England players set to learn fate

[Teh Mite]

England held a final training session on Wednesday evening as coach Martin Johnson determined his 32-man elite squad to be announced on Thursday.
A total of 46 players were used on the recent tour to Australia and New Zealand and some high profile players are expected to be left out.
Ex-captain Steve Borthwick was not part of the tour and uncapped Dave Attwood has been tipped to be one of the locks.
Lee Mears has competition at hooker from George Chuter and Dylan Hartley.
Another British and Irish Lions player, Ugo Monye, is challenged for the two wing places by Matt Banahan and David Strettle, with Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton certain to earn selections.

Mathew Tait lost his place in the Test squad during the tour and Wasps centre Dominic Waldouck will be hoping to replace him.
Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood are the likely fly-halves, while Riki Flutey and Andrew Sheridan are available after injury.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8777828.stm

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I hope Sheridan is named.
I know he's not the best loosehead in England, but he's better than Tim Payne, who only got called up because of Sheridans injury, so it might mean Tim Payne doesn't see game time (though he'll probably still be named ahead of Flatman/Golding )

 

[Daylightfire]

I'm actually Strangely optimistic about the EPS this time around...
Looking for no Borthwick or Bananaman or Ellis,,

 

[Haysie]

Borthwick is gone.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/england-to-drop-borthwick-20100701-zq8z.html

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Seems like hearsay, seeing as the squad hasn't been announced yet, but i very much hope it's true

 

[Haysie]

You're completely right, it does.

But I got it from the same source as the SBW joining Canterbury verdict, so I'm hoping I can make it 2 from 2 early breaks

 

[Teh Mite]

With some luck, there'll be no Varndell, Hape, Borthwick, Payne, Wilkinson, Mears, D. Armitage, Banahan, Strettle or Ellis.

Then we will see JSD, Dowson, S. Armitage, Simpson, Myler, Cato & Goode (who'll be a fullback again by the end of the season).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think Abendanon has a chance of getting a callup, got MOTM a couple of times for saxons from what i remember

 

[Conal]

if borthwicks gone enlands pack seems to be shaping up to be able to match its past glorys

 

[Daylightfire]

Woooo Wooo no Borthwick or Deacon!!! Shame Bananaman made it..

England elite squad - Forwards: David Attwood (Gloucester), George Chuter (LeicesterTigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Hendre Fourie (Leeds Carnegie), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Stade Francais), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Lewis Moody (Bath Rugby), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), Tim Payne (London Wasps), Simon Shaw (London Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Steve Thompson (Leeds Carnegie), David Wilson (Bath), Joe Worsley (London Wasps)>
Backs: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints), Matt Banahan (Bath), Danny Care (Harlequins), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Riki Flutey (London Wasps), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Shontayne Hape (Bath), David Strettle (Saracens), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps), Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Saxons - Forwards: Steffon Armitage (London Irish), Duncan Bell (Bath), Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Jon Golding (Newcastle Falcons), Lee Mears (Bath Rugby), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Tom Rees (London Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Andy Saull (Saracens), Dan Ward-Smith (London Wasps), Rob Webber (London Wasps), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)>
Backs:Nick Abendanon (Bath), Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Shane Geraghty (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens), Dan Hipkiss (Leicester Tigers), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)

 

[Teh Mite]

Delon Armitage, Simon Shaw, Joe Worsley, Tim Payne, Matt Banahan, Shontayne Hape, David Strettle & Jonny Wilkinson.

*sigh*

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Im not a massive fan of Chuter. Been impressed with Webber this season and for me deserved a go infront of him. ***terall has been dropped from the Saxons also, which is a shock, has done really well for Leeds this year.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Hmm, average, i'd say. Glad to see Waldouck kept in the squad, and hopefully Sheridan will be back at 1. instead of Payne.

Steffon Armitage not in, which is ridiculous. Payne in as well, with Golding dropping down, poor choice again. Delon Armitage retained =/ George Chuter over Webber? Wilkinson, Strettle and Banahan all dodgy decisions

Actually, i'd say average verging on poor. The positives are outweighed by the negatives, imo.

 

[Teh Mite]

Come the AIs, I imagine the England 22 will go along the lines of;

1. Sheridan
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Shaw
5. Palmer
6. Croft
7. Moody
8. Easter
9. Youngs
10. Wilkinson (because everyone will yet again forget that he's ****)
11. Ashton (wrong wing)
12. Hape
13. Tindall
14. Cueto
15. Foden

16. Thompson
17. Payne
18. Lawes
19. Worsley
20. Care
21. Flood
22. Armitage

 

[SecondRow04]

I'd have swapped Steffan Armitage for Hendre Fourie, Chris Robshaw for Joe Worsley, Tim Payne for David Flatman or John Golding, Anothony Allen for Shontayne Hape and James Simpson-Daniel for David Strettle... but i cant complain theres no Borthwick at least Johnno has got something right! just a shame about the others!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Agreed, though with Lawes and Shaw the other way round. I think Johnsons (hopefully) realised that Shaw is best used as an impact in the last 20 or so as he can't keep it up for 80minutes.

I'd love to see a Tindall/Waldouck centre partnership at some point


Edit: Completely forgot about Robshaw! I'd have him over Fourie or Worsely for sure. Flatman gets overlooked again in favour of Payne, disgusting. He should feel very hard done by.

 

[Teh Mite]

Ah yeah, but that's the team I expect to see, not the team I'd want to see!!!

We can just hope for the Six Nations that Worsley, Wilkinson, Hape, Payne, Shaw and Easter are all crocked. Replace them with Dowson, Myler, Walduck, Goldings, Attwood and Robshaw.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Good point, Johnson probably only started Lawes so that it'd sting even more when he doesn't get game time ever again =/

 

[SecondRow04]

Lawes better start, or i will find Johnson and have my way with him! I agree with Bullitt in hoping that some of the crap players get injured and get replaced with the better options.

 

[Duckdee]

I think Leicester would prefer to not have Chuter there, as hooker is their weakest position at the minute.