England 2021/22

[TheSaffycen]

6.J Willis 7.Curry 8.T Willis is not a bad back row, feel that Lawes will be there come the world cup though

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

6.J Willis 7.Curry 8.T Willis is not a bad back row, feel that Lawes will be there come the world cup though

6 Willis
7 Curry
8 Dombrandt

Bench:
Willis
Curry

Make it so.

 

[TheSaffycen]

6 Willis
7 Curry
8 Dombrandt

Bench:
Willis
Curry

Make it so.

I like the joke but hate the 6:2 split

 

[Crash Hamster]

A what?

My apologies, I'm showing my age. A British Isles Lion...

And now I'm teasing.

A British and Irish Lion, naturally.

 

[Greeno]

I expect come six nations.
Ford in for Furbanks
Marchant in for Freeman
Daly in for Atkinson (Maybe Manu depending how bad he is)
Billy in for Simmonds
Mako for Davison
George in for Dolly
Jack Willis in for Ludlam
Tom Willis in for Chick

I personally would pick Rodd over mako as rodd is only currently there because he was brought in for Genge. Happy for mako to come back in if he is playing well. I reckon Ludlum and simmonds will stay but maybe Billy will come in for chick. When is launchbury back so we can get ewels out ASAP

 

[Crash Hamster]

Well mainly because Daly isn't an actually out and out 15.

That's the joke...

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I want to see more of Atkinson at 12, if we base our game plan on Manu, then at least we need another 'physical threat' to put in there when he gets injured.

Although I really wanted to see merchant and enjoyed him and Slade at 12 and 13. Either way Smith to start and Ford to bench with Farrell dropped will never happen. It's funny that we look soooo much better, quicker, smarter without Farrell and yet I can see Jones shoehorning him back in the side.

 

[Which Tyler]

Smith is a premiership winner, a lion and has been a starting prem 10 for years now - Quirke is great but has been around for like a year...

They're not in the same boat in terms of hand holding at all. Why shouldn't a player be able to start from the off anyway? He's not shown any evidence of being overawed by occasions, be that this weekend, on the lions or winning the premiership? It may well come, but ther is 0 evidence for that being a part of his character at all.

By all means rotate him with Ford if you want, but it's not the same as trying to get Quirke up to speed properly with top level rugby

I think you're putting words into my mouth, as your countering arguments that I haven't even seen presented, let alone suggesting them myself.

I'm well aware that Smith has been around club rugby for a few years.
I haven't said they're in the same boat barring neither of them having 20+ caps.
I haven't said that Smith isn't able to start from the off. I'm saying he doesn't have an automatic right to do so.
I've not seen anyone suggesting that Smith has been overawed, at the weekend, in the Prem final or on the Lions tour.
Thank you - I want to rotate him with Ford - it's literally what I wrote. I never said that it was the same as Quirke, beyond not having a significant bank of international rugby under his belt.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It's interesting seeing ex-players coming into camp and coaching, i.e. the photos of Wilkinson and Marcus Smith

There's an interview with Bevan Rodd in the Telegraph and he said Corbisiero was in camp doing scrum coaching last week and gave him tips on how to handle scrummaging against a much larger prop, as Corbs was often the smaller guy in his career

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

.

It's interesting seeing ex-players coming into camp and coaching, i.e. the photos of Wilkinson and Marcus Smith

There's an interview with Bevan Rodd in the Telegraph and he said Corbisiero was in camp doing scrum coaching last week and gave him tips on how to handle scrummaging against a much larger prop, as Corbs was often the smaller guy in his career

Yeah I saw that, although I always thought Corbs was a pretty big unit?

Mad to think he's only just 33 - what might have been. Just read that he's been in a fight with testicular cancer - wish him well.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah I saw that, although I always thought Corbs was a pretty big unit?

Maybe an age thing? 22 on his England debut

Though he did go from u20s straight to Saxons then to seniors so would've had to have done his growing against seasoned veterans

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

In 2009 (So same age as Rodd)
Corbs was 6ft 1 and 256lbs
Rodd is 6ft and 260 lbs

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jan/03/englandrugbyunionteam-gloucesterrugby

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Tuilagi is 'back to the glory days' as slimmed down centre returns to England fold

Tuilagi was named in an England training squad by Eddie Jones this week and he followed it up with a fine performance for Sale

inews.co.uk

Sale chief ‘frustrated’ as Manu Tuilagi faces another lay-off

The England centre could be out for three months.

www.independent.co.uk

Reminds me of this

Steve Diamond's thinly-veiled barb at Leicester over Manu Tuilagi

Sale boss Steve Diamond has been reflecting on his club's coup in signing Manu Tuilagi after he had a contractual falling out with Leicester.

www.rugbypass.com

(Edit: Yes I'm petty about Sale)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You're petty, we're pretty

We are not the same.

 

[Reiser99]

I still think Tuilagi shouldn't be picked until he has a long injury-free run. It's wasting caps on a player we already know about and who could slot in easily for the world cup if needed. Far better to start blooding a new centre like Marchant so that they have enough experience come the world cup if Manu is still injured and Jones has somehow miraculously realised that Farrell is not a 12.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Genuine question, has Tuilagi been able to even go a year without injury?

 

[Jashay]

Maybe before that big injury in 2015 that put him out for a year, but he's been plagued by them since then for sure.

 

[BrokenWing]

Did anyone thing he was that good against Australia?

Sure, he's lost a few KG and is "the fastest" he been since records began, but I don't recall seeing him make much ground on any carries which is sort of his point.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Did anyone thing he was that good against Australia?

Sure, he's lost a few KG and is "the fastest" he been since records began, but I don't recall seeing him make much ground on any carries which is sort of his point.

2nd most metres made of any back (behind Steward)
3rd highest metres per carry (behind Blamire and Dombrandt, lol)

 

[BrokenWing]

I didn't look up stats, just from what I saw I don't recall him making much headway.

Not to the effect he used to have.