[2018 Six Nations] England Squad

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Genge please

I like Genge but for me he's much more of a bench option. Great ball carrier and good scrummager but doesn't do a fraction of the work Vunipola does in defence. I remember seeing that in his start against Samoa in the Autumn he made 1 tackle in the 50 minutes he was on. Vunipola tends to get well into the teens each game.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I like Genge but for me he's much more of a bench option. Great ball carrier and good scrummager but doesn't do a fraction of the work Vunipola does in defence. I remember seeing that in his start against Samoa in the Autumn he made 1 tackle in the 50 minutes he was on. Vunipola tends to get well into the teens each game.

Roy Moore also got well into the teens, just saying

 

[Mumbles119]

I like Genge but for me he's much more of a bench option. Great ball carrier and good scrummager but doesn't do a fraction of the work Vunipola does in defence. I remember seeing that in his start against Samoa in the Autumn he made 1 tackle in the 50 minutes he was on. Vunipola tends to get well into the teens each game.

That makes sense, but Mako has been looking shattered and has shown none of his strengths with hands and loose play. It is almost like he doesn't have the opportunity or energy left to show his strengths because he is seemingly playing to a set role of tight carrier and defender.

With the current available squad, maybe Marler needs to start and Mako as impact finisher.
Or even better, just give Mako a long overdue rest!

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

That makes sense, but Mako has been looking shattered and has shown none of his strengths with hands and loose play. It is almost like he doesn't have the opportunity or energy left to show his strengths because he is seemingly playing to a set role of tight carrier and defender.

With the current available squad, maybe Marler needs to start and Mako as impact finisher.
Or even better, just give Mako a long overdue rest!

I'd agree with giving Mako a rest. Especially seeing as so far this 6N he's been playing a good 70 mins each game; plus it would give Genge the chance to find his feet internationally, but wouldn't go so far as to say that Genge should be replacing Vunipola as a starter.

 

[curtbob7]

Loads of injuries in rugby at the minute.

Players playing more games high-impact, phase-play games with ball in play a lot longer with some games on plastic, unforgiving pitches.

England training solution? Lets hammer the players into submission and restrict their bodies from recovering and preparing for the next game of 38 phases for a push over try through the middle with a dislocated shoulder here and a concussion there.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

England head coach Eddie Jones has named 27 players to be involved in training camps this week.

19 players will convene in Oxford on Tuesday for a short camp until Thursday with the remaining eight players taking part in mini regional camps at Leicester Tigers, Pennyhill Park, Saracens and Wasps.

The focus of the camps will be on reconditioning rather than rugby training.

England next face France in Paris on Saturday 10 March in what will be their fourth fixture of the NatWest 6 Nations.

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins) - Pennyhill Park
Danny Care (Harlequins) - Pennyhill Park
Elliot Daly (Wasps) - Oxford
Owen Farrell (Saracens) - Oxford
George Ford (Leicester Tigers) - Oxford
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby) - Oxford
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers) - Oxford
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs) - Oxford
Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors) - Oxford
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby) - Oxford
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens) - Saracens

Forwards

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) - Tigers
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby) - Oxford
Jamie George (Saracens) - Oxford
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) - Oxford
James Haskell (Wasps) - Oxford
Nathan Hughes (Wasps) - Oxford
Maro Itoje (Saracens) - Oxford
George Kruis (Saracens) - Oxford
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) - Oxford
Joe Launchbury (Wasps) - Wasps
Joe Marler (Harlequins) - Pennyhill Park
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) - Pennyhill Park
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins) - Oxford
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby) - Oxford
Mako Vunipola (Saracens) - Saracens
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs) - Oxford

No clue what this means.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Sinckler back in is very good. Please pleeeaaaassseee mean that Cole's getting a rest.

 

[curtbob7]

Strange that.

Praying for a rest for Cole.

Good to see Daly back.

 

[TommiG88]

Mildly depressing.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Just realised no LCD. Gosh darn.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We didn't lose because of conditioning, we lost because we're lacking basic skills at the breakdown.

But sure, beast everyone in the gym so they're ****** for next,
Get Haskell in there (one of the dumbest players in the premiership when it comes to breakdown laws) too, grand.


Bet better off calling every openside in England in to Pennyhill and getting them to coach our pack in how to turn a ball over, and hit a ruck.

 

[Chief Pete]

Lets look at what we potentially have in terms of 7's then.

The curries (still young, still developing)
Evans (getting zero game time)
Underhill (isn't really an out and out 7) -Robshaws replacement.

7's who are EQP: Kvesic, O'Connor, Thompson, Willis, Wallace

Feel free to add...

Not saying he's the best player but IMO Matt Kvesic is the best Jackal in the breakdown who is EQ, he'll never get a shot and he can't even get in Chiefs side at the moment but for the sole purpose of the breakdown he's a beast....

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

We didn't lose because of conditioning, we lost because we're lacking basic skills at the breakdown.

But sure, beast everyone in the gym so they're ****** for next,
Get Haskell in there (one of the dumbest players in the premiership when it comes to breakdown laws) too, grand.


Bet better off calling every openside in England in to Pennyhill and getting them to coach our pack in how to turn a ball over, and hit a ruck.

Woah woah woah, hold your horses big fella. One step at a time, let's not overwhelm them. Let's worry about our own rucks before worrying about the other team's.

 

[Reiser99]

So he is my query. Jones actually said Hartley is not the not the greatest player in the world, bit a tough guy and a brilliant captain. https://www.itv.com/six-nations/hartley-not-the-greatest-player-but-a-brilliant-captain-jones

Where is this evidence of his captaincy other than shouting loudly. Against Scotland we had no plan B and looked second best. We could not adapt to Owens and had no real answer to the Scottish tactics. A couple of times the Scottish forwards stood off our driving maul from the line out and we looked clueless on what to do. Last year against Italy when they didn't commit to the ruck it was embarrassing how long it took England to adapt and you even had Hartley ask the ref what to do and be told he's not his coach.

If it is a simple matter of looking angry and shouting loudly, well either Faz can do the angry, or you have the Itoje clap to motivate. That then frees up hooker to be filled by the best player in that position.

 

[Chief Pete]

So he is my query. Jones actually said Hartley is not the not the greatest player in the world, bit a tough guy and a brilliant captain. https://www.itv.com/six-nations/hartley-not-the-greatest-player-but-a-brilliant-captain-jones

Where is this evidence of his captaincy other than shouting loudly. Against Scotland we had no plan B and looked second best. We could not adapt to Owens and had no real answer to the Scottish tactics. A couple of times the Scottish forwards stood off our driving maul from the line out and we looked clueless on what to do. Last year against Italy when they didn't commit to the ruck it was embarrassing how long it took England to adapt and you even had Hartley ask the ref what to do and be told he's not his coach.

If it is a simple matter of looking angry and shouting loudly, well either Faz can do the angry, or you have the Itoje clap to motivate. That then frees up hooker to be filled by the best player in that position.

I think it was Paul O'Connell who said Farrell was one of, if not the best speaker on the Lions tour to Australia and I believe he was 21 on that tour, that will do for me....

 

[higgik]

Just look who is gong to Oxford on that list and apart from the scrum halves, looks like a match day squad.

Just saying.

 

[TommiG88]

Just look who is gong to Oxford on that list and apart from the scrum halves, looks like a match day squad.

Just saying.

We gonna play without a LH prop?

 

[higgik]

Missed that but add in Mako, Care, Wigglesworth and Marler, would bring the number to 23

Think team for France should be
15. Brown (safe option but Watson needs to get better at communicating and Daly needs match time)
14. Watson
13. Joseph (last chance especially now Daly back)
12. Te'o (needed to combat Bastereud)
11. Nowell (work rate and general skills better than May)
10. Farrell (Ford needs to rediscover his mojo)
9. Wigglesworth (he controls the forwards and has better kicking game to create control at start)
1. Vunipola (agreed looks jaded, but think this is due to over scrummaging atm, with more ball carrying options in pack and with Nowell and Te'o should mean he can become more effective as the option forward)
2. Hartley (his meditation sessions have gone a bit too far, he needs to up the aggression just enough and get in the French faces)
3. Williams (looks ready for action, provides more athleticism than Cole and will offer a better ball carrying option)
4. Itoje (needs to shows more in ball carrying department, shame for Launchbury)
5. Lawes (playing 6 is not working for him, but by giving him a much tighter role he can focus on his silent assassin mode, which is always best for him, when he get too angry he loses the game plan)
6. Haskell (needed to add more aggression, that seemed to be lacking on Saturday, thought the pack looked like they were over aroused and were struggling to get back to the right level)
7. Underhill (close quarter power in rucks, means that the clear out is more effective giving us quicker ball for the ball carriers)
8. Hughes (extra week of fitness should see him more on the pace especially in defence)

Finishers
16. George (his pace and vision is exactly what is needed in last quarter against an unfit French team, should be starting, but more effective than Hartley as finisher)
17. Sinckler (see above about George, effective finisher)
18. Marler (should be Genge, but not in squad)
19. Kruis
20. Robshaw (currently udroppable)
21. Care (unlucky, but speed needed in last quarter and kicking game not good enough to exert control)
22. Ford (ready to be unleashed when spaces open up in French defence)
23. Daly (covers all outside back roles and offers great options)

I know May is going to be at Oxford, but I think his time has come.

 

[higgik]

Team v Ireland assuming everyone stays fit v France
15. Brown
14. Watson
13. Daly (assuming fitness, his running lines are far better than Joseph, who keeps looking for the something special)
12. Farrell (different game different game plan)
11. Nowell
10. Ford
9. Wigglesworth
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Launchbury
5. Lawes
6. Itoje
7. Underhill
8. Hughes

16. George
17. Sinckler
18. Marler
19. Kruis
20. Haskell
21. Care
22. Te'o
23. Joseph (can play wing or move Daly to wing)

 

[higgik]

Team for Autumn
15. Daly
14. Watson
13. Te'o
12. Farrell
11. Nowell
10. Ford
9. Youngs
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley or George (Depends on need of captaincy)
3. Williams
4. Launchbury
5. Lawes
6. Itoje
7. Simmonds
8. Billy

16. George or Dunn (if George starts then no place in squad for Hartley)
17. Sinckler
18. Genge
19. Hughes (Itoje can cover 2nd row)
20. Underhill (covers 6/7)
21. Care
22. Lozowski (covers 10/12)
23. Joseph