England EPS 2016/17 season.

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I would like to see Walker get a go before all those that have been named TBH.

In terms of Wingers would like to see

EPS
Watson, Nowell, Roko, May

Saxons
Yarde, Addison, Walker,

I just don't know what to do with Wade TBH, wasted in the Saxons but I don't rate him enough for the EPS.

No Lewington?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Nope he is
1 in the championship
2 has a serious injury.

 

[Which Tyler]

I just don't know what to do with Wade TBH, wasted in the Saxons but I don't rate him enough for the EPS.

Shoulda gone to Rio

 

[ratsapprentice]

Who the **** is this "Walker" character?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Charlie "milky bar kid" Walker

 

[Which Tyler]

Plays for Quins; something like 20 tries in 50-odd matches; been around for 4-5 years now.

Good player, though I'm not sure I'd have him in the Saxons. Too old to count as a young gun*; not good enough to count as next-in-line.

*Same age as Wade isn't he? both played the same U20s 6N

ETA: OK, 7 months younger than Wade, and both played in the 2-11 6N - my point stands.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ahh.

Chuck Walker.

Wheels, Wheels, WHEELS!

I am familiar. Not really in the England frame unless he is clearly first choice for Quins though - hence why I couldn't figure out who you were referring to.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Plays for Quins; something like 20 tries in 50-odd matches; been around for 4-5 years now.

Good player, though I'm not sure I'd have him in the Saxons. Too old to count as a young gun*; not good enough to count as next-in-line.

*Same age as Wade isn't he? both played the same U20s 6N

ETA: OK, 7 months younger than Wade, and both played in the 2-11 6N - my point stands.

How is 23/24 too old?

Saxons for me is a U25 thing mainly for 20-23 year olds getting on and off AP game Time.

 

[Which Tyler]

I didn't say "too old" - I said "too old to count as a young gun"
I see no reason for picking him ahead of Wade - he is not as good at playing rugby as Wade, and has no more "age on his side" than Wade

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Wade turns 26 in May Walker turns 24 in December so there is a age difference of 17 months


Wade has had huge amount of game time for Wasps if he isn't ready for England after that then will he ever be.

Walker has been on and off for Quins and has perform when played IMO and unlike Wade would IMO gain something from playing in a Saxons set up.

 

[Which Tyler]

Wade turns 26 in May Walker turns 24 in December so there is a age difference of 17 months


Wade has had huge amount of game time for Wasps if he isn't ready for England after that then will he ever be.

Walker has been on and off for Quins and has perform when played IMO and unlike Wade would IMO gain something from playing in a Saxons set up.

Fair enough, I hadn't realised the difference was that much - as I said, they did play U20s together.

Either way, I don't really see the Saxons as a place to see if someone can make it, when they can't at club level - I'd have it as a mix of U23, and next-best players. I certainly think for anyone who's been around for 5 years, but still isn't a match-day regular.

With Wade; he'd be in my list of next-best wingers; and would gain from playing in a different structure with players he's less familiar with - for me, that's the real benefit of the Saxons, seeing how players are when removed from their comfort zone. training with different coaches, different players, different game-plans.

 

[Raggs]

Would have thought Walker would have been a permanent fixture for Quins by this age (especially for a wing) if he was going to make it as an international.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

That's if Eddie really views Wade as next best which IMHO i don't think he does, I mean he has at least 5 wingers ahead of him (At least)

I would say Walker has proved himself at club level TBF.
He played 13 AP games last season
compared to
Lewington 14
Yarde 15
Wade 16 (Including the SF)
Not exactly far off the pace Yarde has 3 tries, Lewington has 5, Walker has 10 tries, Wade has 13 tries (Wuss gifting 6 of them )

Just Quins being Quins not like the coaching staff is getting raved reviews ATM.

IMO Exeter should look at him.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Can't see how Ashton isn't the starting winger

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

Can't see how Ashton isn't the starting winger

Surely Sinoti Sinoti? Oh hang on...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Surely Sinoti Sinoti? Oh hang on...

How a player like him only has 1 cap for samoa i will never know.

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

How a player like him only has 1 cap for samoa i will never know.

It's pretty farcical. I also think Socino should have more caps for Argentina, but then that might just be my Falcons bias.

 

[Peat]

Does Sinoti actually want to play much for Samoa? That's the usual reason for PI players not having many caps.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Nathan Earle looking very sharp for Canterbury.

Not lost his pace after injury.

Very excited to see him back.

 

[BPM]

Either way, I don't really see the Saxons as a place to see if someone can make it, when they can't at club level - I'd have it as a mix of U23, and next-best players. I certainly think for anyone who's been around for 5 years, but still isn't a match-day regular.

I'm with TigsMan re. Walker. He is proven at AP level and has a good record.

Having said that, I think Eddie seems to have a different view of the Saxons to previous England coaches.

In the past, the Saxons was a 'next best' set-up, but with a 45 man EPS, I see it more as a development side. There will always be exceptions, but for the most part, players who don't look like really going to make it at test level by 26/27 probably aren't going to cut it.

With the 'development pathway' looking more and more productive, I think we're better served using the Saxons as the half-way house between age grade and test level rugby to get the players in to an international set-up early and to complement experience that they're gaining in the AP. So as Which Tyler said - pretty much an U23 squad with a bit of experience in there provided by players genuinely on the fringes of the EPS (i.e. an Attwood or Cipriani) and/or senior players who have been out injured for a while.