England Rugby 2018/19 Thread

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I'd like to see

Moon Hartley Williams
Itoje Kruis
Willson Curry (Underhill if Curry is injured)
Mercer
Young's Farrell
Loz and Daly
May Nowell
Ashton

Don't bring Brown back please. Shields looked rubbish. I think it's harsh dropping Slade because I think T'eo being terrible made him look worse. No Manu for me, just forget about him as he's not a rugby player, he's always injured he might as well be a full time physio.

I'm not sure who to play at FB but please not Brown.

I'm sure Jones will drop all the good players and continue with his odd selections.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

If SBW is likely to play then Te'o gets picked.

Before McCaw retired Cane had more than 30 caps. He's now injured and will probably be replaced by Savea who has 32 caps, mostly off the bench (since Jun 16!). This is planning, not chance. Contrast with the way we scramble around.

 

[Mumbles119]

I'd like to see

Moon Hartley Williams
Itoje Kruis
Willson Curry (Underhill if Curry is injured)
Mercer
Young's Farrell
Loz and Daly
May Nowell
Ashton

Don't bring Brown back please. Shields looked rubbish. I think it's harsh dropping Slade because I think T'eo being terrible made him look worse. No Manu for me, just forget about him as he's not a rugby player, he's always injured he might as well be a full time physio.

I'm not sure who to play at FB but please not Brown.

I'm sure Jones will drop all the good players and continue with his odd selections.

Agree with pack selection you have there, and really liked what Mercer contributed when he was on.

But your back line has some issues. Loz has had his ban extended and is not available.
So with players available I would expect Eddie to keep the back line as the same and return Manu to the bench assuming his groin strain is ok.

But also this is Eddie, so I would not be surprised if Ashton was put in for Nowell.
Personally, using who is available, I would start with a bit of continuity from this week, but drop Slade for Daly at 13 and bring Brown back. Ashton at 15 was not the best for Toulon and we need a 15 that does key fullback duties well first and foremost. Daly should have a higher ceiling at 15 than Brown, but Daly is not there yet. So I don't see any reason to deliberately hamstring the team, unless Eddie is using the AI games as developmental experience for Daly. But that should happen at his club, not at test matches.

Would also love to see a scrum half that was faster and more accurate with a pass, but that's obviously just a pipe dream.

 

[stus768]

If SBW is likely to play then Te'o gets picked.

Before McCaw retired Cane had more than 30 caps. He's now injured and will probably be replaced by Savea who has 32 caps, mostly off the bench (since Jun 16!). This is planning, not chance. Contrast with the way we scramble around.

Agreed. Feels like we've struggled with identifying the next cab off the rank since 2003. England coaches have been consistently scared of losing so refuse/feel unable to pick players for the sake of development. Easier for nz to do this as they are a dominant team though.

 

[Which Tyler]

I gotta say, for me, the most important change that simply has to be made is for Stuart Barnes to retire.
Otherwise, both Slade and Te'o were poor, although it was also Slade's best game for England.

Elsewhere, Shields should be a bench option only for now, Wilson at 6, Mercer at 8 (surprised how well he stood up on debut), with either Curry or Underhill at 7 (assuming Morgan's mistake was something that can't be corrected in 1 week).
Tight 5 is what it is with the absentees we have there.
We really, REALLY need a genuine option at 9; preferably 2-3 of them, neither Young's nor Care are up to it at this level as anything other than a one-off performance.

Quite honestly though, that was South Africa's match, it was only really their mistakes that kept us in it at all for the first 50 minutes or so.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

One of my pet hates in rugby is where there is a ruck, the ball has been presented and is readily available and the 9 just fucks around at the back and then the opposition drive over and get a turnover. Just get the damn thing out! I'm amazed after all these years Youngs still hasn't grasped one of the most basic aspects of 9 play (along with his box kicking which has been shocking for years). If the forwards aren't good enough to properly protect the ball we need a 9 who will get it out quickly enough.

 

[Aristodemus]

Brown might not light up every game with pace and footwork but his defence is solid, he is decent under the high ball and nobody can ever doubt his commitment to the cause. If it is Brown or Daly then I pick Brown every day of the week. I'm not convinced that Watson is the answer either, it's a shame Nowell wasn't/hasn't been playing FB for Exeter these last few years because he has the attributes of a quality FB.
I guess this view is how I see the position, for example I would rather have a Lewsey at FB and a Robinson on the wing than the other way around. A FB who is weak in defence costs points and presents an exploitable target.

 

[Reiser99]

One of my pet hates in rugby is where there is a ruck, the ball has been presented and is readily available and the 9 just fucks around at the back and then the opposition drive over and get a turnover. Just get the damn thing out! I'm amazed after all these years Youngs still hasn't grasped one of the most basic aspects of 9 play (along with his box kicking which has been shocking for years). If the forwards aren't good enough to properly protect the ball we need a 9 who will get it out quickly enough.

It's worse than that. If the opposition counter ruck well or the forwards haven't made a solid ruck most 9's will also jump into it to secure the ball. Youngs will happily stand back and raise his arms to the ref whilst his team lose the ball.

 

[ratsapprentice]

He's just as bad in that regard with mauls too - the number of times I've been watching a game and been shouting "get it out!" 2-3 seconds before it inevitably gets sacked or turned over is unreal.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I didn't realise Loz missed two games - I thought the extension meant he missed just the SA game

Guess that all but confirms Teo at 12 again

 

[Aristodemus]

If Manu is fit it leaves the Ford Farrell Tuilagi option open

 

[Which Tyler]

If Manu is fit it leaves the Ford Farrell Tuilagi option open

Best bet

 

[BluenoseKelv]

For me the pack is easy to pick

Moon Hartley Williams
Itoje Kruis
Wilson Mercer Curry (if fit)

The backs are a little harder but

Care Farrell
Te'o (we don't have a 12 like him) Daly
May Ashton Nowell

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

If Manu is fit it leaves the Ford Farrell Tuilagi option open

If

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Marchant called up!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Morgan out,

Curry named in squad, so injury must not be too bad - especially with Morgan dropped and no one called up in his place.


Sam Warburton written an article saying 6. Underhill, 7. Curry is the best flank combination England can put out

 

[Bada-Bing!]

And no citing for Farrell.

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/england-new-zealand-eddie-jones-squad-update/

Curry's ankle injury to be assessed in the coming week. Read he was on crutches after the game.

 

[Which Tyler]

Morgan out,

Curry named in squad, so injury must not be too bad - especially with Morgan dropped and no one called up in his place.


Sam Warburton written an article saying 6. Underhill, 7. Curry is the best flank combination England can put out

Warb.s is far from the first to say that, but as ever, I'd prefer positional experiments to happen at club level.
I'm also a big fan of what Wilson brings to the table

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Tbh for next week I hope we see:

1. Moon
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Itoje
5. Kruis
6. Wilson
7. Curry (if fit, if not the Underhill)
8. Mercer
9. Youngs
10. Faz
11. May
12. Tuilagi
13. Daly
14. Nowell
15. Brown


16. George
17. Hepburn
18. Sinks
19. Lawes
20. Shields
21. Care
22. Ford
23, Ashton/Teo

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Pretty much what I'd want to see. In particular I've been impressed by Williams on every appearance he has made. Sinkler just isn't a starter in my opinion. Might turn out Williams isn't either but I think it is likely to work better than way round than the alternative.