England EPS 2016/17 season.

[Peat]

I'm actually kinda pleased. Any *** can win games with everything going well and awesome players. A bit of pressure on M'sieu Jones shall reveal more of the truth to us.

 

[Geordie]

So is everyone happy with

4 Lawes
5 Launchbury

Assuming they can stay fit?

- - - Updated - - -

Also....people's thoughts on Kvesic.

What is it that many of use like.. Yet seemingly Lancaster and now Jones don't.

With all these injuries does he have a chance

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Considering Jones has said he sees Beaumont as a lock in the EPS I'd be very surprised if he wasn't on the bench.
Think Lawes and Launch are as nailed on as can be for starting locks.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

So is everyone happy with

4 Lawes
5 Launchbury

Assuming they can stay fit?

- - - Updated - - -

Also....people's thoughts on Kvesic.

What is it that many of use like.. Yet seemingly Lancaster and now Jones don't.

With all these injuries does he have a chance

Yes on Launchbury and Lawes starting.

On Kvesic, I think this has been covered numerous times on this thread. It's pretty much summed up by

In addition to those pilfering skills, Jones' No 7 needs to be just as adept clearing out rucks, particularly on first phase, and securing quick ball for the scrum-half to work with.

http://www.rugbyworld.com/countries...nconcerned-about-picking-a-natural-no-7-54335

Clearly neither Lancaster thought and Jones thinks Kvesic's ability in this area of 7 play is strong enough to merit selection. His pilfering skills aren't enough.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Itoje is out for around 6 weeks needing surgery on his hand.

This is his first real set back. Will be interesting to see how he deals with it.

 

[NickBD]

I'm actually kinda pleased. Any *** can win games with everything going well and awesome players. A bit of pressure on M'sieu Jones shall reveal more of the truth to us.

Agreed be good to see what this team can do with big injures and back against the wall. With Itoje, maybe a little bit of rest might do him good, he's had a big 18 months without much rest and with a very long 2017 to come.

I remember thinking it was a big shame we're not facing the New Zealand this Autumn just to see how good this England team is. Kinda glad we're not now.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Silver linings all round! Don't think I've ever seen English rugby fans this positive!

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Silver linings all round! Don't think I've ever seen English rugby fans this positive!

Let's see after the AIs. Skipper's not match fit, 2nd choice locks, 6 and wings won't be first choices either and Brown's not getting any better. The half backs and midfield are mostly fit (I'm discounting Manu) but the perennial selection questions over 9,10 and 12 remain.

If we can come through this we'll be in a good place, but that's a lot of disruption to absorb, with knock on effects to the bench. I'd have backed our top 23, but I doubt we'll come through unscathed now.

Agree that Itoje's injury is a blessing in disguise.

 

[BPM]

Agreed be good to see what this team can do with big injures and back against the wall. With Itoje, maybe a little bit of rest might do him good, he's had a big 18 months without much rest and with a very long 2017 to come.

I remember thinking it was a big shame we're not facing the New Zealand this Autumn just to see how good this England team is. Kinda glad we're not now.

I agree to a point. I think a bit of adversity can sometimes be used positively - Wales in the World Cup being a prime example.

I still think we can come out of the AIs with four wins. This is where Eddie earns his corn. I expect he will galvanise the squad and encourage a bit of a siege mentality.

To be honest, I don't think we're up against top-quality sides and if the worst happens, it wouldn't be a total excuse to say we've been hard hit by injuries to key players.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Well I'm pretty sure Eddie will be telling the injury cover that this is their chance to try to get into the starting squad and they must go out there and absolutely smash SA. I just wish we could get a proper core settled, it's too much messing about or over-investing in players who shouldn't be in the core (Lancaster era)

 

[Bada-Bing!]

33-man squad for November Tests

Forwards: Dave Attwood, Dan Cole, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Teimana Harrison, Dylan Hartley, Nathan Hughes, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw, Kyle Sinckler, Tommy Taylor, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Tom Wood

Backs: Mike Brown, Danny Care, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Alex Goode, Mike Haley, Jonathan Joseph, Alex Lozowski, Jonny May, Semesa Rokoduguni, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Marland Yarde, Ben Youngs

Injured players not considered for selection: Jack Clifford, Luke Cowan-Dickie, James Haskell, Maro Itoje, Sam Jones, George Kruis, Jack Nowell, Manu Tuilagi, Anthony Watson, Mike Williams

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/wood-back-for-england/

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Some surprises
Genge over Mullan
Morgan over Beaumont

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Props: Cole, Genge, Marler, Sinckler, Vunipola - I question no Hill. This means Sinckler owns the 18 shirt and I doubt he's ready, especially at scrum time.
Hookers: George, Hartley, Taylor - Some may make an argument for Youngs, but I think that's the right selection.
Locks: Attwood, Ewels, Launchbury, Lawes - Loss of Itoje and Kruis is devastating, but having this quality left over shows our strength in depth.
Back Row: Harrison, Hughes, Morgan, Robshaw, Vunipola, Wood - Far from ideal. Where's Kvesic or Thompson? Harrison's the only 7 and leaving out Beaumont is criminal.
Scrum Halves: Care, Youngs - Left out the best 9 in the country. Not gonna name him because we know who it is.
Fly Halves: Ford, Lozowski - Cipriani...
Centres: Daly, Farrell, Joseph, Slade, Te'o - Yeah pretty standard.
Back Three: Brown, Goode, Haley, May, Rokoduguni, Yarde - Looking bare on quality wingers. Good to see Haley in though, hopefully shows that we're looking towards the removal of Brown.

Disappointing squad IMO. To leave out Beaumont and Robson... I just don't see the logic in it.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

What the fek just noticed Wood......

I mean WTF over Thompson...


In Eddie we trust but still....

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Delighted for Haley, gutted for Beaumont.

There's no Saxons games on the horizon, is there? Wanna get Addison locked down before he goes sniffing elsewhere.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Nah next Saxons game is 6 nations.

If Addison realistically wants to get capped he needs to be off to Ireland really.

He is behind
Watson
Nowell
Yarde
May
Roko
At least so far.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

XV
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Lawes
6. Hughes
7. Robshaw
8. Vunipola
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Joseph
14. Rokoduguni
15. Brown

16. George
17. Marler
18. Sinckler
19. Attwood
20. Harrison (He's out of form but with Hughes and Vunipola on the field, you can't have another 8 on the bench. Wood vs Harrison, I vote Harrison)
21. Care
22. Slade (Would've liked to have seen Cips in this shirt. Oh well)
23. Daly

 

[Bada-Bing!]

XV
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Lawes
6. Hughes
7. Robshaw
8. Vunipola
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Joseph
14. Rokoduguni
15. Brown

16. George
17. Marler
18. Sinckler
19. Attwood
20. Harrison (He's out of form but with Hughes and Vunipola on the field, you can't have another 8 on the bench. Wood vs Harrison, I vote Harrison)
21. Care
22. Slade (Would've liked to have seen Cips in this shirt. Oh well)
23. Daly

Would be surprised if Eddie goes with Robshaw at 7 after what he's said/adamant that he is a blindside flanker only. Unless he's playing left/right flankers. Wonder if he will try Harrison again, despite being out of form? and have Wood to cover from the bench. Not ideal, but still, not a lot of choice.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Eddie says lots of things I don't think he cares about what he has said previously TBH.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Eddie says lots of things I don't think he cares about what he has said previously TBH.

Yeah but a back row of Hughes, Robshaw and Vunipola seems mightily one dimensional to me. Might work against SA, but v Australia, would come a cropper.