England Rugby 2018/19 Thread

[NickBD]

Might be too early for this but why not.

Outside of Wilson, Lawes and Youngs who'll be 34/35 rest should all be a round next time.

Biggest challenges for me , find an 8 to back up Billy he's been average this WC and needs to be challenged.

Replace Youngs please.

And a 15 who can defend. Daly ultimately was a failure there.

 

[MarkyH]

8 I think we have Dombrant. Mercer. Simmonds. Kvesic. Earl. All mobile back row players.

I've been a fan, sometimes, of Daly at 15 but today he was a liability. Love him joining the line but it's a balance I'll concede. Watson to FB. Daly 23. Got to find a young 15 to back up. Hodge maybe?

SH. A few young ones seem to be making appearances at Northampton and Bristol. Launder at Cheifs.

Just to add, I'm so happy with how we played this World Cup. I did not expect a final. The players are all immeasurably likeable compared to some predecessors. They've done well, and we should be proud.

EJ has set up an identity that requires tuning, thankfully not a complete refurb like after 2015.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

The thing is for England all our weaker players will be gone next world cup.
Mako (Scrum wise)
Cole
Lawes
wilson
Youngs
The one big loss will be May going.

We have some very good TH's coming up in Painter and Heyes IMO and others like Stuart.
Obano will have 4 years to develop with Genge.
9's is a slight worry we have Randall who could go either way at test level.
15's also is banking on some unproven talent ATM.

Wing's should be easy enough to fix.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

The thing is for England all our weaker players will be gone next world cup.
Mako (Scrum wise)
Cole
Lawes
wilson
Youngs
The one big loss will be May going.

We have some very good TH's coming up in Painter and Heyes IMO and others like Stuart.
Obano will have 4 years to develop with Genge.
9's is a slight worry we have Randall who could go either way at test level.
15's also is banking on some unproven talent ATM.

Wing's should be easy enough to fix.

15 is any easy enough fix. Just play Watson there. With his injury we were always in a race to either get Watson regular game time there at international level or develop Daly into a FB and we lost that race.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, we've got players to go to 15 in that 31, let alone in England in general. Plenty of young talent coming through as well.
Plenty of scrumhalves knocking about.

Who have we got for tighthead? There's Williams who, fair play, has done well when given a shot in an England shirt - but is he really someone to go out and monster a scrum at international level?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Aye, we've got players to go to 15 in that 31, let alone in England in general. Plenty of young talent coming through as well.
Plenty of scrumhalves knocking about.

Who have we got for tighthead? There's Williams who, fair play, has done well when given a shot in an England shirt - but is he really someone to go out and monster a scrum at international level?

Williams is 28. He's still got time but it's not like he's got barrels of potential left in him. Heyes is my front runner. Personally don't rate Painter at all.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Aye, we've got players to go to 15 in that 31, let alone in England in general. Plenty of young talent coming through as well.
Plenty of scrumhalves knocking about.

Who have we got for tighthead? There's Williams who, fair play, has done well when given a shot in an England shirt - but is he really someone to go out and monster a scrum at international level?

Painter and heyes will both be 24 and most likely a lot of club games under their belts.
Both players IMO are already performing at a really good level despite being 19/20.
Both can scrum but also pretty solid all round.

Also think Stuart could do well if he plays.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

12 is still a worry really.

Putting out eggs in some young players I think like Butler, Dingwall, Laurance, Redpath, etc etc.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

12 is still a worry really.

Putting out eggs in some young players I think like Butler, Dingwall, Laurance, Redpath, etc etc.

Unfortunately all of those apart from Butler seem to prefer 13. I really want Lawrence to be developed into a 12. He's got a very high ceiling.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Coaching wise I would like to roughly see the same setup.

But Borthwick is meant to be off to Leicester Tigers by all accounts, and Wisemantel has been linked with a move home.
If Wisemantel was to go I would like to see England sign Vesty.
With Borthwick not sure, maybe try Alex Sanderson?

Unfortunately all of those apart from Butler seem to prefer 13. I really want Lawrence to be developed into a 12. He's got a very high ceiling.

Yeh I would like to see Lawrance and Marchant 12/13 in a 6N's game at least once.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Who's the best scrummager of the lot?
That's what I care about first and foremost - playing like a 3rd flanker comes distant second on my list of priorities.


Dingwall looks a great player whenever I've seen him.
Redpath is a 12, but he shouldn't be in the conversation - he's only hyped so much because of his surname.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Who's the best scrummager of the lot?
That's what I care about first and foremost - playing like a 3rd flanker comes distant second on my list of priorities.


Dingwall looks a great player whenever I've seen him.
Redpath is a 12, but he shouldn't be in the conversation - he's only hyped so much because of his surname.

Heyes is the best scrummager of the lot imo (Granted I might be biased) he's also the youngest.
Heyes also IMO is very good at defensive maul stuff.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Heyes is the best scrummager of the lot imo (Granted I might be biased) he's also the youngest.
Heyes also IMO is very good at defensive maul stuff.

Also a much better ball carrier than Painter.

Both will have very good teachers in Owen Franks and Dan Cole. Say what you will about Cole's current form but he's had an incredible career and will have forgotten more about scrummaging than most international tightheads know.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Coaching wise I would like to roughly see the same setup.

But Borthwick is meant to be off to Leicester Tigers by all accounts, and Wisemantel has been linked with a move home.
If Wisemantel was to go I would like to see England sign Vesty.
With Borthwick not sure, maybe try Alex Sanderson?



Yeh I would like to see Lawrance and Marchant 12/13 in a 6N's game at least once.

I can see Eddie triggering his break clause, I doubt he wants to stick around for 2023 and he's only ever seemed to want a WC win to retire on. For the record, I don't want him to go

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I can see Eddie triggering his break clause, I doubt he wants to stick around for 2023 and he's only ever seemed to want a WC win to retire on. For the record, I don't want him to go

I really hope that he sticks around. He showed with the performance against the All Blacks that he is a top tier coach. I just don't think the players had it left in them today. He's laid some great foundations for 2023; I hope he continues to build on them.

 

[NickBD]

I really hope that he sticks around. He showed with the performance against the All Blacks that he is a top tier coach. I just don't think the players had it left in them today. He's laid some great foundations for 2023; I hope he continues to build on them.

Me too you'd think he will that squad will hit its peak in 4 years and he won't want to miss out on that. Unless reports and rumours say otherwise.

I hate to say this but I hope Youngs does come out and retire. Because if he doesn't we'll have another Brown situation. One of EJ mistakes was playing Brown for 3 years and replacing him with a year to go when in 2015 he knew Brown would be 34 at this WC and I can see him doing that with Youngs. Youngs has had a great career but I think he needs to be replaced.

In 6N I don't think much will change, Williams will replace Cole, Isiekwe for Lawes. If Youngs doesn't go I can see EJ sticking with him at 9 and Daly at 15 too EJ is a world class coach but he can be stubborn. Think we'll see the same midfield Ford - Farrell - Manu/JJ/Slade. I think you see Merchant and Dombrant in squad but won't be starting till 2021.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Give me a team of
1. Genge
2. Singleton
3. Sinckler
4. Itoje
5. Isiekwe
6. Willis
7. Underhill
8. Dombrandt
9. Mitchell
10. Ford
11. Cokanasiga
12. Lawrance
13. Tuilagi
14. Thorely
15. Watson

16. George
17. Obano
18. Heyes
19. Kpoku
20. Curry
21. Randall
22. Farrell
23. Daly

Just once against Japan in the summer or something.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Me too you'd think he will that squad will hit its peak in 4 years and he won't want to miss out on that. Unless reports and rumours say otherwise.

I hate to say this but I hope Youngs does come out and retire. Because if he doesn't we'll have another Brown situation. One of EJ mistakes was playing Brown for 3 years and replacing him with a year to go when in 2015 he knew Brown would be 34 at this WC and I can see him doing that with Youngs. Youngs has had a great career but I think he needs to be replaced.

In 6N I don't think much will change, Williams will replace Cole, Isiekwe for Lawes. If Youngs doesn't go I can see EJ sticking with him at 9 and Daly at 15 too EJ is a world class coach but he can be stubborn. Think we'll see the same midfield Ford - Farrell - Manu/JJ/Slade. I think you see Merchant and Dombrant in squad but won't be starting till 2021.

Youngs won't retire IMO
He will try to get another Lions tour in.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Who's the best scrummager of the lot?
That's what I care about first and foremost - playing like a 3rd flanker comes distant second on my list of priorities.

And mine.

Paul Hill's still only 24. Could he come good?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

And mine.

Paul Hill's still only 24. Could he come good?

He'll likely be behind both Franks and Painter at Saints. He could really do with moving elsewhere.