England Six Nations Squad 2012

[Getofmeland]

This is the official England Squad Announcement thread for the Six Nations.

Please keep all topics regarding the announcement in this thread.

This post will be updated once the squad has been announced, with the team list...

EDITED (1pm)

Senior EPS Squad:

FORWARDS (18)

Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers)
Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Matt Stevens (Saracens)
Rob Webber (London Wasps)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)

BACKS (14)
Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
Joe Simpson (London Wasps)
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
David Strettle (Saracens)
Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Also note:
• Captain will not be named until after the first week of training
• England will train at Stuart Lancaster's home club, West Park

 

[Getofmeland]

Saxons Squad:

FORWARDS (18)
David Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Chris Brooker (Harlequins)
Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
Matt Garvey (London Irish)
James Gaskell (Sale Sharks)
Jamie Gibson (London Irish)
Joe Gray (Harlequins)
Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby)
David Paice (London Irish)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
George Robson (Harlequins)
Andrew Saull (Saracens)
Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks)
Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers)
Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)

BACKS (14)
Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
Delon Armitage (London Irish)
Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
Karl Dickson (Harlequins)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
Ryan Lamb (Northampton Saints)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers)
Micky Young (Leicester Tigers)

 

[m0rris]

Four members of the Saxons squad will join the elite squad as temporary injury cover - Bath's Dave Atwood, Saracens full-back Alex Goode, Leicester's Geoff Parling and Gloucester's Henry Trinder, the last three also uncapped.

From the BBC. Not too bad a squad but I'm still suprised that Mears and Deacon made it... more specifically Deacon. Regardless this is an England squad that has cut out most of the rubbish and can probably put in some good performances... I'm looking forward to seeing them play together.

 

[samhall]

happy with both squads. Especially to see the Saxons with players such as Jamie Gibson who is a proper openside. Should be a good open solid side. So happy Banahan isnt included... worst international ever.

 

[B10]

No Seymour in either squad?

 

[Saintjay]

Happy to see the Saints lads doing well and with both squads as a whole.

 

[gingergenius]

Frankly, DISAPPOINTED is the word.

I was taking a massive clearout and some fresh young talent for granted, because you'd have to be a fool not to.

But quite how the clearout hasn't extended to Deacon, who apart from being shite is now old, injured and shite, doesn't make sense. Mears (OK considering hooker problems), Hodgson, Dowson are all too old.

Judging players can in many ways be subjective, so that's enough on individual selections. But I remember moaning a hell of a lot about the RWC squad, simply because it lacked a basic common sense and balance to it, with no out-and-out 12, and just one proper 7 (who isn't the most opensidey of opensides).

Well what do we have here? We have 6 back row forwards, four of whom are blindsides. We have the same 7 who isn't the most opensidey of opensides, and we have just one rookie 8.

We have four players capable of playing inside centre, but just one capable of playing 13. And he'll be injured at least for the Scotland game. And the one player (Armitage) who could have covered at 13 has also been left out.

Common sense. Simple common sense.

 

[Blumbus23]

Decent enough squad. Only have a few problems.

1. Mouriz Botha!!!! WHY?!?! I'd rather have Borthwick!!!! A) He's not english (I know some of the others are not enligsh, but at least they grew up here/ have english families) B) In his one cap he came off the bench and ran round like a headless chicken C) All of Attwood/Parling and Robson are far better than him *Genuinley baffled*

2. Rob Webber ahead of Joe Gray? Admittedlly I've barley seen him this season, but he was a liability against Leicester and probs cost Wasps the LBP :S

3. I don't understand the obsession with having 5 props in a squad :S (Or is there a good reason for it??)

4. Callum Clark, as good a player he is, has been injured for about 2 months and his pre injury form didn't really merit inclusion into the England squad. Also Phil Dowson's a bit old isn't he? (I think there's a bit to much Northampton love )

5. Why's Turner Hall there? Admittedlly I felt his pre injury form merited inclusion but I'm not 100% convinced he's match fit at the moment as he's been pretty anoynamous the last 3 games (I'm not sure he's broken the gainline once)

6. All of Nick Wood, George Robson, Dave Seymour, Joe Gray can all feel very hard done by (so could Attwood and Parling if they hadn't been called up as injury cover). Twelvetrees might even feel unlucky come to think of it.

Besides that I'm actually really happy with the squad (Although Botha's inclusion annoys me alot). Especially seeing as I was following it live on the telegraph, and it said it'd been announced and it had names like Hape and Cueto and i was like :O :O :O :O :'( (but then I realied they'd posted the WC squad by mistake )

But quite how the clearout hasn't extended to Deacon, who apart from being shite is now old, injured and shite, doesn't make sense.

The reason (I think) for Deacon's inclusion is because Lancastar can only make 10 changes to the WC Squad. However replacments for retirements and injuries don't use up these 10 changes. Because of this he's included Deacon in there so he can just bring in one of Attwood/Parling without using up one of the 10 changes (intresting to see who gets the nod once Lawes comes back) and then he'll get rid of Deacon later

My team For Scotland

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins) (Before I get attacked for this, I'm really grumpy that Nick Wood isn't in the squad)
2. Dylan Hartley (Northampton)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester)
4. Geoff Parling (Leicester)
5. Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6. Chris Robshaw (c) (Harlequins)
7. Tom Wood (Northampton)
8. Ben Morgan (Scarlets)

9. Ben Youngs (Leicester)
10. Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
11. Charlie Sharples (Gloucester)
12. Brad Barritt (Saracens)
13. Henry Trinder (Gloucester)
14. Chris Ashton (Northampton)
15. Ben Foden (Norhtampton)

16. Rob Webber (London Wasps) (Unless Joe Gray is called up as cover for Lee Mears)
17. Matt Stevens (Saracens)
18. Dave Attwood (Bath)
19. Tom Croft (Leicester)
20. Lee Dickson (Northampton)
21. Owen Farrell (Saracens)
22. Mike Brown (Harlequins)

 

[m0rris]

I've read this somewhere else, and as a result I am willing to totally eat my words from earlier on, that Deacon is injured for the duration of the Six Nations.... basically Lancaster has bagged himself another change where he shouldn't have had one... good work.

We can all disagree with the squad but it is a fairly good representation of form players who need a chance and there are changes I'd have made but I'm not losing any hair over it as in general it's a fairly solid squad.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Frankly, DISAPPOINTED is the word.

My thoughts exactly.
Had high hopes, but then...yeah.


Also, what's the point in naming long term injured players in either squad? Henry Thomas is out for the rest of the season, yet is in the Saxons.

 

[gingergenius]

The side vs. Scotland that I think Lancaster will pick:

1. Corbisiero
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Botha (Lawes if fit)
5. Palmer
6. Croft
6. Robshaw
6. Dowson
9. Youngs
10. Hodgson
11. Sharples
12. Barritt
13. Farrell
14. Ashton
15. Foden

The numbers may change for Barritt and Farrell but I really can see an all Saracens midfield. Which I think is a shame, because much as Saracens are capable of scoring tries, and more than capable of winning matches, they're not the most exhilarating backline around, even with an exciting back 3.

 

[Saintjay]

The average age of the squad works out to be about 25 years old. It's a tough call you do need some experience in a team.

 

[HowieLO6]

No JSD in either squad? Consider me miffed.

 

[psychic duck]

My thoughts exactly.
Had high hopes, but then...yeah.


Also, what's the point in naming long term injured players in either squad? Henry Thomas is out for the rest of the season, yet is in the Saxons.

I agree, no other nation names injured players they know are going to be replaced

I think without Tuilagi, Lawes and Flood this side will be very vulnerable, lucky they have Scotland and Italy first up

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Can see Scotland going badly - Our scrum will get battered a bit (Corbisiero, Cole and Marler all on poor form in the scrum, Stevens and Wilson a bit better but not amazing)
Breakdown won't go amazingly - if Wood is 7 it'll be better than without, but can see us getting a bit mushed up there
Lineout will hopefully go OK

If we can get the ball to our backs we should do well, but that's a big if.

 

[Jockstap]

Can see Scotland going badly - Our scrum will get battered a bit (Corbisiero, Cole and Marler all on poor form in the scrum, Stevens and Wilson a bit better but not amazing)
Breakdown won't go amazingly - if Wood is 7 it'll be better than without, but can see us getting a bit mushed up there
Lineout will hopefully go OK

If we can get the ball to our backs we should do well, but that's a big if.

Plus as with any new team, they won't be at all used to each other, it'll take time to develop synergy, so I'd expect the team to be very rusty. Luckily for you guys though Scotland should be in the same boat. As will France come to think of it, this could be Ireland or Wales year, we'll be hardly changed at all since the WC.

 

[smb64]

Considering Lancaster could only make 10 changes to the WC squad under the terms and agreements of the EPS, its not a bad squad in my opinion.

My team for Scotland would be -

1 - Marler
2 - Hartley
3 - Cole
4 - Botha
5 - Palmer
6 - Wood
7 - Croft
8 - Morgan
9 - Dickson/Youngs
10 - Hodgson
11 - Sharples
12 - Farrell
13 - Barritt
14 - Ashton
15 - Foden

 

[Peat]

Things I am unhappy about

Mouritz Botha
Rob Webber
Phil Dowson
Calum Clark
Joe Marler
Alex Goode as an injury replacement for Toby Flood
David Strettle
3 12s and 1 13
James Gaskell

No George Lowe
No Miles Benjamin
No Ed Slater
No Rob Miller
No JSD
No Tom Guest
No Dave Seymour
No Nick Wood in the seniors
No Matt Garvey in the seniors
No Kearnan Myall

Not to put too fine a point on it, I am disappointed. Also, there is a whiff of club bias over this selection...

 

[Aedaphon]

Things I am unhappy about

Mouritz Botha
Rob Webber
Phil Dowson
Calum Clark
Joe Marler
Alex Goode as an injury replacement for Toby Flood
David Strettle
3 12s and 1 13
James Gaskell

No George Lowe
No Miles Benjamin
No Ed Slater
No Rob Miller
No JSD
No Tom Guest
No Dave Seymour
No Nick Wood in the seniors
No Matt Garvey in the seniors
No Kearnan Myall

Not to put too fine a point on it, I am disappointed. Also, there is a whiff of club bias over this selection...

There is a restriction on the number of changes that can be made from the RWC. Little bit disappointed about Botha but frankly this is almost completely what we expected and I'm not too unhappy with it.

Would not disagree with the club bias there though

 

[j'nuh]

No Seymour is a massive shock, as well as a worry. I was certain he'd make the first team, but not even a Saxons place. Wood getting injured is a disaster waiting to happen.

To put a positive spin on some of the players not picked for England, I think about 28 or so of the squad are great players, or have potential to be great, and even if they're not in the form now, there aren't many players in that squad you'd put money on not to show in the 2015 six nations. Furthermore, I'd rather have players who I wished would make the England team playing for their clubs over the six nations, than wasting in the reserves. For example, Marler might be in the EPS, but he's probably not going to take much part in the 6Ns, being wasted in the reserves, whereas Wood's getting match experience during this time.