[England] Post-6N/Pre-RWC Player Watch

[Wendigo7]

Right, I've been viewing the thread all day.

GN10 you can't say Farrell is absolutely nailed on for the 10 spot. Ford is the incumbent and was outstanding for england in the 6N and in the league bar the final. I think Ford was tired the last few games and his kicking from hand was very poor. Sarries only exposed that more so the break will do him good.

Farrell has been excellent since he's comeback and I have no issues with him at 10 either or 12.

Elsewhere I thought LCD, Taylor, Burgess, George, Billy Vunipola, Itoje, Slade, Wade, Yarde, Clifford and especially Brookes put themselves forward for England contention.

I can see right now the following squad being picked:

Props: Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Kieran Brookes, Alex Corbisiero

Hookers: Tom Youngs, Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie

Locks: Joe Launchbury, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, David Attwood/Geoff Parling (Another tough call)

Backrow: Ben Morgan, Billy Vunipola, Sam Burgess, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw

Scrum Half: Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth

Fly Half: George Ford, Owen Farrell

Centres: Brad Barritt, Henry Slade, Jonathan Joseph, Luther Burrell

Wings: Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell, Jonny May/Marland Yarde (still not sure on this one)

Fullbacks: Mike Brown, Danny Cipriani

 

[Maverick1987]

I'm going to be extremely peed off if Itoje gets cut from the squad . He's just got more star quality than anyone else we have at 6

 

[Patchey]

Wendingo has nailed it. That squad just feels right for the current set up.

 

[Peat]

Well maybe he is seeing it as
10-Cips/Ford
12-Farrell/Slade
13-Barritt/Joseph
Ford-Farrell-Barritt beat Australia didn't it ? Or am I mistaken ? With Farrell looking a lot fitter and playing with Joseph outside we can still make an interesting attacking plan from them.

Ford-Twelvetrees-Barritt.

 

[goodNumber10]

Well maybe he is seeing it as
10-Cips/Ford
12-Farrell/Slade
13-Barritt/Joseph
Ford-Farrell-Barritt beat Australia didn't it ? Or am I mistaken ? With Farrell looking a lot fitter and playing with Joseph outside we can still make an interesting attacking plan from them.

Farrell was dropped for Australia. It was ford, 36, barritt.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I think it will be
Props - Mako, Marler, Wilson, Cole , Brookes. I think he will drop corbs but then Wilson wasn't great in the final so it's hard to say.
Hooker- Youngs/Webber/ no idea. We have to see George in an England shirt, LCD was great but the lineout was dreadful.
Locks-Launchbury/Lawes/Parling/Slater think Attwoods 6 nations didn't help him and Slater brings the physical lock with a genuine 6 option.
Backrow-Robshaw Is nailed on at 7 can cover 6. Woods gives the same cover and lineout option if on form than he will be starting. Kvesic can cover 7 and possibly 6 but his jackal ability isn't wanted. Itoje is a great lineout option but is he too young not in my opinion. Burgess isn't ready personally but I think he will be played. Morgan and Vunipola nailed on.
Robshaw/Wood/Burgess/Kvesic/Morgan/Vunipola -Itoje will be next in line if anyone drops out.
Scrum half -Wigglesworth/Care/Youngs
Fly Half -Farrell/Ford / Cipriani
Centre-Slade/Joseph/Barritt/Daly
Wingers-Nowell/Yarde/May
Fullback-Brown/Goode/Watson

 

[goodNumber10]

Meh getting caught speeding is hardly being an idiot unless it was very excessive . It could mean he was doing 35 in a 30 which I'm sure a large amount of people have done at some point . If he was doing 80 in a 30 then I have no sympathy

81 on the A1 in a average speed area.

 

[Maverick1987]

81 on the A1 in a average speed area.

Is that dual carriageway ? Either way it's 60 or 70 not 80 . You would think he would be more careful with already having 9 points and having had a bit of aggro for Lancaster

 

[Peat]

LCD was great but the lineout was dreadful.

Very far from his fault alone, I'd have to watch again to be sure but I think his pods were mistiming things.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, that's a 34 man squad!

 

[TheSaffycen]

Very far from his fault alone, I'd have to watch again to be sure but I think his pods were mistiming things.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, that's a 34 man squad!

That's how we win it just have 100 man squads and play with 26 man squads

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Very far from his fault alone, I'd have to watch again to be sure but I think his pods were mistiming things.

That's the impression I got - a lot of movement then really slow lifting. Was the exact same when Taylor came on which suggests issues with the whole unit rather than the hooker throwing incorrectly.

 

[McTallshort]

Right, I've been viewing the thread all day.

GN10 you can't say Farrell is absolutely nailed on for the 10 spot. Ford is the incumbent and was outstanding for england in the 6N and in the league bar the final. I think Ford was tired the last few games and his kicking from hand was very poor. Sarries only exposed that more so the break will do him good.

Farrell has been excellent since he's comeback and I have no issues with him at 10 either or 12.

Elsewhere I thought LCD, Taylor, Burgess, George, Billy Vunipola, Itoje, Slade, Wade, Yarde, Clifford and especially Brookes put themselves forward for England contention.

I can see right now the following squad being picked:

Props: Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Kieran Brookes, Alex Corbisiero

Hookers: Tom Youngs, Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie

Locks: Joe Launchbury, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, David Attwood/Geoff Parling (Another tough call)

Backrow: Ben Morgan, Billy Vunipola, Sam Burgess, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw

Scrum Half: Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth

Fly Half: George Ford, Owen Farrell

Centres: Brad Barritt, Henry Slade, Jonathan Joseph, Luther Burrell

Wings: Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell, Jonny May/Marland Yarde (still not sure on this one)

Fullbacks: Mike Brown, Danny Cipriani

Are you serious about that backrow? Only 5 and one of those hasn't been playing at 6 more than a few months. You would select Burgess over Wood or Kvesic or even Clarke or Clifford? Not saying he isn't playing ok for someone new to the game but are we saying he's one of the best blind side flankers in the country? Sorry he isn't.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Very far from his fault alone, I'd have to watch again to be sure but I think his pods were mistiming things.

Definitely - all the throws were dead straight and had good height, the misses/steals were mistimed or thrown too sympathetically which allowed them to be intercepted.

 

[Guardo Bosque]

Rightly or wrongly, I think Burgess is a certainty for the final selection. His fast tracking through the international set-up makes me believe that he was given assurances as part of his code switch. He's far from the finished article, but his potential far exceeds Wood and Haskell's current ability.

 

[goodNumber10]

GN10 you can't say Farrell is absolutely nailed on for the 10 spot.

but i just did

Ford is the incumbent and was outstanding for england in the 6N and in the league bar the final. I think Ford was tired the last few games and his kicking from hand was very poor. Sarries only exposed that more so the break will do him good.

Maybe so, but Lancaster has shown an unwavering belief in Farrell, and defence is clearly a priority, so i think the first sign of form he'll look to have him back in.

Farrell has been excellent since he's comeback and I have no issues with him at 10 either or 12.

Elsewhere I thought LCD, Taylor, Burgess, George, Billy Vunipola, Itoje, Slade, Wade, Yarde, Clifford and especially Brookes put themselves forward for England contention.

I can see right now the following squad being picked:

Props: Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Kieran Brookes, Alex Corbisiero

Hookers: Tom Youngs, Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie

Locks: Joe Launchbury, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, David Attwood/Geoff Parling (Another tough call)

Backrow: Ben Morgan, Billy Vunipola, Sam Burgess, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw

Scrum Half: Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth

Fly Half: George Ford, Owen Farrell

Centres: Brad Barritt, Henry Slade, Jonathan Joseph, Luther Burrell

Wings: Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell, Jonny May/Marland Yarde (still not sure on this one)

Fullbacks: Mike Brown, Danny Cipriani[/QUOTE]

looks pretty spot on to me.

 

[Peat]

Rightly or wrongly, I think Burgess is a certainty for the final selection. His fast tracking through the international set-up makes me believe that he was given assurances as part of his code switch. He's far from the finished article, but his potential far exceeds Wood and Haskell's current ability.

That's true of at least a good half-dozen players tbh!

Still, I think you might be right, but I think it would be wrong, unless everything suddenly clicks for him in the warm-ups.

 

[91jmay]

I don't think Burgess is behind Haskell as a player at the moment to be honest if his performances at 6 are his baseline. His carrying is much better and he does a lot of good defensive work and Haskell is a bit brainless so not like his lack of Union experience is a big deficit. Wood though still got to much nous.

 

[Guardo Bosque]

That's true of at least a good half-dozen players tbh!

Still, I think you might be right, but I think it would be wrong, unless everything suddenly clicks for him in the warm-ups.

In contrast to previous tournaments, we're going into this WC with a paucity of leaders and experience. I think Burgess' inclusion is as much to do with his off-field influence as it is to do with his on-field performances.

 

[ZeroTwo]

In contrast to previous tournaments, we're going into this WC with a paucity of leaders and experience. I think Burgess' inclusion is as much to do with his off-field influence as it is to do with his on-field performances.

His off-field influence won't be that of someone who has 2 world cups behind him (Easter) or has been known to raise moral (Haskell). He is a league convert who still struggles with a lot of game reading in Union still. I get where you're coming from, but if you are picking on that basis then he wouldn't necessarily make it.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

We had a look at 5 things England learned from the BaaBaas game here: http://fourballsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/5-things-england-learned-from.html

It essentially boils down to this:

1) Lee Dickson should never play for England again
2) Marland Yarde is deservedly in the squad ahead of Christian Wade, but the Wasps winger should feature as well
3) Luke Cowan-Dickie is in the fight for the hooker's jersey in Hartley's absence
4) Do not forget about Danny Cipriani
5) Henry Slade and Elliot Daly are what Lancaster is looking for... but 2015 might be too soon

We were going to include something about Brookes, he was impressive yet, Yarde was one of the guys that really shone, suprisingly so for me considering this season hasn't been his best.