Is there a definite source for this or is it just speculation? If he's had to slim down, all of a sudden I am a lot less confident about him being the best of our looseheads.
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[England] Post-6N/Pre-RWC Player Watch
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Is there a definite source for this or is it just speculation? If he's had to slim down, all of a sudden I am a lot less confident about him being the best of our looseheads.
No, but I'd like to think that playing well for your club is fairly high up the list
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He certainly look to be carrying less bulk than he used to- likely been asked to slim down and take some weight off his knee... can't provide empirical evidence though
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Lots of players play well for their clubs without showing any signs of being in the reckoning for international call ups in the near future or ever.
Those are not the players who are in the running to play for the Saxons.
Why, if it would lead to someone like George ahead of LCD, to use one hypothetical?
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Would agree he looks skinnier and the reasoning makes sense - would love to hear a definite though.
Yes OK, but I was originally quoted as saying Burgess shouldn't play v's Baabaa's because of Ewers and Itoje, who are both playing better for club and are better prospects
yeah, would make him more nippy about the pitch- but overall I don't think it would improve him as a prop.
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Ewers is far more effective as a second carrier at 6 than being the primary metre eater, IMO.
I think nowadays it's Ewers at 6 or nothing- Beaumont may get a look in at 8 though, which means you can play Ewers/Kvesic without the lineout going to pot (maybe Itoje at lock and Burgess on bench)
edit: ^ as above
Well no, quite the opposite. What I liked about was he looked markedly more powerful than most players he met - that was his strength (along with work rate and athleticism as good as most international looseheads) - and if that's no longer the case...
... then I hope Vunipola gets real good at scrummaging soon.
edit: As for Burgess playing 6 vs Baabaas as opposed to Ewers/Itoje, I suggest we burn that bridge when we come to it.
I'm actually very comfortable with Vunipolas scrummaging now, almost always achieves parity (put the Clermont pack under pressure for a while and I think he handled a v good Leic front row OK too), if he weren't such a good impact player- he would be pushing Marler for the starting shirt (offers so much around the field). Actually, I think the Vunipola brothers have both come on a long way this year
Mako's scrummaging improved markedly after his injury break (he said he'd been working on his technique), he's not yet dominating anyone, but he rarely get's turned inside out these days.
Wood managed to do a number on Francis, and he's a wily old prop, I think a very good test will be Wasps. Mullan isn't the strongest, but he's technically good. If Francis doesn't get the upper hand there, I'd say Corbs must have dropped down the rankings a bit, I just hope management see it.
Wood managed to do a number on Francis, and he's a wily old prop, I think a very good test will be Wasps. Mullan isn't the strongest, but he's technically good. If Francis doesn't get the upper hand there, I'd say Corbs must have dropped down the rankings a bit, I just hope management see it.
I'd like to see itoje get a full game at lock then ewers and burgess share a half each.
I think burgess is a great prospect at 6, he played well there in his first premiership game against Newcastle and he'll learn alot more about that position with time.
I know it's early but I think within a year he'll be challenging for the England 6 jersey. So yeah I think he's a massive prospect for that position.
But do England see him as a 6 or still a 12?
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England probably want him at 12, but he looks natural at 6.
On Itoje he should be a 6, he looks good when he gets to roam and hit more rucks. Of course he could still do well at lock it's just he isn't tall enough and he looks great against Clermont at blindside.
On Itoje he should be a 6, he looks good when he gets to roam and hit more rucks. Of course he could still do well at lock it's just he isn't tall enough and he looks great against Clermont at blindside.
Yeah I agree he should be a 6 it's his better position but for the barbarians game I'd like to see him and burgess on the pitch together.
I hope England now agree with Mike ford and are working with burgess as a 6
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Charlie Morgan's analysis of Itoje is great, he looked amazing as 6 on Saturday.
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I'm sure they will. People seem to forget that his signing was all Bath's doing and nothing to do with the RFU. Piper and tune comes to mind!
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They got him playing for the Saxons within a few months of him arriving, and had him training with the EPS too.
They've been as involved as they possibly could be, so far.
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If the RFU could sign central contracts, Burgess would have been signed on one.
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