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[2024 Six Nations] Italy vs England - 03/02/24

So Roots. Is he any good? Better than B Curry or Pearson? Ignoring the real reason he shouldn't be picked
 
ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY ITALY
Starting
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 57 caps)
12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 64 caps)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 91 caps) – vice captain
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 88 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 85 caps) – captain
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 76 caps) – vice captain
6. Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 25 caps)

Replacements
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 7 caps)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 58 caps) – vice captain
18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 107 caps)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, uncapped)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 96 caps)
22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
23. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
96C5D792-C687-46EE-ABF0-8C792C02F89C.gif
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)
9420441A-5501-48E8-A138-97744BEBCD8C.gif
 
Well true. But all previous leaks have been accurate….

Well done Borthers! Not exactly mind games but nice to see you can't be fully trusted (or did you just change your mind this morning?)

Mitchell feels a bit of a risk given he only started training again today - that may well have been a late decision. CCS a nice surprise. Otherwise as expected.

Bench should make an impact.

He's bigger

I'd have had Pearson there

Warburton called Roots "a 6 in a 7's body".
 
Looks like a good mix of experience and youth in the matchday squad.

Truth be told, no matter what squad he chose, someone would be *****ing about it.
 
ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY ITALY
Starting
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 31 caps)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 57 caps)
12. Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 64 caps)
10. George Ford (Sale Sharks, 91 caps) – vice captain
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 88 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 85 caps) – captain
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 76 caps) – vice captain
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 18 caps)
6. Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 25 caps)

Replacements
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 7 caps)
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 58 caps) – vice captain
18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 107 caps)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, uncapped)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 96 caps)
22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
23. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Id have started Smith personally, great to see Freeman starting. Roots yes i get the scepticism but his big and physical, paired with Underhill he they will dominate physically. Maybe Obano should be in but not that fussed, but its the first game after the WC and 7 players in the 23 that wernt at the WC

but honestly im glad to see Coles CCS FSmith and IFW and hoping to see the starts of an attack being added byt i refuse to be all doom and gloom.
 
Where would you say is the real gripe points/?
No Obano and no Spencer in the 23, Roots, Ford, Daly

Ford and Daly are red flags for play style - their only roles under SB have been to kick and to chase
 
My positives:
- Underhill starting.
- Mitchell starting.
- Freeman starting.
- Manny on the bench.

My things I don't love but I understand to a degree:
- Roots starting; I love Pearson but he hasn't hit the same highs this season with Saints as he did for Irish. Roots is a hard grafter who could potentially balance the back row well with Earl.
- Ford starting; like most I'd have liked to see Smith start but ultimately I do see the benefit in introducing him to international rugby from the bench rather than throwing him in. Really hope he's the starter by the end of the tournament though.

Things I just dislike:
- Daly on the wing.
- No Obano.
- Perhaps controversially, CCS on the bench. He's got potential but he's nowhere near international level yet. Would have preferred to see this shirt go to any of Pearson, Dombrandt or Curry.
- No Spencer.
 
- Perhaps controversially, CCS on the bench. He's got potential but he's nowhere near international level yet. Would have preferred to see this shirt go to any of Pearson, Dombrandt or Curry.
Yeah, CCS a mile off his LI form
Getting better for Quins now but he was pretty poor in his last u20s campaign - could/should be with the u20s now, realistically
 
Tbh I've said for a while that my biggest issue isn't selection, but tactics and that selection doesn't make me think that Borthwick wants to play any running rugby at all.
Yeah i can get that.
Hopefully we do see a side thats continuing to develop the core fundamentals as they did through the World Cup (to varying degrees of success) ...but also one that will now start to show some basic formation of an attack.
 

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