[2021 Six Nations] England Squad

[Nudger]

Depends, reality is we are talking about people who should be picked for England now, so Smith's stats from 3 years ago are irrelevant. Currently he has the best kicking percentages in the premiership.

3yrs ago he was twelve

 

[Nudger]

Sorry but this all seems mental to me. EJ clearly doesn't see Mercer as an international 8, and frankly neither do I with Dombrandt, Simmonds, Earl, Wilson, Curry and the young Willis all playing better or similar rugby. As a result, EJ's made it clear that Mercer isn't part of his plans and so Mercer is rightly taking a bigger contract in France rather than getting paid less than he's worth in England in the hope that he might get another opportunity. Surely by not stringing Mercer along and making it clear that he's better off taking the contract, EJ's doing the right thing? It's a shame for Bath that Mercer's left but it's not EJ's job to keep players in Bath; it's to pick England squads, and he (IMO, rightly) doesn't see Mercer as a part of those squads.

It's also no good bringing up a load of players who might leave as a result of not being picked as none of them have left, so presumably they're still in contact with EJ.

He is still young enough to get better and come back in a few yrs

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Imagine if we played anything like that in an actual game

 

[Reiser99]

Imagine if we played anything like that in an actual game

There was still a Farrell kick in there.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Imagine if we played anything like that in an actual game

It's all part of Jones' ingenious plan to convince our opposition we will actually try to keep possession of the ball before we come out onto the pitch and take them completely by surprise by kicking straight to them and giving them all the time in the world to do what they want with it. They will be so confused they will just crumble and May would do a double front flip over the crossbar in the process of scoring a try, before the Nige will run on in full daffodil attire and say "this isn't the high jump, red card!"

And then everybody cheered and sang "for he's a jolly good fellow", including the English, who saw the error of their ways and accepted they needed to atone for their sheer arrogance.

 

[TommiG88]

Just watching the World Cup highlights from 2019. The Farrell then to what he is now is night and day

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Excellent interview with Dave Attwood. Couple of things really stood out:

The benefits of getting out of a familiar environment. Away from the same old, same old narrow environment of the Premiership. Broadened horizons and being receptive to different ways of doing things can only benefit - on and off field. He benefited, Marchant did, Hask did and Richards and Johnson before them.

And the way that players are empowered at Bristol. Not to mention how youth has energised the side.

Any coincidence that at the veteran stage he's probably playing the best rugby of his career?

'I realised when I went to Toulon I'd been stuck in a rut... I didn't love what I did to get out of bed in the morning'

Stagnation was strangling the career of ex-England lock Dave Attwood and it took a loan move in France to stop him going through the motions.

www.rugbypass.com

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lawes out for the rest of the 6N,

Be interesting to see who they call up - any promising u16s players knocking about?

 

[Mumbles119]

Lawes out for the rest of the 6N,

Be interesting to see who they call up - any promising u16s players knocking about?

Would it most likely be Moon? Is he currently in the shadow squad?

 

[Jashay]

He was in that training video but I'm not sure he's officially in the Shadow Squad? Probably a decent shout though.

Is it just me or has this 6N seemed high in attrition? We've only played two games and I think we're down 6 players... Underhill, Launchbury, Willis, Lawes, Randall... swear I'm missing one. Mako was injured at the start but picked anyway, and Marler has dropped out.

 

[Wendigo7]

So where to now?

Daly looks undroppable to me. ie. He can make so many mistakes and still will get picked.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It'll be the exact same side again next time out - only potential change would be Martin for whoever gets called up in place of Lawes

 

[BiggusLaddus]

Refereeing gives the perfect excuse. Clearly we were robbed and that same 15 deserves a chance to prove that... etc

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

It'll be the exact same side again next time out - only potential change would be Martin for whoever gets called up in place of Lawes

Wasn't paying too close attention; did Martin get on or no?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wasn't paying too close attention; did Martin get on or no?

Don't think so but I didn't think Earl did till I saw him doing the guard of honour at the end

 

[Wendigo7]

Oh well in 2 weeks time we get to watch them lose to France I suppose. He'll trot out the same answers again.

 

[Reiser99]

You know what now that we can't win the tournament I don't mind if he sticks with the same players. He's got the bubble to contend with. This way he can have a good look and then make changes in the summer with more freedom. Maybe he's accepted that he needs to make changes, but decided mid-tournament with a bubble isn't the right time. (Not Eddie Jones's optimism is rubbing off on me)

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

There aren't too many positives to draw from that game but one for me is that Billy looked much better today. He'd been outspoken during the week about knowing that he wasn't playing good rugby and needed to improve, and he delivered on that today IMO. He carried with a lot of intent, actually running into contact rather than trying to tiptoe around it. Given that he's undroppable, it definitely helps that he looks to actually be on the up.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Binny and Benny had their best games in a season

We actually showed some decent attack - though the last passes were often lacking (often from Daly)

Scrum went well, lineout and maul defence decent

It's not 10000000% doom and gloom, and if you take away the penalty count is one of our best showings in 18months, depressingly

 

[ncurd]

if you take away the penalty count

when was the last time in the last 12 years (basically since MJ took over) where we didn't say that post game? Its endemic in the English game now