England 2021/22

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Does Hill play TH lock for Exeter? Can't remember now?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Does Hill play TH lock for Exeter? Can't remember now?

Nope, he wears the 5 shirt but generally scrummages at loosehead with Gray at tighthead.

 

[Geordie]

Of course im raising the topic of bulk and mass....but i do appreciate that alone means nothing. Its how people use that...

Ie Johnny Hill might be roughly the same stats as say Bakkies Botha....but they use their weight very differently.

Itoje clearly punches way above his 17.5 stone...but he uses it intelligently aswell.

 

[Mr Burns]

It just seems that we have a surfeit of athletic locks currently which unbalances the pack if they're all picked, we saw in the 6 Nations Eddie trying to find it when he picked Ewels for the France game after the Hill/Itoje partnership failed to spark but he's been average for his entire England career.

I can't see many changes for the AIs sadly, I'm fully expecting the following team to line up against SA:
Mako, LCD, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Lawes, Curry, B Vunipola
Youngs, Farrell, May, Lawrence, Slade, Watson, Malins
Subs: George, Genge, Stuart, Ewels, Underhill, Robson, Ford, Daly

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Youngs, Farrell, May, Lawrence, Slade, Watson, Malins

I reckon Eddie goes with Malins wing, Daly fullback
He loves a utility player and I think will phase May out (poor form over the last season and getting to the tailend of a speedsters career at 31 - he'll only get slower from here on)

 

[Geordie]

WIll Billy V be refreshed after a season in the Champs?

Is Lozowki likely to be on Jones radar again or has that ship sailed...?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Itoje clearly punches way above his 17.5 stone...but he uses it intelligently aswell.

Bit of a split decision from the referees on that one!

Last autumn Jones had the perfect opportunity to experiment. He didn't. I'm not sure what to expect now we're mid RWC cycle, but I doubt he'll change as much as virtually everyone would hope.

You can't do it all at once but to my mind there should be positions up for grabs in every single unit pre France. Thinking particularly 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, poss 13 and deffo 15. Which means I think Watson should be the only current back nailed on for 23.

Even in the more settled positions:

2's up for grabs but from a position of strength. LCD and George good. Barbeary wild card.

Sinckler and Stuart are clear front runners at 3, but Sincks needs to locate his mojo to really nail down the starting shirt.

Flankers: Willis could complicate things as might Jones if he goes all line out again. But another position of strength.

 

[Geordie]

It all comes back to that Mystical question:

What does Jones look for in a player?

I know i cant answer that...

 

[Geordie]

What about a back 5 of:
4 Ribbans
5 Itoje
6 Curry
7 Earl
8 Dombrandt

Now that would be interesting....

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

What about a back 5 of:
4 Ribbans
5 Itoje
6 Curry
7 Earl
8 Dombrandt

Now that would be interesting....

Jones: Or we could have

4 ewels
5 Itoje
6 Lawes
7 Curry
8 billy

Im looking forward to moaning about Jones again soon.

 

[Nudger]

Jones: Or we could have

4 ewels
5 Itoje
6 Lawes
7 Curry
8 billy

Im looking forward to moaning about Jones again soon.

LOL

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Of course im raising the topic of bulk and mass....but i do appreciate that alone means nothing. Its how people use that...

Ie Johnny Hill might be roughly the same stats as say Bakkies Botha....but they use their weight very differently.

Itoje clearly punches way above his 17.5 stone...but he uses it intelligently aswell.

You remind me of that French guy who used to post on here. Yoe? He was all about the mass.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I'm looking forward to moaning about Jones again soon.

Count me in.

 

[BPM]

What about a back 5 of:
4 Ribbans
5 Itoje
6 Curry
7 Earl
8 Dombrandt

Now that would be interesting....

No on Earl thanks. He has a good skill set but no way he's a better player than Underhill or Willis.

Other than that, I'd be very happy with that selection.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah I've gone off Earl massively, probably wouldn't even have him in my EPS these days

If we're going dual openside I'd have two of Underhill/Curry/Willis

If you want a straight up 6 then Reid is very promising

Hybrid guys like Martin or Lawes

Outside shout of Barbeary at 6 or 8 (where I hope he ends up)

Dombrandt and Willis Jr coming through at 8

Earl vs Simmonds for the utility backrower, but I'm not sure I'd start either ahead of any named above, for England, and probably wouldn't have either on the bench because it'd take game time away from a position-specific player who could really kick on

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

You remind me of that French guy who used to post on here. Yoe? He was all about the mass.

Yoe Mama

 

[Geordie]

You remind me of that French guy who used to post on here. Yoe? He was all about the mass.

Its all about balance...mobile athletic powerful players are a must, but i still think you need a bit of bulk or mass in there aswell.

 

[Geordie]

Yeah I've gone off Earl massively, probably wouldn't even have him in my EPS these days

If we're going dual openside I'd have two of Underhill/Curry/Willis

If you want a straight up 6 then Reid is very promising

Hybrid guys like Martin or Lawes

Outside shout of Barbeary at 6 or 8 (where I hope he ends up)

Dombrandt and Willis Jr coming through at 8

Earl vs Simmonds for the utility backrower, but I'm not sure I'd start either ahead of any named above, for England, and probably wouldn't have either on the bench because it'd take game time away from a position-specific player who could really kick on

Would you prefer him in the back row? If his core skills for hooker were to be very good...surely his potential at hooker would be huge.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Would you prefer him in the back row? If his core skills for hooker were to be very good...surely his potential at hooker would be huge.

He's played about 20mins of senior rugby at hooker and that was multiple years ago, and when he was in the u20s he was third choice
I reckon he'd have played there at some point if his fundamentals were up to scratch, especially with the injuries wasps have had at hooker the last few seasons

He might be great there, who knows, but there's zero proof he is so I'm just basing it off of what we've seen from him at the top level

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Darts and scrummaging first for a hooker then add the extras. If he can't do the basics then I don't want him even considered. If wasps don't trust him at hooker that's a big red flag as well. But time will tell, let's see where he starts in a month or so.