England 2023/24

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

If he stays fit I would include him in the 6N's squad
But just don't want to get my hopes up

It's like Underhill every big tackle I'm just dreading the worse still.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen much said of Beno Obano's MOTM performance on Saturday. A few in here (namely Olyy) have been singing his praises for a while now and I always thought he was alright but wasn't sure whether I really saw him as international quality. Saturday changed my mind. Was dominant in the scrum against a strong Ulster pack and was a force to be reckoned with with ball in hand. Has to be at least involved during the 6N and honestly might now be my front runner for the starting shirt.

I've been saying he's worth a look for the last 2 years or so, always seemed to have a good attitude in an otherwise poor Bath. Pretty strong scrummager and good in the loose, but a bit injury prone. Not sure whether he would be international quality but certainly feel he is worth a look. He seems to have got even better this year and it feels he is on an upwards trajectory.

Also, for all the other names being thrown around, I still think one of the flanker shirts is Underhills to lose. He has been putting in some good performances and has the experience delivering the goods internationally. Let the new guys try to take it off him by really showing up off the bench.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It's like Underhill every big tackle I'm just dreading the worse still.

Barbeary too,

Bath fan's must be a wreck watching their forward carriers go into contact

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Barbeary too,

Bath fan's must be a wreck watching their forward carriers go into contact

We need a crying emoji response

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Also, for all the other names being thrown around, I still think one of the flanker shirts is Underhills to lose. He has been putting in some good performances and has the experience delivering the goods internationally. Let the new guys try to take it off him by really showing up off the bench.

If Underhill's anything like, the question has always been who plays alongside him, not instead of him.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Henry Arundell: England wing absent from England duty until 2026 after new Racing deal

Henry Arundell signs a contract extension with French club Racing 92, making him ineligible for England until 2026.

www.bbc.co.uk

You can just tell whoever wrote this article is not in favour of the current rules.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

This feels like the Armitage saga all over again. He is a talent but I don't think he is so special we need to be falling over ourselves to bend the rules to get him back. Give him a year or 2 in France, see how he fares and then if he wants to come back, great. If not, well that's his choice. I feel we have enough options in the back 3 that this isn't an area where we simply must have him.

Having said that, I do think as it becomes more and more clear the English leagues cannot compete financially with the French, that this rule will end up being dropped or modified in some way.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Hopefully he learns to chase kicks while in France as that's all we need our wingers to do anyhow.

Now he's gone can we al jump on the Radwan hype train again?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Henry Arundell: England wing absent from England duty until 2026 after new Racing deal

Henry Arundell signs a contract extension with French club Racing 92, making him ineligible for England until 2026.

www.bbc.co.uk

You can just tell whoever wrote this article is not in favour of the current rules.

Whatever your views on Arundell it's a crying shame that such an exciting talent is lost for some years to the domestic game and also the national team where he almost certainly would have properly broken through over the next year or so. Hopefully this whole episode is more one off clusterfuck than start of a pattern of losing talented youngsters but I'm not staking my house on it. And none of these conversations would have happened in the first place if the pro game in this country wasn't such a shambles. I feel very sorry for Arundell - he seems to have been caught in a maelstrom largely of others' making. He's young, had to deal with a hell of a lot and probably can't identify his elbow from other parts of his anatomy at the moment. He's paid well but that's really not the point (and not as much as he would seemingly have got under a central contract).

We forget about him for now and the world keeps turning but lessons need to be learned.

Someone put it well the other day in that playing international rugby is now just a career choice rather than the pinnacle everyone aims for.

 

[Geordie]

Hopefully he learns to chase kicks while in France as that's all we need our wingers to do anyhow.

Now he's gone can we al jump on the Radwan hype train again?

Never been off the Radwan train just resigned to the fact England managers don't seem to want him...he's more box office than Arundell anyway...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Really really good article about what the RFU are doing to improve the scrum, good insights from forwards coaches and young players too:

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Never been off the Radwan train just resigned to the fact England managers don't seem to want him...he's more box office than Arundell anyway...

I have just noticed that Radwan is an anagram of Rwanda... I'm sure I can think of something better to do with this enlightening information at some point.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Really really good article about what the RFU are doing to improve the scrum, good insights from forwards coaches and young players too:

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

Mako was invited as one of the scrum coaches.

We're doomed.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Mako was invited as one of the scrum coaches.

We're doomed.

"Right lads first we're going to show you what NOT to do. Mako: you're up"

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

"Right lads first we're going to show you what NOT to do. Mako: you're up"

In fairness he'd probably be pretty decent at coaching tightheads. He knows every single way that you can be beaten by one.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Saracens latest injury update says Tom Willis is out for three months after knee surgery!
Dropping like flies!

Also says Earl isn't due back until next month, so that'll be a rush to get match fit for the 6N if the squad is named around the 16th

Imagine going into the 6N with Billy as our starting (and only) 8

Will Dombrandt have done enough to earn a place in the training squad? He's flying atm, but then he was before and couldn't convert that into England performances (whether that's due to him or due to the role he was asked to play is a different matter)

 

[BrokenWing]

whether that's due to him or due to the role he was asked to play is a different matter

Unless it was the Edward Scissorhands role, then it was him.

 

[Reiser99]

Saracens latest injury update says Tom Willis is out for three months after knee surgery!
Dropping like flies!

Also says Earl isn't due back until next month, so that'll be a rush to get match fit for the 6N if the squad is named around the 16th

Imagine going into the 6N with Billy as our starting (and only) 8

Will Dombrandt have done enough to earn a place in the training squad? He's flying atm, but then he was before and couldn't convert that into England performances (whether that's due to him or due to the role he was asked to play is a different matter)

Even Dombrandt when dropping balls was more effective than Billy has been. Dombrandt may not have played brilliantly, but I have no doubt he tried his best. Billy just looks like he doesn't give a ****.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Saracens latest injury update says Tom Willis is out for three months after knee surgery!
Dropping like flies!

Also says Earl isn't due back until next month, so that'll be a rush to get match fit for the 6N if the squad is named around the 16th

Imagine going into the 6N with Billy as our starting (and only) 8

Will Dombrandt have done enough to earn a place in the training squad? He's flying atm, but then he was before and couldn't convert that into England performances (whether that's due to him or due to the role he was asked to play is a different matter)

I'd still take dombrandt over vunipola. At least dombrandt looks like he has more to offer, vunipola just looks like he can't be ****** any more. His England career should be over until he sorts his **** attitude out.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I think we will def see a lock at 6 now