[2017 Six Nations] - England

[Duck a l'Orange]

Mako and Watson ready to return for Italy. Billy V could be fit for Ireland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38951857

*chanting*
Billy V, Billy V, Billy V, Billy V, Billy V, Billyy V, Billyy V, Billyyy V, Billyyy V, Billyyyy V, [etc]

 

[Maverick1987]

Not sure where to post this but this is the team I'd like to see for Italy :

1. Mako
2. George
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Itoje
6. Mike Williams (no easier place to get started than against Italy at home)
7. Haskell
8. Hughes
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. May
12. T'eo
13. Daly
14. Nowell
15. Watson
16. Hartley
17. Marler
18. Sinkler
19. Lawes (tempted to rest if Eddie was telling the truth about him being a walking ice pack, is Ewels in the squad ?)
20. Wood
21. Care
22. Ford
23. JJ

 

[Goodey]

If we'd had played out of our skins on the first two weeks then I'd be willing to 'experiment' more against Italy, but there's too much risk in going to Dublin still without knowing what our best XV is in the circumstances, i.e. How the pack can operate properly sans Robshaw and Vunipoli.

If Hartley and Brown miss out, and I probably agree that they should, it needs to be about finding the best side we have right now and not 'giving someone a go'.

 

[Jakedood]

Mako Vunipola Not included in EJ Squad, Watson is maintained, and also Matt Mullan returns to Wasps with Paul Hill being kept around this week... Does anyone know if this is the squad for the Italy game, or just for the next week?

 

[Goodey]

It's just a training squad for the next week. Mako will play for Saracens this weekend to prove his fitness.

 

[kesh]

Not sure where to post this but this is the team I'd like to see for Italy :

editted.

1. Marler
2. George
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Itoje
6. Wood
7. Haskell
8. Hughes
9. Care
10. Ford
11. May
12. T'eo
13. JJ
14. Nowell
15. Daly

16. Hartley
17. Mako
18. Sinkler
19. Williams
20. Slade
21. Wiggs
22. Mullan
23. Watson

Give Faz, Brown, Youngs and Lawes a rest, see how Ford goes at 10 with quicker ball.

 

[Maverick1987]

Give Faz, Brown, Youngs and Lawes a rest, see how Ford goes at 10 with quicker ball.

We need Faz to captain the team, Brown I've left out, Youngs needs game time imo and I've left Lawes out but couldn't remember if we had Ewels in the six nations squad and was too lazy to have a look lol

 

[kesh]

We need Faz to captain the team

Keep forgetting how young this side is. Same side with Faz off at HT, Harlley on with T'eo/JJ centre partnership, Wiggs given another go.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Keep forgetting how young this side is. Same side with Faz off at HT, Harlley on with T'eo/JJ centre partnership, Wiggs given another go.

That sounds exciting

 

[ratsapprentice]

Anyone else get the feeling that Haskell's injury might be more serious than we're being made aware?

I appreciate that he's relatively recently returned from the injury, but I think he might be severely limited in terms of the volume of training/playing he can do.
Particularly given the nature of the injury, which, AFAIK wasn't an acute injury, but caused by stress over a fairly long period; this would make sense.

 

[stormmaster1]

For the team v Italy i think a few changes would be good, but we need to avoid wholesale changes.
It's a great opportunity for George to start, and i think wort giving Watson a shot at fullback.
We need more quick ball. I personally would retain Youngs as i think the pack and the breakdown were a bigger issue than scrum half most of the time v Wales. The back row needs tweaking for this. After Lawes/Launchberry's performances i don't see EJ moving Itoje up to the second row so maybe starting Haskell will be the thing to do. Possibly starting Teo to give us an additional hard yards ball carrier- but would be at expense of JJ or Ford (less likely).
Youngs usually is better with game-management than Care so i think would be a better starter if we are worried about the Italian pack trying to turn the contest into an arm-wrestle. As the game loosens up Care can come on to help up the pace. If we can up the pace from the first minute then start Care, but with the change in balance of the pack from last yr i don't feel confident we can avoid a slower game/armwrestle initially.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

For the team v Italy i think a few changes would be good, but we need to avoid wholesale changes.
It's a great opportunity for George to start, and i think wort giving Watson a shot at fullback.
We need more quick ball. I personally would retain Youngs as i think the pack and the breakdown were a bigger issue than scrum half most of the time v Wales. The back row needs tweaking for this. After Lawes/Launchberry's performances i don't see EJ moving Itoje up to the second row so maybe starting Haskell will be the thing to do. Possibly starting Teo to give us an additional hard yards ball carrier- but would be at expense of JJ or Ford (less likely).
Youngs usually is better with game-management than Care so i think would be a better starter if we are worried about the Italian pack trying to turn the contest into an arm-wrestle. As the game loosens up Care can come on to help up the pace. If we can up the pace from the first minute then start Care, but with the change in balance of the pack from last yr i don't feel confident we can avoid a slower game/armwrestle initially.

Welcome to the forum. I disagree in saying Youngs wasn't large part of the problem yesterday, he telegraphed his intercept pass and why he would choose to do such a long, flat pass in that situation is baffling. He also did a failed box kick leading to a charge down and scrum in our own 22 and many times his slowness to the breakdown worsened our turnover situation. On form he is great with a filthy dummy but he has never learned to pass quickly from the ruck.

 

[Peat]

Welcome to the forum. I disagree in saying Youngs wasn't large part of the problem yesterday, he telegraphed his intercept pass and why he would choose to do such a long, flat pass in that situation is baffling. He also did a failed box kick leading to a charge down and scrum in our own 22 and many times his slowness to the breakdown worsened our turnover situation. On form he is great with a filthy dummy but he has never learned to pass quickly from the ruck.

When?

Youngs made an atrocious number of uber-errors but I can't think of very many where it was due to being too slow to a ruck. His passing speed was fine Saturday, the issues were more everything else...

 

[stormmaster1]

Welcome to the forum. I disagree in saying Youngs wasn't large part of the problem yesterday, he telegraphed his intercept pass and why he would choose to do such a long, flat pass in that situation is baffling. He also did a failed box kick leading to a charge down and scrum in our own 22 and many times his slowness to the breakdown worsened our turnover situation. On form he is great with a filthy dummy but he has never learned to pass quickly from the ruck.

thanks for the welcome, i'm not actually new, just back from self-imposed 8 year exile

Youngs had a poor game with the charge down and intercept. They were not relevant to slow ball, though and i think this was due to Wales (give them some credit) and issues with our own pack- not quick enough to clear out. When we get quick ball he works very well with the forwards around the ruck to keep the momentum and is threatening with the ball. Just watch the build up to the first try for evidence- the forwards were giving him the platform, just as Care got at times later in the match.

It's hard to judge scrum halfs when their team is second best at breakdown.

 

[ratsapprentice]

DM piece on Big* Sam: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...l-reveals-surreal-phone-call-Eddie-Jones.html

Sportsmail understands Saracens also made an offer but requested an immediate release which was turned down, so Underhill is now set to make his debut against Argentina in June.

It is not only rugby clubs that Underhill is swapping, he will also transfer his studies to Bath University.

*If anyone can come up with a more trite nickname, then I'm all ears.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I just call him Frodo.

 

[Raggs]

Mercer, Denton, Underhill, Faletau, Garvey, Louw, Mercer... anyone I'm forgetting in the Bath backrow?

 

[Muse_Cubed]

I just call him Frodo.

Love it.

Also, from the following DM quote "Underhill's barnstorming performances for the Ospreys...and has been mentored by Kay's World Cup-winning team-mate Richard Hill."

So we'll just have to call him Sam Hill in a few years' time, which will be mighty confusing.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Love it.

Also, from the following DM quote "Underhill's barnstorming performances for the Ospreys...and has been mentored by Kay's World Cup-winning team-mate Richard Hill."

So we'll just have to call him Sam Hill in a few years' time, which will be mighty confusing.

Speaking of Sam Hill, what do people think his chances are with England? I think he could fill the role Te'o currently does very well in a couple of years.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Speaking of Sam Hill, what do people think his chances are with England? I think he could fill the role Te'o currently does very well in a couple of years.

Slim to Zero IMO.
Thompkins will be groomed for the England midfield slot after T'eo IMO.