England Rugby 2018/19 Thread

[Scotty]

Marler's retired, we move on. Hepburn's good, but I'd like to see VRR given a shot - 125 kg prop of Georgian origins, what's not to like?

If Binny's out, Morgan would be a great shout but I'd love to see Mercer given his head. Brings something a bit different.

How about this for an athletic, skilful back row and a big powerful front 5 for them to play off?

VRR, Hartley, Williams, Kruis, Attwood, Underhill, Curry, Mercer.

With no billy hughes simmonds then i agree with people who say morgan. Rate mercers highly but give him the 20 shirt before he starts.

If itoje/lawes/launchbury out. Id have iseikwe and kruis. If attwood is in id drop kruis, i like him but id ratjer see iseikwe, EJ will prob use shields there though.

Front row, agree with you its a strong front row.

VRR Hartley Williams
Kruise iseikwe
Underhill Curry Morgan

Shields 19
Mercer 20

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Isiekwe limped off injured after 20, as well

 

[Scotty]

So not only are we not sure on our first 15 when all players are fit, we also potentially have loads of injuries so cant even try to settle on a team now.

So injuries and potential injuries
Ieikwe
Itoje
George
Mako
Billy
Robson
Cockanasiga
Hughes(ban)
Launchbury

Anyothers? Most of them are potential, not confirmed from the weekend. Prob being a tad dramatic but its possible

 

[MarkyH]

Itoje and George are just battered noses so they will be around I hope for the AIs. Not sure how long a broken nose keeps you out for? They both played on with them.

Cokanasiga I'm sure was just head injury precaution, cleared HIA during but showed delayed concussion after Exeter game. Fingers crossed he should be available for Bath next weekend anyway.

Hopefully Billy's isn't to bad.

 

[NickBD]

So Billy is out for 12 weeks broken arm. Mako with a calf strains with Isiekwe with ankle strain. Other injured Saracens not mentioned so assume they're ok.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

For God's sake Binny, can't you be fit for one international period?!

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Baby chisholm would be great... Just sayin

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Conclusion: England can't base their entire game plan around Binny being fit. Need a plan B.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

For God's sake Binny, can't you be fit for one international period?!

Dear Olyy,

I'm a bit cheesed off too.

Yours

Binny.

Conclusion: England can't base their entire game plan around Binny being fit. Need a plan B.

A was Manu and Binny. B was Manu. C was Binny. We're now scratching around on D.

 

[BPM]

I genuinely can't believe our gameplan is still built around a player who plays so infrequently for England. At this stage, Billy should be treated as a luxury for the few occasions he is available and no more than that.

I'd definitely advocate a return for Morgan but I'd also have Mercer as an option off the bench.

Even though Morgan is a big guy who is hard to bring down, his best asset as a carrier is decent feet that allow him to ride challenges or find weaker shoulders. Mercer is similar in that respect, albeit with less bulk.

 

[Reiser99]

Our game plan isn't based around Billy, but it is based around big hitters punching holes. That was the idea I thought. Big forwards making holes that the backs can run through. Problem is that it's been showed up. Biggest issue in English rugby for me is that teams are so one dimensional. While watching the premiership, for me most tries seem to come from missed tackles rather than well worked attacks. Sarries can and have shown they can mix it up. Exeter rely on their forwards, but are so accurate that it works. Gloucester have shown sparks at time, especially with Cipriani. However the rest of the league it seems about who can score the most tries against poor defences. Wasps especially got shown up by a complete team in Leinster. Honestly I wonder if we are training players with the right skills, such as how to compete at the breakdown or handling skills to open up defences.

I know I've been quite negative recently, but after the 6N's and the summer tour it feels like English rugby is adapting slower to changes in rugby than other countries. When you look at the likes of Cole or Farrell complaining about the refs interpretation at the breakdown or scrum instead of changing how they play. This is compounded by the fact that it seems our refs interpret areas of the game very differently to other countries, especially the breakdown. If we don't start changing how we play soon it feels like we are just going to limp to another bad world cup, because any talent or good aspects will be undone by a few key areas.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Billy is England's main world class ball carrier in the pack. Take him away and who have you making the real hard yards? Jones seems to not rate Morgan. I haven't seen much of him since he last played for England.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Our game plan isn't based around Billy, but it is based around big hitters punching holes. That was the idea I thought. Big forwards making holes that the backs can run through. Problem is that it's been showed up. Biggest issue in English rugby for me is that teams are so one dimensional. While watching the premiership, for me most tries seem to come from missed tackles rather than well worked attacks. Sarries can and have shown they can mix it up. Exeter rely on their forwards, but are so accurate that it works. Gloucester have shown sparks at time, especially with Cipriani. However the rest of the league it seems about who can score the most tries against poor defences. Wasps especially got shown up by a complete team in Leinster. Honestly I wonder if we are training players with the right skills, such as how to compete at the breakdown or handling skills to open up defences.

I know I've been quite negative recently, but after the 6N's and the summer tour it feels like English rugby is adapting slower to changes in rugby than other countries. When you look at the likes of Cole or Farrell complaining about the refs interpretation at the breakdown or scrum instead of changing how they play. This is compounded by the fact that it seems our refs interpret areas of the game very differently to other countries, especially the breakdown. If we don't start changing how we play soon it feels like we are just going to limp to another bad world cup, because any talent or good aspects will be undone by a few key areas.

Couple of things.

Only Binny had been making those holes. Our other forwards just aren't big carriers. Even Mako's more about his hands than making ground with 3 defenders hanging off him. As someone said earlier we now have to treat Binny as a bonus and not plan around him. His absence changes both game plan and selection.

You can't read anything into Leinster v Wasps. Fantastic though they are, Leinster aren't far off the 2nd best national team in the world in disguise and well rested at that. The shock would have been if Pests had got anywhere near them. It's not a level playing field.

 

[BPM]

Our game plan isn't based around Billy, but it is based around big hitters punching holes. That was the idea I thought. Big forwards making holes that the backs can run through. Problem is that it's been showed up. Biggest issue in English rugby for me is that teams are so one dimensional. While watching the premiership, for me most tries seem to come from missed tackles rather than well worked attacks. Sarries can and have shown they can mix it up. Exeter rely on their forwards, but are so accurate that it works. Gloucester have shown sparks at time, especially with Cipriani. However the rest of the league it seems about who can score the most tries against poor defences. Wasps especially got shown up by a complete team in Leinster. Honestly I wonder if we are training players with the right skills, such as how to compete at the breakdown or handling skills to open up defences.

I know I've been quite negative recently, but after the 6N's and the summer tour it feels like English rugby is adapting slower to changes in rugby than other countries. When you look at the likes of Cole or Farrell complaining about the refs interpretation at the breakdown or scrum instead of changing how they play. This is compounded by the fact that it seems our refs interpret areas of the game very differently to other countries, especially the breakdown. If we don't start changing how we play soon it feels like we are just going to limp to another bad world cup, because any talent or good aspects will be undone by a few key areas.

I agree with a fair bit of this and the last year has been really tough as an England fan, but I think you're being overly harsh on the Premiership.

Yes, Wasps were humiliated against Leinster (basically the Ireland team), but Bath should have won and Exeter didn't lose. Newcastle pulled off a fantastic result.

I've seen plenty of good attacking rugby and some very strong defensive performances in the Premiership this season. You have to take in to consideration that it's a very competitive league where anyone can win on their day. I'd far rather that than a league full of foregone conclusions.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I've seen......some very strong defensive performances in the Premiership this season.

Sorry BPM, got to quibble on this. 8 teams have leaked more than 25 points per match while 3 out of the other 4 are running over 20. Chiefs lead the way at just under 18.

Stephen Jones....yes I know....wrote a good article at the weekend (yes really) bemoaning the number of tries and the basketball end to end, we'll score more tries than you, nature of the modern game. Superficially sounds like dinosaur stuff, but really wasn't. Well worth a read if you can find it.

 

[Nudger]

So starters SA
Rav Hartley Cole
Maro kruis
Robshaw curry Morgan
Care Farrell
Manu slade
May Daley brown

 

[curtbob7]

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I see Jonah Holmes has decided he's Welsh now, he got a secret Granny or something?

 

[curtbob7]

I see Jonah Holmes has decided he's Welsh now, he got a secret Granny or something?

Another absolute p*sstake

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I see Jonah Holmes has decided he's Welsh now, he got a secret Granny or something?

Supposedly yes - grandparents are. http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_...ck-included-wales-autumn-internationals-squad