[2015 Six Nations] England

[TommiG88]

I think corbs didn't have too bad a game to be honest, I feel the French were being a tad dirty in the scrum but he's improving game on game.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I think corbs didn't have too bad a game to be honest, I feel the French were being a tad dirty in the scrum but he's improving game on game.

Corbs went off with a knee injury. Any news on how bad it is? Otherwise, like Croft i think he's increasingly looking like one who won't make the RWC. Mullen had a good game in the scum against Hayman today.

 

[McTallshort]

Bit harsh judging Corbs on yesterdays game, the whole team was smashed.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Corbs went off with a knee injury. Any news on how bad it is? Otherwise, like Croft i think he's increasingly looking like one who won't make the RWC. Mullen had a good game in the scum against Hayman today.

Mako had an impressive game today too - arguably the best I've seen him scrummage.
If he can keep that up then i won't be too aggrieved to see him ahead of Mullan P)

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Mako had an impressive game today too - arguably the best I've seen him scrummage.
If he can keep that up then i won't be too aggrieved to see him ahead of Mullan P)

I think if Mako is fit he is in the RWC 31 as one of the loosehead props, with Marler; Rowntree absolutely loves him. It's Corbs, who has been on-off injured for so long, who will fear for his place. With 5 props being picked, and the other two being Cole and Wilson, then 5th choice prop should be between Corbs, Mullen or Brookes.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Of those I'd take Brookes, tbh.
Played a bit of loosehead in his time (as has Wilson) and it's harder to go from loose to tight than vice versa.
As a backup who's probably not going to see a ridiculous amount of time he'd be ideal.

That said a fit Corbs is one of the best looseys in the world, and he's played a smidgen of 3 back in the day. Whether or not he's fit and firing by then is another matter.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Corbs went off with a knee injury. Any news on how bad it is? Otherwise, like Croft i think he's increasingly looking like one who won't make the RWC. Mullen had a good game in the scum against Hayman today.

Knees of glass that guy... "I used to play rugby like you, then I took an arrow/ball/boot/shin/shoulder/mashed potato to the knee."

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Apparently Corbs just got a deadleg, but was scheduled to be replaced shortly anyway, so they took him off straight away.

Lawes, however, has a shoulder injury that they don't know the extent of...

 

[j'nuh]

Of those I'd take Brookes, tbh.
Played a bit of loosehead in his time (as has Wilson) and it's harder to go from loose to tight than vice versa.
As a backup who's probably not going to see a ridiculous amount of time he'd be ideal.

That said a fit Corbs is one of the best looseys in the world, and he's played a smidgen of 3 back in the day. Whether or not he's fit and firing by then is another matter.

I think we'd probably call a player up from outside the squad rather than make a prop switch sides. So players shouldn't be needed to cover opposite sides.

The priority should be to select players that are in contention for a game during the WC. Brookes won't force his way ahead of Cole/Wilson, so there's no real point in taking three tightheads. Corbs/Mullan would have a much better chance of breaking into the squad. But tbh, I'd consider just taking four props and saving those places for areas where there aren't so clear answers.

My breakdown would be something like:
4 props, 3 hookers, 4 locks, 4 flankers, 2 8s, 2 scrummies, 3 fly-halves, 4 centres, 3 wingers, 2 fullbacks

 

[Peat]

You can't take only 4 props to a world cup. I mean, I daresay you can by the rules, but consider the ramifications.

Every prop must tog out for every match. Zero rests. If a prop is not fit for a match, then he has to be sent home and a replacement called, because you have to have 4 fit props in the match day squad. What odds on one of our props having a ****le that keeps them out for a week? No one wants to be playing Brookes while Cole is fit because Cole had to miss a week or two.

Ultimately, you pretty much need 5 props. You need to be able to rest players properly, you need to be able to cover missed games within the squad. Really, you want 6 props, but I'm not sure how you do that in the current World Cup squad sizes, which should be changed to reflect the match-day squads being one man bigger with three positions locked in, but nothing's been done about that yet. And if you only have 5 props, one of those props is going to be ambiproptrous, because once again, no one wants to see Brookes playing and Dan Cole sitting at home. You can't rely on calling up players for every injury.

Taking only 5 back-rows is the obvious way of squeezing in that 5th prop with one lock expected to do emergency duties (dare I say it, Nick Easter might be being lined up for that sort of role).

Also, going with only two scrum-halves isn't quite as big a risk, but it's still up there. You want three; and four centres is a luxury, particularly when your fly-halves/wingers should offer cover there.

It's a shame we have no guys who can play 9 and 10 really.

 

[goodNumber10]

It's a shame we have no guys who can play 9 and 10 really.

Bring back Austin Healy!


Having said that Wigglesworth has played a fair bit at 10 iirc.

 

[Patchey]

Between Goode, 36 and Wigglesworth we've got enough ten cover in a squad to drop Cips and Ford! Perfect.

Also, this may fail horribly, but I just started a new 'pre-WC player watch etc' thread because this thing is 87 pages long and a bit unwieldy.

http://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/35298-England-Post-6N-Pre-RWC-Player-Watch?p=719429#post719429

 

[Bada-Bing!]

My breakdown would be something like:
4 props, 3 hookers, 4 locks, 4 flankers, 2 8s, 2 scrummies, 3 fly-halves, 4 centres, 3 wingers, 2 fullbacks

I think RWC squads must contain at least 5 props, 3 hookers and 3 scrum halves. So most squads at the RWC will be broken down as: 5 props, 3 hookers, 4 locks, 5 to cover the back row, 3 SHs, 2 fly halves, 4 centres and 5 to cover the back 3 positions. Versatility will come into who gets the nod where a couple of players are neck and neck when it comes to whittling down the squad.

 

[malinerko]

http://Aztekium.pl/1000 - nothing simpler! With that app you can learn english quickly

 

[Mike Rolls]

Going back to the 6 Nations - Robshaw has been ruled out for the whole campaign
Mike

 

[The Jones Boy]

Thats a blow, Robshaw plays like a man possessed when he dons the English jersey.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

.....2015 six nations

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

.....2015 six nations

I did wonder how Corbs had started playing again