[2015 Six Nations] England

[TheSaffycen]

And according to Wayne Barnes and the TMO he did make a genuine attempt. It isn't nearly as bad as what Paul James and Sinkler have done recently.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think you're being massively naive, or ignorant...

There are lots of players who consistently use this type of tackle and they go unpunished - they will continue to do so until they are consistently punished.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Indeed. But in the instance we are talking about the ref, commentators and TMO all said he went to wrap his leg but missed and tackled him with his shoulder/top of the back.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Burger has loads of previous for it so it wouldn't exactly be a shock.

 

[Patchey]

I quite like Burger, but the canonball/speed bump style tackle is a bit of speciality of his. Certainly if Sinkler got banned for his one, Burger should be as well.

Seems like it wont happen though.




Back to England, Daly and Simpson both played blinders today, I hope Lancaster was watching. One of them for a spot as a semi-bolter in the RWC squad?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm not sure, to be honest.
I think, if they were named, it'd be well deserved, but there are players they'd struggle to overtake (in the England selector's eyes).

Dickson and Care look to both be out of favour with Lancaster, and neither are really setting the world alight for their clubs, so Simpson would(/should) be closest. I wouldn't be upset to see our three Scrumhalves being Youngs, Wigglesworth and Simpson.

Daly's inclusion would come more down to injuries/how much Lancaster hates Eastmond, as Burrell/Barritt/Twelvetrees are all favourites of his, Joseph was outstanding through the 6N and Farrell can cover centre too - as can Slade, who is very close to the EPS right now.

 

[yaboyjj]

So how much has this weekend altered things for England? Not much found out that we didn't know already tbh
Some 'established' players had a bit of a going over/ were poor again- Corbs/Wood/Dickson/Burrell (basically all of the Norts side other than Clarke and Lawes) and the form players showed... good form- Daly, Simpson, Ford, Ewers, Kvesic, Hill.

Itoje showing that he can mix it with the big boys- he needs to be starting for Saracens at 6 (bolter for the England training squad), basically looks like a better version of Wood (or Wood pre anorexia), hitting rucks like a man possessed, lineout, ball carrying etc.
Eastmond's having a bit of a slump in form- golden chance for Burgess to make something happen in the last few matches. Ford makes the Bath team tick (they look ordinary without him), but kicking is still a bit of an issue (Slade or Farrell at IC looking more likely by the week).

Team to face the baa-baa's? (not sure what the policy will be with resting/wrapping Robshaw+ others in cotton wool etc)
1. Marler 2. Youngs 3. Wilson 4. Launch 5. Lawes 6. Ewers 7. Kvesic 8. Vunipola 9. Youngs 10. Ford 11. Nowell 12. Hill 13. Joseph 14. Watson 15. Brown
16. George 17. Vunipola 18. Brookes 19. Parling 20. Itoje 21. Simson 22. Slade 23. Daly

based on form - Burrell, Hartley, Twelvetrees, Dickson, Attwood should all be fearing for their squad places (won't happen though)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Will be interesting to see how they go about the BaaBaas game - usually a game for our Saxons/fringe players, but with only a few games before the RWC.....but equally, at the end of a long season, would our first choicers benefit more from the week off?


Would love to side like the one above, though.

As long as Ewers, Simpson, Slade, Hill, Itoke and George* are involved I'll be happy.



*Becoming less and less impressed as time goes on. I always quite liked him as he was decent at everything, while not excelling at anything. Now he's just looking really average, if that, at everything.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

45 man World Cup training squad will be announced middle of May, with a junior team to face the Ba-Bas on 31 May, with no players involved in the premiership final and probably the semis included in this squad. Training squad will then meet up in mid June to train, with home and away games v France to be played in August. By 31 August, Lancaster has to whittle the squad down to 31 and then there is a game v Ireland to play at Twickenham on 5 September.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...ld-Cup-team-finish-club-seasons-unharmed.html

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England XXIII minus current top 4?
England XXIII minus current top 4:

I'm presuming 1st XV EPS won't be used, and taking into account the most recent Saxons squad.

1. Mullan
2. Cowan-Dickie
3. Brookes
4. Gaskell**
5. Stooke**
6. Ewers
7. Kvesic
8. Beaumont
9. Simpson
10. Cipriani
11. Yarde
12. Slade
13. Daly
14. Wade
15. Miller

16. Taylor
17. Harrison
18. Cooper-Woolley
19. Matthews
20. Waldrom
21. Care
22. Hill
23. Haley

** Mind went a bit blank on locks, tbh. These two aren't first choices at their clubs, but I'm struggling to think of non-top 4 locks who are on the radar - other than Launchbury, but I don't think he'd be used in the Baabaas game.

 

[Peat]

I'm not sure, to be honest.
I think, if they were named, it'd be well deserved, but there are players they'd struggle to overtake (in the England selector's eyes).

Dickson and Care look to both be out of favour with Lancaster, and neither are really setting the world alight for their clubs, so Simpson would(/should) be closest. I wouldn't be upset to see our three Scrumhalves being Youngs, Wigglesworth and Simpson.

Daly's inclusion would come more down to injuries/how much Lancaster hates Eastmond, as Burrell/Barritt/Twelvetrees are all favourites of his, Joseph was outstanding through the 6N and Farrell can cover centre too - as can Slade, who is very close to the EPS right now.

It should be noted that most of the names you've mentioned can cover inside-centre and, for all GN10's speculation about him playing there, Daly's virtually never played there to my knowledge. With Joseph locked into the squad if fit, Daly simply isn't going to the WC based on his ability at 13 and Lancaster has shown zero interest in backs with no 23 credentials (not that Daly's credentials there aren't quite overstated).

In short, Daly probably isn't going, and the best he can hope for is a Baabaas match and a place in the general squad.

My guess is the Baabaas game will be the same glorified Saxons game as ever, with most people playing for a space in the post-WC EPS and not the WC squad.


edit: Would also point out that 11 tackles with only 1 miss in only 55 minutes makes Corbs' Northampton's best tackler on the day.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It should be noted that most of the names you've mentioned can cover inside-centre and, for all GN10's speculation about him playing there, Daly's virtually never played there to my knowledge. With Joseph locked into the squad if fit, Daly simply isn't going to the WC based on his ability at 13 and Lancaster has shown zero interest in backs with no 23 credentials (not that Daly's credentials there aren't quite overstated).

That's true. Nowell and May can both cover 13 (in a very tight squeeze, anyway) - pretty sure all our 12s have played 13 at international level (maybe not 36? but Burrell and Barritt definitely have) so that cuts down on Daly's chances too.

 

[chippieolamus]

England XXIII minus current top 4?
England XXIII minus current top 4:

I'm presuming 1st XV EPS won't be used, and taking into account the most recent Saxons squad.

1. Mullan
2. Cowan-Dickie
3. Brookes
4. Gaskell**
5. Stooke**
6. Ewers
7. Kvesic
8. Beaumont
9. Simpson
10. Cipriani
11. Yarde
12. Slade
13. Daly
14. Wade
15. Miller

16. Taylor
17. Harrison
18. Cooper-Woolley
19. Matthews
20. Waldrom
21. Care
22. Hill
23. Haley

** Mind went a bit blank on locks, tbh. These two aren't first choices at their clubs, but I'm struggling to think of non-top 4 locks who are on the radar - other than Launchbury, but I don't think he'd be used in the Baabaas game.

Lawes
Launchbury
Parling
Attwood
Kruis
Easter (plays lock for England)
Slater
Kitchener
Itoje

 

[goodNumber10]

It should be noted that most of the names you've mentioned can cover inside-centre and, for all GN10's speculation about him playing there, Daly's virtually never played there to my knowledge. With Joseph locked into the squad if fit, Daly simply isn't going to the WC based on his ability at 13 and Lancaster has shown zero interest in backs with no 23 credentials (not that Daly's credentials there aren't quite overstated).

In short, Daly probably isn't going, and the best he can hope for is a Baabaas match and a place in the general squad.

My guess is the Baabaas game will be the same glorified Saxons game as ever, with most people playing for a space in the post-WC EPS and not the WC squad.

agreed, Daly isn't in the reckoning no matter what the sky pundits say...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lawes
Launchbury
Parling
Attwood
Kruis
Easter (plays lock for England)
Slater
Kitchener
Itoje

Non-top 4, though.
If the baabaas isnt using any semi sides, and presuming the current top 4 is who will be there at the end, that takes away all but Easter/Launchbury.

Easter could well feature, but i think they wouldn't use Launchbury.
Think he'd benefit from an extra week with the EPS more than a game with a cobbled together XV.

 

[Peat]

Tbh, part of me would like this to be more than the glorified Saxons game - I feel that putting out guys like Marler, Launchbury and Robshaw and then finding out how guys like Kvesic, Ewers etc.etc. react when put out in a very strong pack would be far more valuable. But there we go, probably ain't happening.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I agree with that - we've got what, 4 games till the world cup? Including BaaBaas?
We've still got question marks over our backrow and centres, with the hand-raisers (Ewers, Kvesic, Slade, Hill) all available.

This is where the divide between EPS and Saxons is a bad thing, as we'll put together a seperate squad for the baabaas to the Warmups, as opposed to Ireland who will just name every Irish player and their dog in an extended squad.

 

[yaboyjj]

Non-top 4, though.
If the baabaas isnt using any semi sides, and presuming the current top 4 is who will be there at the end, that takes away all but Easter/Launchbury.

Easter could well feature, but i think they wouldn't use Launchbury.
Think he'd benefit from an extra week with the EPS more than a game with a cobbled together XV.

I expect it to be Norts, Sarries, Bath and Leicester in the top 4 tbh
so I think Launch, Myall, Gaskell, Beaumont, Mathews, Savage, Easter could be in the reckoning for lock?

 

[TheSaffycen]

Will be interesting to see how they go about the BaaBaas game - usually a game for our Saxons/fringe players, but with only a few games before the RWC.....but equally, at the end of a long season, would our first choicers benefit more from the week off?


Would love to side like the one above, though.

As long as Ewers, Simpson, Slade, Hill, Itoke and George* are involved I'll be happy.



*Becoming less and less impressed as time goes on. I always quite liked him as he was decent at everything, while not excelling at anything. Now he's just looking really average, if that, at everything.

You don't think he is a top class defender ? He had the second most tackles in the European Cup before today. His Throwing is good, possibly the best we have in England and when he went off our lineout went too crap.
Hopefully we have a few of the proper guys in the BaaBaas game, guessing that the top 4 will be Bath, Saracens, Northampton and Tigers. From that I would guess that Saints and either Saracens/Bath (whoever gets the home semi). That leaves Tigers and Saracens/Bath bench players with some of the guys who haven't played a lot this year.
Hopefully that means guys like- Kitchener, Itoje, George, Tuilagi would be a great game to come back, Gibson, Burns, Farrell, Thomas, Fearns, Garvey, Rokoduguni.
I would like to see (obviously depends on the final though im pretty sure Saints will be there)
Marler, George, Thomas/Brookes, Kitchener, Garvey/Itoje, Ewers, Kvesic, Fearns/Easter/Waldrom, Simpson, Farrell/Cipriani, Nowell, Slade, Daly, May, Watson/Goode

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

If the top 4 remains as it is would go with a 23 like this:

1) Marler, 2) LCD, 3) Brookes
4) Matthews, 5) Myall
6) Haskell, 7) Kvesic 8) Ewers
9) Simpson, 10) Cips
12) Slade, 13) Daly
11) Nowell, 14) Wade, 15) Pennell

16) Who is there ? 17) Mullan, 18) Cooper-Wooley
19) Paterson (?) 20) Thompson
21) Robson, 22) Twelvetrees, 23) May