England 2021/22

[Duck a l'Orange]

rearranging the deckchairs on the ***anic until 9 is sorted

Tell me more about this Boobtanic.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I'd rather have Farrell at 10 with jones' change of tactics. Let's find a lump at 12 or stick Simmonds there and just play 10 man rugby. I'm half serious with the above but what I don't want is a team that don't match the tactics. I love smith but we arnt going to let him have free reign, we arnt going to give him a proper 12 and we arnt going to play fast and free…..in which case go for Farrell and pick some more lumpy forwards to compliment them.

This whole Farrell smith 10 12 combo didn't really work, it was terrible in the first test and then just about passable in the second and third test, but do we really want to have an okish 10 12 combo? Really

Tactics have to match personnel picked.

 

[Scotty]

Our choices for backs in the AI 23 are pretty much
These arnt by position btw as Faz will be 12 and Manu could be 13 ect.
JVP/ i dont actually know. Not Youngs
Faz/Smith
Slade/Manu(If fit...doubtful)
Marchant/Porter.
Freeman/Nowell(guessing Watsons injured)
Steward/Arundell

JVP has done more than enough to earn the starting shirt for the AI's as we learn nothing from Youngs or Care but who should be our second choice i dont know. He impressed me more with staying calm playing like it was any other game and not forcing things.

Still would love to see a Smith Manu Slade but Manu is not to be expected rather just a bonus if he is fit.

We stick with Smith Faz Marchant with Slade at 22.

Same as back three id stick with Nowell Steward(15) Freeman with Arundell 23

Build continuity as we havnt got time to chop and change now, then add in Manu, Watson ect as a bonus if they prove they can be fit for more than a week.

So for me
We dont really change much from Aus
JVP
Smith
Nowell
Faz
Marchant
Freeman
Steward

Care Youngs Randle Quirke...knowing EJ he'll go Wigglesworth.
Slade
Arundell

Not even suggesting Manu because we have to plan without him and have him as a impact bencher when this team is more settled.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

JVP, Youngs and Wigglesworth all to go to the RWC

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

JVP, Youngs and Wigglesworth all to go to the RWC

I hate that that is not the worst prospect

 

[Reiser99]

I'll keep saying it, Manu should not be near the team until he proves his fitness over an extended period. For me at this point I wouldn't select until next summer. Give him the whole season to show he's fit. We know he's good enough if fit and can slot in quickly. We need to look at alternatives in the likely event he's still broken.

 

[BPM]

I'd rather have Farrell at 10 with jones' change of tactics. Let's find a lump at 12 or stick Simmonds there and just play 10 man rugby. I'm half serious with the above but what I don't want is a team that don't match the tactics. I love smith but we arnt going to let him have free reign, we arnt going to give him a proper 12 and we arnt going to play fast and free…..in which case go for Farrell and pick some more lumpy forwards to compliment them.

This whole Farrell smith 10 12 combo didn't really work, it was terrible in the first test and then just about passable in the second and third test, but do we really want to have an okish 10 12 combo? Really

Tactics have to match personnel picked.

100% agree that 'tactics have to match personnel', but the 'lump at 12' you want simply doesn't exist which is basically why you're having to make a 'half serious' suggestion of picking Simmonds there. They're also not going to magically appear in the next 14mths so won't be an option pre-RWC.

'This whole Farrell Smith 10 12 combo' has played together four times. Yes it hasn't worked so far, but that doesn't mean it can't or won't. If there's no improvement in the AIs, then yes, we'll need to move on from it, but I'm still dubious about the alternatives. Kelly's got plenty of promise, but as I said earlier, anyone new at 12 almost certainly means Farrell at 10 which is never the right answer IMO.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Scott Robertson explains recent Sydney meeting with Eddie Jones

Crusaders' Scott Robertson has shed light on his Sydney rendezvous with England boss Eddie Jones in Sydney before the recent series decider.

www.rugbypass.com

Robertson knows what he's doing
Trying to pressure the NZRFU but still

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Scott Robertson explains recent Sydney meeting with Eddie Jones

Crusaders' Scott Robertson has shed light on his Sydney rendezvous with England boss Eddie Jones in Sydney before the recent series decider.

www.rugbypass.com

Robertson knows what he's doing
Trying to pressure the NZRFU but still

"I want to win Rugby World Cup but I want to win it with two different countries. I haven't said it publicly before but it would transcend," he revealed."

This bit really sticks out for me. Financially, the big gigs would be England and France. France aren't exactly looking to replace that leadership so it looks like he is eying up an England job. I guess the question would be before or after NZ.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

This bit really sticks out for me. Financially, the big gigs would be England and France. France aren't exactly looking to replace that leadership so it looks like he is eying up an England job. I guess the question would be before or after NZ.

Or Ireland post Farrell - though they tend to promote from within their club/international setup (Cullen next in line?)

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Or Ireland post Farrell - though they tend to promote from within their club/international setup (Cullen next in line?)

What part of win did you not understand?

It's interesting though
RFU want someone to come in for the 2023 RWC then take over after
Robertson says he's friends with Eddie and his Super rugby contract ends before the RWC

Lines up

Also might a reason why we didn't properly invest in a backs coach

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

1. I'm in disbelief that Cullen is younger than faz
2. if Ireland hire Cullen after faz things would really have to change at Leinster

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

MOC is free

 

[TRF_Olyy]

MOC is free

IRFUs tradition of appointing RFU coaches who were knocked out of a RWC means that Borthwick is going to be coaching Connacht soon and then get the Ireland gig 2yrs after

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

IRFUs tradition of appointing RFU coaches who were knocked out of a RWC means that Borthwick is going to be coaching Connacht soon and then get the Ireland gig 2yrs after

That nightmare.

Maybe you mean Hatley

 

[higgik]

100% agree that 'tactics have to match personnel', but the 'lump at 12' you want simply doesn't exist which is basically why you're having to make a 'half serious' suggestion of picking Simmonds there. They're also not going to magically appear in the next 14mths so won't be an option pre-RWC.

'This whole Farrell Smith 10 12 combo' has played together four times. Yes it hasn't worked so far, but that doesn't mean it can't or won't. If there's no improvement in the AIs, then yes, we'll need to move on from it, but I'm still dubious about the alternatives. Kelly's got plenty of promise, but as I said earlier, anyone new at 12 almost certainly means Farrell at 10 which is never the right answer IMO.

Yes, and that is why the 11-13-14-15 combination becomes vital. EJ has realised that the big 12 is not there so he needs to find another way of getting go forward, either more mobile and better handling fowards, (Genge, Mako, Billy, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes), with power in back 4 as well.
With Steward a lock in it leaves 11-13-14 to be sorted. These also need to be good in the air for our kick chase game.
They all need to be good footballers to give Faz options and to create space for Smith to weave some magic.
Freeman, Marchant and Malins probably fit the bill best atm, power, some pace, all good footballers who run intelligent lines, and also good in the air.

 

[BPM]

Yep. The aerial piece is another reason I was surprised Marchant was dropped. Aside from being better than Porter in attack and defence, he's also probably the best centre we have for winning any high balls.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Yep. The aerial piece is another reason I was surprised Marchant was dropped. Aside from being better than Porter in attack and defence, he's also probably the best centre we have for winning any high balls.

Ah, convinced there's more to it than just form or balance. Wondering whether there was a disciplinary issue or something like that. Just speculating, but something doesn't stack up. If there's something Marchant wants kept private that has to be respected, but it's odd for Jones to keep schtum.

Ref go forward, bludgeon's fine as far as it goes. But there's also clever - smart lines from deep, convincing decoys etc, the kind of thing Australia used to do through necessity when they had crap packs. With the bludgeon, opponents know what's coming and can organise for it. Clever / unpredictable is much harder to defend - and to execute, but we'll never unpick decent defences unless we try…..

 

[Geordie]

Kelly might have some part to play if he stays fit next season...he's becoming quite a 12. See how Ojomoh develops also..but id say

Its Farrell and Kelly (potentially) for the 12 shirt. But with Farrells form at the moment hes in the driving seat.

Also.. with regards to Smith and Farrell...they have got better each of their 4 games. Im convinced the AIs it will click. Then as Gatland said...its a worry for the Opposition and Smith will be seeing international rugby in slow motion.

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

George Ford targeting late December for his return from injury. Hopefully that gives him some time to regain form before the Six Nations squad is selected, but it's pretty tight.