England EPS 2017/18 edition.

[ratsapprentice]

I thought Manu looked massive on the weekend,
He looked a lot smaller the last time he came back, but this time he was back up to bulldozer size.

It might be the Tigers' kit, but he just looked massive, rather than muscular. (relatively)

 

[curtbob7]

It might be the Tigers' kit, but he just looked massive, rather than muscular. (relatively)

he's switching to 8, heard it here first.

 

[BPM]

It might be the Tigers' kit, but he just looked massive, rather than muscular. (relatively)

Yeah. At the beginning of the season he looked quite lean. Now he's looking huge again. Not muscular but not flabby - just dense.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Mallinder looks seriously impressive at FB. Causing Chiefs all kinds of problems in attack and has just tackled Woodburn well into touch. I know he gets a lot of hate on this forum but if he can sort out his inconsistencies then he definitely deserves to be in EPS contention, especially with such a lack of English fullbacks ATM, particularly in the Bath area.

 

[FLOBALOB]

The longer EJ continues with this ridiculous Hartley situation the more ludicrous it will become.
Two years out from the world cup and LCD needs picking now, not 6 months before the WC.
It will only harm Englands chances continuing to pick Hartley. All this mumbo jumbo about his captaincy for England seems to disappear quick-smartish when it comes to Northampton.
He should be at least 4th in line at the moment behind LCD George and Dunn so god knows where he should be in 2 years time.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Plus Thacker, Taylor and Youngs in my book; injuries be damned.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Plus Thacker, Taylor and Youngs in my book; injuries be damned.

Youngs is Nigel Owens favourite hooker because he gives him the most opportunities to make "not straight" jokes.

 

[BPM]

Mallinder looks seriously impressive at FB. Causing Chiefs all kinds of problems in attack and has just tackled Woodburn well into touch. I know he gets a lot of hate on this forum but if he can sort out his inconsistencies then he definitely deserves to be in EPS contention, especially with such a lack of English fullbacks ATM, particularly in the Bath area.

I agree he looked good going forward, but I still think his defence leaves a lot to be desired. The tackle you mentioned on Woodburn was effective, but showed how poor his technique is. His head was on the wrong side and he could easily have injured himself.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I agree he looked good going forward, but I still think his defence leaves a lot to be desired. The tackle you mentioned on Woodburn was effective, but showed how poor his technique is. His head was on the wrong side and he could easily have injured himself.

That is true and I'm not going to argue that his defence doesn't need quite a lot of work but what I would say, going off of that same tackle, is that although his technique was wrong he put his body on the line and it paid off. You can teach tackle technique but you can't teach bravery and dedication. He's still very young so that technique can definitely be sorted out.

 

[BPM]

Fair enough - and given that it's his 'heart' that is often questioned, that's a better starting point.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'd also suggest that there's a difference between him being hated hereabouts, and him being accused of cowardice.

Either way though, good on him actually putting himself in the way of a smaller player.
I for one, will need to see more of that, against bigger opponents than Woodburn to say that he's discover his cojones; then once we've got him tackling, we can work on his technique. Then and o ly then, we can start considering him for England

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

He will always have an annoying face though

 

[BPM]

He will always have an annoying face though

This is very true

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

The longer EJ continues with this ridiculous Hartley situation the more ludicrous it will become.
Two years out from the world cup and LCD needs picking now, not 6 months before the WC.
It will only harm Englands chances continuing to pick Hartley. All this mumbo jumbo about his captaincy for England seems to disappear quick-smartish when it comes to Northampton.
He should be at least 4th in line at the moment behind LCD George and Dunn so god knows where he should be in 2 years time.

Agree that Hartley is only in situ because of his perceived leadership qualities. But that there are very few obvious candidates to take over from him as skipper is quite a damining indictment and clearly something that's causing concern in the RFU.

Very interesting article in today's Times about a number of (anonymous) young Eng players being put through leadership training in an RFU initiative being led by Dean Ryan. Basic thrust was that while the academies have been largely very successful in churning out fit, skilful players, an unintended consequence is that the products are mollycoddled, lacking the real world mental hardness and gravitas needed for leadership.

Ryan himself may have been a limited player, but he was an uncompromising tough nut, likewise his fellow army officers Rodber and Lewsey and any number of coppers. Times have changed, but the need for an outstanding captain surrounded by several strong lieutenants hasn't.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England training squad for Brighton camp:

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins), Nathan Earle (Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Marcus Smith (Harlequins) *, Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Forwards

Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Gary Graham (Newcastle Falcons), James Haskell (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby) *, Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Beno Obano (Bath Rugby), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs).

*Apprentice players




.....hmmm

 

[ratsapprentice]

Happy to see Earle and Obano.

 

[Which Tyler]

England training squad for Brighton camp:
.....hmmm

LHP: Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
HK: Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)
THP: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
LK: Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
FL: Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Gary Graham (Newcastle Falcons)
N8: Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)*

SH: Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Danny Care (Harlequins)
FH: George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Marcus Smith (Harlequins)*
CE: Owen Farrell (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints)
WG: Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Nathan Earle (Saracens), Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks)
FB: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)



Obano not ready yet, but it's his first experience, I guess for Eddie to run his eye over him, to train, and to be inspired.
I'd have thought LCD had done enough since his return to make this squad; but then Dunn deserves to keep his spot, and is possibly more to Eddie's taste (workrate), and he's only gone for 3 in each slot.
Now then; what's he playing at with the flankers? Graham is the wrong Falcon's flanker, and Haskell doesn't deserve his recall IMO - Curry and Wilson can be rightly pissed off, and now need to go and prove that they deserve those places.

At some stage, Eddie's going to have to decide on a third choice SH, I really hope that stage isn't whilst out in Japan. Of course, Exeter could help here by playing one of their kids once in a while.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, Haskell's recall I just don't understand at all.
If you want experience you've already got Robshaw and Binny (He's still young but he's been around forever)
If Haskell's playing 7 then curry and kvesic are way better
If you want versatility from the bench then Wilson is way better

All Haskell brings is idiocy at the breakdown and we've already got Cole there for that


Edit: Don Armand > Haskell as well.
There's a pretty long list of players who should be there over him tbf

 

[Which Tyler]

Quite honestly, I think I'd look at that lot and pick Robshaw, Simmonds and Vunipola to start, and put Mercer on the bench ahead of Graham or Haskell

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I just looked up Graham because, tbh, I've never heard of him.
He's Scottish! Born in Stirling and played for their u20s.
Talk about turning the tables.