[2019 Six Nations] England vs Italy (09/03/2019)

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I am coming round to the idea that the Italian defence has made sizeable improvements, so they might provide a decent training session for England from that perspective.

But they were getting torn to shreds by Scotland before Scotland took their foot off the gas, then backed it up by losing at home to a second string Wales and a seemingly disinterested Ireland.

I'm keeping the champagne on ice. Infact I've buried it two kilometres under Antarctica and burnt the map that showed its location.

 

[spartan32]

Know what you're saying, but just running and running against Italy will prove as little as just kicking and kicking against France. We can do both, but the questions are more whether we can mix it up or change horses mid stream, neither of which we which we did against Wales.

You're quite right. We do need to demonstrate the ability to play in different ways on the fly. And kicking should defo be included. I just want a more complete and confident running display to go with it.

 

[Dai Perk]

I'm scared the score will see England up by 5 tries at halftime, but I'm still hopeful for a close and interesting game... Should be two very different styles and strengths on display against each other, so if it's not a laugher, it could be pretty fun...

 

[Juggler]

England team announced

15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 28 caps)
14 Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 3 caps)
13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 30 caps)
12 Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors 16 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 43 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 68 caps) (captain)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps)

1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 35 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 20 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 56 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 30 caps)
6 Brad Shields (Wasps, 6 caps)
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 8 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 39 caps)

Finishers (203 caps)
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps)
17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps)
18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps)
19 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 20 caps)
20 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 11 caps)
21 Dan Robson (Wasps, 1 cap)
22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 53 caps)
23 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 20 caps)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sigh

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Christ I hate that centre pairing.

Shields in for Wilson better not be a permanent fixture. Good to see Genge starting though.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Christ I hate that centre pairing.

Shields in for Wilson better not be a permanent fixture. Good to see Genge starting though.

LCD and Robson not starting and no replacement lock,

Genge and Joe C starting are the only real positives

 

[Scotty]

Christ I hate that centre pairing.

Shields in for Wilson better not be a permanent fixture. Good to see Genge starting though.

He wanted teo manu for the first fixture and teo was injured so didnt get it so i was hoping not to but it was bound to happen.

Shields for wilson is a good thing as we need wilson fresh for next week, id actually rather wilson some on for billy or curry at 60 min.( if the game is won).

Joe's not getting ths ball unless its kicked to him it seems.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Italy should be looking to score three tries against that, still think they'll concede 5-6 mind.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Christ I hate that centre pairing.

So Eddie gets his dream at last. Don't fret Toby, one or other of them will break.

Sinckler and Genge could be an entertaining watch. Comes to something when your props have more fast twitch fibres than your centres.

Glad to see Joe given a shot. Below indifferent on Shields.

At least we've not done a Wales and made wholesale changes. Like that we're respecting the competition.

YIKES. Just noticed our lock bench cover.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I hate Jones. Every selection that he could have got wrong he has.

I don't care what he's won previously, he's an idiot.

 

[ncurd]

So in a fixture where it is almost impossible to learn anything we've decided to learn as little as possible.

 

[MikeTheNative]

What is the point of Robson even being there if he isn't trusted to start against Italy? If I was an England fan I would be a bit miffed at selection. Game time for Genge and Cokanasiga is good though.

 

[will311293]

I don't understand what Robson has done to Jones for him not to start this game... at this rate we are going into a WC with ONE scrum half with experience.... god unless Robson has drop kicked the mans dog or Youngs has him on video cheating on his missus, i don't understand that choice.

Im assuming we are useing Hughes and Shields as a duo cover for second row but feel like its undermining the italians ability in the scrum/line out. They are no mugs and an inexperienced, out of position second row/back row player could struggle.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I don't understand what Robson has done to Jones for him not to start this game... at this rate we are going into a WC with ONE scrum half with experience.... god unless Robson has drop kicked the mans dog or Youngs has him on video cheating on his missus, i don't understand that choice.

Im assuming we are useing Hughes and Shields as a duo cover for second row but feel like its undermining the italians ability in the scrum/line out. They are no mugs and an inexperienced, out of position second row/back row player could struggle.

Jones is like a pendulum, first it was lock in the back row, then balance and now back row in as lock cover...

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

What is the point of Robson even being there if he isn't trusted to start against Italy? If I was an England fan I would be a bit miffed at selection. Game time for Genge and Cokanasiga is good though.

I don't have a huge problem with Robson not starting, but I'll be annoyed if he doesn't get pretty much all of the 2nd half. Ditto LCD. Anything less than that is another very public humiliation.

Genge and Coka is good. Very good.

My only real gripes are 12 and 6. But they're teachers' pets and we're just going to have to get over it.

Bench is sub optimal. No gas for the outside backs. Curry's been integral to our game and there's not a remote like for like if he goes down; managing that AND not having a specialist lock is quite an achievement.

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

Curry's been integral to our game and there's not a remote like for like if he goes down

I wish we had a like-for-like for Curry, can you imagine...

In seriousness though, I think Wilson can fill that role without a huge drop off in performance, especially against Italy.

I always find the total and utter devastation caused by Eddie's selections on this forum quite amusing. If you look back in history, they tend to work out. When they don't, it is very rarely for the reasons that those dissatisfied with the original selection were citing as cause.

HOWEVER...

To me there is no good reason for Edward's mismanagement of replacements in the last few games. I don't think substitutes should be chucked on for the sake of it - our players will be fit enough to play 80 in all but the most frantic of games - but when the incumbent players are not having the desired impact and playing poorly, why the F*** would you not change things up. To that end, if Teddy elects to leave Robson or George "'He's definitely better than Faz' - Anonymous, Somewhere in England [definitely not Bath or Leicester]" Ford on the bench in this game and England do anything short of exact Berlusconi-after-party level carnage on the Italians, he can expect a strongly worded tweet from me.

 

[Jashay]

Okay, I'm glad Genge and Big Joe are getting some minutes. I hope Robson and Ford get some too; we really need to have a look at them.

I'm not too cut up by Te'o at 12; we get a look at Tuilagi on the outside, where I think he plays better. We get a look at Te'o himself, who is, unfortunately, the closest thing we have to a Manu backup. In the unlikely event he's found some form it would be good to know about. And finally, it gives us a really easy hook if he's being rubbish; we can just go to Ford-Farrell-Manu or Farrell-Manu-Slade. So we can give that a go without risking too much.

But Shields and Hughes have had so many chances! How have we regressed to a point where they're both in the team? How is Hughes considered an international-level lock replacement after 25 min performance against Ireland? It wasn't even a good performance; he was the least dynamic player on the field despite being fresh on...

Mostly I'm grumpy about Hughes. I feel like there's at least an outside chance Shields could be useful; it took Slade more than a dozen caps before he started looking good, and Shields has only had 6. But I'm still sceptical.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah it's not a bad side but this is our last opportunity to really have a fiddle with the side before the world cup

Care's dropped out of the frame and there's a good chance Hartley won't be fit for the WC.

If the alternatives aren't trusted to start at home vs Italy then why are they in the EPS?

Shields covering lock from the pitch isn't ideal but considering we're two locks down due to injury that's more acceptable than the 2 and 9 situation (though I'd still have a lock on the bench and have Wilson covering the backrow)

 

[Dai Perk]

I hate Jones. Every selection that he could have got wrong he has.

I don't care what he's won previously, he's an idiot.

Don't beat around the bush - tell us what you really think!