England Six Nations Squad 2012

[TRF_Olyy]

Probably be Alan Tait then.

 

[j'nuh]

Wood getting injured is a disaster waiting to happen.

Sorry guys. <_<

Hopefully we can make do without a 7 for the first two matches, but I really want him starting come Wales. Would be a massive shock if Robshaw didn't captain now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Best backrow for Scotland would be:

6. Robshaw, 7. Clark, 8. Morgan
20. Dowson


But it'll probably be:
6. Croft, 7. Robshaw, 8. Dowson
20. Clark

 

[gingergenius]

Woop de ****ing doo. So of our 6 back rows, our only 'potential' openside is now injured. Robshaw's getting the 7 shirt nailed onto his back day by day, and it's depressing.

 

[Peat]

Calum Clark's probably played more games at 7 than Wood over the course of his career (and if he hasn't, not by much). I still get confused when I try to work out why Mallinder signed a 6 and put him at 7, then signed a 7 and put him at 6...

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I think the saints play the left and right ethos really, or Jim M doesn't really like a traditional open side. I do remember they signed Neil Best ( a 6) and Gray ( a 7). What happened is that they played Neil Best at 7, courtney Laws at 6 (yes a lock0 and then gray never saw many games at all. infact thinking about it i can't remember Jim playing a proper 7 ever!

BUT Calum Clark is a 7, thats what he got picked for england at and i think he could be england starting 7. I know he wheres a 6 on his back for the saints but that doesn't mean anything.

6.Robshaw
7. Clark
8. Morgan or Dowson happy with either and the other on the bench.

The only thing that makes me laugh is the idea of england scoring tries when we are likely to have the sarries backs playing???? I hope Lancaster is a better coach than Farrell...oh wait he is in the coaching team to!

 

[Peat]

I think the saints play the left and right ethos really, or Jim M doesn't really like a traditional open side. I do remember they signed Neil Best ( a 6) and Gray ( a 7). What happened is that they played Neil Best at 7, courtney Laws at 6 (yes a lock0 and then gray never saw many games at all. infact thinking about it i can't remember Jim playing a proper 7 ever!

BUT Calum Clark is a 7, thats what he got picked for england at and i think he could be england starting 7. I know he wheres a 6 on his back for the saints but that doesn't mean anything.

6.Robshaw
7. Clark
8. Morgan or Dowson happy with either and the other on the bench.

The only thing that makes me laugh is the idea of england scoring tries when we are likely to have the sarries backs playing???? I hope Lancaster is a better coach than Farrell...oh wait he is in the coaching team to!

That's how I see Northampton's flankers too, which is why I don't get people saluting Wood as an out and out openside...

As for what I've bolded

:lol:

:mellow:



Lets hope it goes better than on paper...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It must be Owen Farrell who is stopping all the tries for Sarries, because Hodgson knows how to play quick ball and Barritt and Strettle know their way to the tryline...
I hope Dowson isn't used at 8, or if he is it's from the bench - really don't rate him there. Saints look infinitely better with Wilson at 8.
That said, I'd rather him at 8 than at 7...

 

[Peat]

It must be Owen Farrell who is stopping all the tries for Sarries, because Hodgson knows how to play quick ball and Barritt and Strettle know their way to the tryline...
I hope Dowson isn't used at 8, or if he is it's from the bench - really don't rate him there. Saints look infinitely better with Wilson at 8.
That said, I'd rather him at 8 than at 7...

The stats aren't still in date, but I'll quote them again anyway... 17 in 7 with Hodgson, 2 in 5 with Farrell... I need to watch more of Farrell at 13, he's looked like a stop gap there so far, and I can't see any of the skillset needed for 13 there in him, but clearly there's something going alright with him there. I'd still pick Hodgson-Barritt-Trinder... shame Trinder isn't starting atm.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I hope Dowson isn't used at 8, or if he is it's from the bench - really don't rate him there. Saints look infinitely better with Wilson at 8.
That said, I'd rather him at 8 than at 7...

It does make sense in some ways to pick Dowson as from memory he is the only english flanker who has played all 3 backrow positions and offers a lot of experience. I think he will bench a lot and maybe start if we have a few injuries which i think is a good idea really.

As for farrell being the one stopping the tries, well he does kick a lot of ball away. Would a backline of Flood, Barrett and Manu really work?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It wouldn't be the most dynamic midfield in the world, but England scored a few tries with Flood Tindall Tuilagi, and Barritt is a better distributor than Tindall is.

 

[Peat]

It does make sense in some ways to pick Dowson as from memory he is the only english flanker who has played all 3 backrow positions and offers a lot of experience. I think he will bench a lot and maybe start if we have a few injuries which i think is a good idea really.

As for farrell being the one stopping the tries, well he does kick a lot of ball away. Would a backline of Flood, Barrett and Manu really work?

Robshaw has, and there's a few outside the squad who have as well, although few do all three competently.

Flood/Barritt/Tuilagi looks a wee bit unbalanced, but I think it'll do a job. Ideally Twelvetrees steps up, or Tuilagi learns to play 12 and one of the speed machine 13s coming through steps up to the plate.

 

[Wilko's left boot]

Gloucester immense today vs Toulouse! Interesting to see the lack of their players in the EPS though, beginning to think that Lancaster may have made a couple of mistakes here?

 

[stus768]

Gloucester immense today vs Toulouse! Interesting to see the lack of their players in the EPS though, beginning to think that Lancaster may have made a couple of mistakes here?

Sinbad??

 

[j'nuh]

Gloucester immense today vs Toulouse! Interesting to see the lack of their players in the EPS though, beginning to think that Lancaster may have made a couple of mistakes here?

Pretty much. I would have liked to see:

9. Dickson 10. Hodgson (Flood) 11. JSD 12. Barritt 13. Farrell (Tuilagi) 14. Sharples/Ashton 15. Foden
20. Youngs/Simpson 21. Burns 22. May

If only...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd be happy with that.

 

[Wilko's left boot]

That's a back line I would love to see.

 

[Daniel Richards]

The last time England won in murryfield was 2004 with this current squad , no apparent captain , no openside , only one number 8 with no caps i'm starting to worry. If we lose then it's off to Italy and they can smell fear !

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

The last time England won in murryfield was 2004 with this current squad , no apparent captain , no openside , only one number 8 with no caps i'm starting to worry. If we lose then it's off to Italy and they can smell fear !

Stop fear-mongering, it will be fine.
(it might not be fine)

 

[eot345]

It does make sense in some ways to pick Dowson as from memory he is the only english flanker who has played all 3 backrow positions and offers a lot of experience. I think he will bench a lot and maybe start if we have a few injuries which i think is a good idea really. As for farrell being the one stopping the tries, well he does kick a lot of ball away. Would a backline of Flood, Barrett and Manu really work?

Errr Robshaw?

Everyone seems to think that the top 5 players from their respective clubs should be in the starting 22