biggest problem with Youngs in the past has been his set piece. If this is okay now, then would be more than happy to see him in. Otherwise, it's a problem position.
Props - Don't agree with calls for Brookes; he's never going to get a game with the other two around, and he didn't get much involvement in the Autumn beyond a few minutes at the end of games. Lancaster clearly doesn't trust Brookes to be heavily involved. As for Mako, I don't think it is overstated how bad his scrummaging is. It is a liability at international level, and the scrum is our most important facet. He can't be allowed to start games, but I'm sympathetic to him coming on to try and change things if we can't dominate the scrum.
Locks - no arguments here.
Back row - Big bag of meh. Clark, no. Easter is reasonable but should be behind Waldrom and Evans at least for me. Kvesic has been incredibly hard done by. As has Ewers. Doesn't fill me with the right confidence that Lancaster fully has grips on what is going wrong in the pack; full of generalist players and no specialists.
Scrummies - Perhaps Simpson should have been in there, but can understand their hesitance.
Fly-halves - Could have realistically gone into the tournament with just Ford and Farrell, the others won't be used.
Centres - Well, at least Joseph is involved.
Back three - Never have liked Goode and thought fullback was well covered with Nowell and Watson. Would have added an extra winger instead. Maybe one of the fly-halves will give way to Roko later down the line.

 

[Tony Manx]

Think Cips is only there to encourage him to stay in England BUT only in case of injury to two or more of those ahead of him.

I cannot see Lancaster ever trusting him as first choice if he has one of Ford, Farrell, Mylar or Burns fit!!

If I was him, I would not take English recognition into account in my future career choice as Lancaster's contract covers most of his remaining prior years!!

 

[Irishkid]

I reckon the might play Farrell 12 Joseph 13 but that is not what I would like.

 

[glawsfan]

Yarde hasn't clicked quite yet all season whereas the others are still playing very well and don't forget about wade and sharples. On another note what the hell has happened to Henry Trinder.

Trinder was almost ready to come back but then got injured again!

Really feel for him as without his injuries he could of been pushing on the England door.

 

[Maverick1987]

If I was him, I would not take English recognition into account in my future career choice as Lancaster's contract covers most of his remaining prior years!!

Unless we go out in the group stages then Lancaster has about 8 months left . I'm not sure id be sad tbh lol

 

[Tony Manx]

Unless we go out in the group stages then Lancaster has about 8 months left . I'm not sure id be sad tbh lol

I think Lancaster got contract extension to something like 2018? So presumably he is likely to be there through 2019 RWC?