[2020 Six Nations] England Squad

[higgik]

People noticed itoje is now being mr peacemaker, especially with sinckler and genge? Seems almost like Jones has told him to keep the hotheads out of trouble.

Will help him to control himself, thought he was becoming a bit too much of a loud mouth, but giving him responsibility will work out. Maybe long term captain if he shows controlled leadership like that.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Radio this morning said Mako unlikely to play a part in the rest of the 6N

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wilson just started his first game since last September, played the full 80, made the 2nd most tackles of anyone on the pitch, and barely broke a sweat.

Get him called up

Apparently this is actually happening, lol

6. Lawes, 7. Wilson, 8. Ewels?

 

[TheSaffycen]

I'd rather not, but if Eddie picks it then it will somehow work out.
Wilson back in is interesting, would he come in at 8? Or will they continue to give Curry time there to grow into the position? I'd rather Curry on the flank but seems a little pointless if they're looking at using him at 8 in the future to stop the experiment now

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Forwards
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks)

Backs
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Apprentice
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)





Wilson officially called up.
Mako and LCD not included for family reasons.
Furbank in camp but only there for rehab, not training.

 

[LIONSxv]

I'd like to see a back row of underhill, Wilson, curry. Wilson is an underrated carrier and a decent line out option. Wales don't have a specialist 3rd line out jumper.. Like Ireland have in p'om so no neccesicity to have lawes at 6

 

[Jashay]

That seems lean for a training squad; aren't there usually 30+?

Surprised Earl isn't there, as I thought he'd been good. Same with Stuart, didn't feel like he'd shone but was solid.

Watson back from injury is also a plus, and Wilson in the side is great. Really rate him

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Think it's because it's a two week gap - they send a bunch of players back to their clubs for gametime.

Curry, Underhill, Wilson is pretty comfortably the best backrow we can make in the EPS atm.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Stuart dropped. I guess they want him to get some game time at Bath this weekend?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

This is just a squad for 3 days training so I can't get too excited. Some of the fringe players like Stuart need game time.

But good to see Wilson and Watson back involved. If they're properly fit they walk straight back in against Wal.....at 8 and 15 in my world. Slade will also have blown away some more cobwebs giving us options.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I'd really like to see 6-7-8 of Underhill, Curry and Wilson. Wilson is a proper workhorse with good stamina and no really obvious weaknesses. That back row would genuinely cause anyone problems. Pity for Earl but ultimately I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get a chance in the later internationals. Assuming Watson is firing on all cylinders, a back 3 of May, Watson and Daly is also pretty solid against an expected Welsh kicking game.

Dunn almost certainly will not play even if he is still on the bench for the game.

 

[Nudger]

Much more likely we see underhill ludlam curry Watson on the bench

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Watson in the backrow is a very Eddie move


Watson being fit does make me wonder about the bench - does Eddie continue with the 6-2? Was that out of necessity because of weather/injuries or his plan going forward? Who drops out, JJ, Slade or a forward (Launchbury? Eddie has never seemed a big fan)

My guess is same side again but Watson and Wilson in, Launchbury and Earl out - same starting 15, Watson in the 23 shirt, Slade the 22

 

[Jimbo]

Is Watson at FB really a more solid option than Daly?

 

[Which Tyler]

Is Watson at FB really a more solid option than Daly?

Yes

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Yes

Took me a while to realise I was on the wrong board for this to be facetious

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

With the way the EPS squad works, can Eddie actually call up people like Dombrandt and Wilson? I thought the deal was that he selects a 30-40 man squad, has to pick his matchday 23 from that, and can only make limited changes each time he names the extended squad, (as opposed to the matchday one).

I thought that was it, barring injury cover. So Obano has come in to cover for Mako, and I guess Slade has come in to cover for Watson, but since Billy wasn't named in the original squad he can't bring someone in as injury cover for him.

I'd be happy to be wrong on this point, and I would like to see Dombrandt or Wilson involved, but it might be that Eddie's hands are tied (by himself, but still...)

I think the way it works is that when naming his initial squad, Eddie can name players who are out injured and then name a replacement call-up for them. Then once the injured player is fit again, he can decide whether to put him back in and stand down the replacement. So, for example, if he named Wilson in the original EPS and named Earl as his injury replacement, he would now have to stand Earl down if he selects Wilson. I'm pretty sure that's the way it works. They used to name the injured players and their injury replacements in the media when they reported who was in the England Squad, but they stopped doing it a coupla years ago. No idea whether that's coz the rules changed or it's just the media being lazy.

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Saw the Scrum V lot assessing England vs Wales, god they don't half talk a load of crap. "Wales love going to Twickenham, oh it could be losing to Wales again, England hate Cardiff"

England have beaten Wales more often than they have lost in the last 10 and 20 years and England have beaten Wales in Cardiff more than Wales have beaten England in Twickenham also in the last 10 and 20 years. They really do have selective memories, like all they remember is 2013 and 2015 and nothing else.

The Welsh dominated rugby for a couple of decades from the mid-60s to mid-80s, but since that heyday, Wales have won just 3 of their last 20 visits to Twickers. Admittedly those wins were all under Gatland, but even taking into account the Gatland era only, Wales have won only 3 out of 10 at Twickers, so I wouldn't be exactly 'loving it' if I was Welsh, especially as they've lost the last 4 in a row (i.e. since Eddie took over).

As for the other way around, they've won 9 of 18 in Cardiff over the same period, which is better, but probably more a plus for England (ie getting 50% wins away from home). In the Gatland era it's a bit better for Wales in Cardiff, having won 5 out of 8, bolstered by the 2 wins there in 2019, but that's still a pretty weak return for home matches.

I've just jinxed us for the Wales game, haven't I?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Good article in today's Times by Owen Slot about Eng's lock strength. Mainly talking to Ewels about what he's learning from the top 4 and focusing on the next generation.

Only spoilt by a daft reference to "the incomparable Maro Itoje". Wonder what hyperbole he might use to talk about our best lock, George Kruis?

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Jack Maunder in the England squad and available for selection, where Mitchell is not (as an apprentice) according to the bbc website. Interesting...