England Six Nations squad 2022

[Scotty]

On the centre argument what is the solution atm?

We need to find a solution that doesnt include manu but also who do we use? Really the only 12s id consider is Ojomoh and Kelly and they are both talented but not ready, right now we have Manu, Slade, Marchant, Atkinson. So right now we have Slade Marchant which works well it seems but needs more time to bed in, Manu Slade which with Smith i think could be great. And Atkinson Slade which sounds ok. But i think them 4 centres are good and unless we rush through inexperienced players then im not sure of the solution. Lawrence was never a 12, he's a 13 thats not powerful enough or a good enough distributor to be a 12 and IMO never was a replacement for Manu.

Now wing is another story with Nowell our only out and out winger. Malins look pretty good but not sure where he fits in. Watson and may injured. And Radwan not getting a chance.

FB steward is there for the long haul, injuries aside. He seems like he'd benefit from some gametime at 12 (as in put at 12 rather than being put on the wing) to improve his distribution. I do not want him as a 12 before anyone thinks i do. He seems to run smart lines and is a good carrier so if he improves his distribution and offloads then he will be there for a long long time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Manu's injured so often that I don't get the "We need to look past him!" arguments when he's fit/comes back in - we play the majority of our games without him already

EJ isn't going to change how he plays depending on who's available, he never has - look how we're still asking our backrowers to try and replicate prime Binny, despite him not existing for about a decade

Play Manu when he's available, play someone else when he's not - he's comfortably our best centre, and maybe this time he'll put together a string of games and go straight through to the RWC, who knows (...it's unlikely), but I wouldn't not play him just so we can play Mark Atkinson instead
He's just as likely to get injured for club as country, so use what you've got

 

[Which Tyler]

At the moment, I think the centre pecking order is:
Farrell > Tuilagi > Slade > Lawrence > Marchant and there's a good chance all 5 would go to the RWC were it this Autumn (barring injury).
Of those, only Marchant would be out of place at IC, and only Farrell would be out of place at OC (though he did break into the Sarries team at OC).

Behind that there's Kelly, Ojomo, Atkinson and Odogwu; of whom Atkinson is probably the best able to step in right not (but there's not much in it IMO), but I'd expect the other 3 to all be ahead of him by the end of this season.
Then there's the likes of Burrell, Francis, O'Connor Lozowski, and Devoto who've previously been looked at, and discarded; or Daly, Nowell, Furbank and Mallins who are there or thereabouts, but would be out of position, but acceptable in an emergency (injury cover within a RWC squad).
Then, of course, there's Joseph, who's been a regular, but displaced. He may get called back in if Bath's form turns around with the new coaches.


Of course, though, Eddie doesn't know who his first 3 choices are, despite playing the first 3 of those for every match they're available for (whilst simultaneously flitting about and not settling on anyone)

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

In my eyes Manu and Slade has to be the best combination. The problems are plan B when Manu's injured and Jones obsession with Farrell.

If things don't go so well over the rest of the 6N you can see Farrell parachuted straight back in and staying through to France. Smith Manu and Slade does however have a very tasty look about it and IF Manu can stay in one piece and IF they go well for the rest of the 6N then that might just be the end of Farrell as an automatic first choice.

 

[Scotty]

Manu's injured so often that I don't get the "We need to look past him!" arguments when he's fit/comes back in - we play the majority of our games without him already

EJ isn't going to change how he plays depending on who's available, he never has - look how we're still asking our backrowers to try and replicate prime Binny, despite him not existing for about a decade

Play Manu when he's available, play someone else when he's not - he's comfortably our best centre, and maybe this time he'll put together a string of games and go straight through to the RWC, who knows (...it's unlikely), but I wouldn't not play him just so we can play Mark Atkinson instead
He's just as likely to get injured for club as country, so use what you've got

I do agree when available we use him and find a way to play without him when he isnt.

Im actually happy with our centres when Manu is fit. Slade's distribution, Manu's power and Marchant's speed and with Smith at 10 any of those 3 as combinations do work in different ways.

Finding a way to play without him is likly Slade Marchant but then Faz will come back and prob start at 12. I doubt atkinson even gets a look in tbh.

Although now we have Smith is Faz being a 12(or 22) good sometimes as EJ has the option of leaving Smith on for 80 if going well and changing the centres rather than having Ford as an unusable sub if it is right for Smith to stay on?

 

[Geordie]

Cant see the centres changing much this 6n....but i imagine thats the one area Eddie will be really focusing on in the Summer tour.

It'll be a strong touring squad only a year out from the world cup (so not alot of newbies)....but expect to see some of Ojomoh, Odowgu, Lawrence and Kelly in it.

 

[BPM]

At the moment, I think the centre pecking order is:
Farrell > Tuilagi > Slade > Lawrence > Marchant and there's a good chance all 5 would go to the RWC were it this Autumn (barring injury).
Of those, only Marchant would be out of place at IC, and only Farrell would be out of place at OC (though he did break into the Sarries team at OC).

Behind that there's Kelly, Ojomo, Atkinson and Odogwu; of whom Atkinson is probably the best able to step in right not (but there's not much in it IMO), but I'd expect the other 3 to all be ahead of him by the end of this season.
Then there's the likes of Burrell, Francis, O'Connor Lozowski, and Devoto who've previously been looked at, and discarded; or Daly, Nowell, Furbank and Mallins who are there or thereabouts, but would be out of position, but acceptable in an emergency (injury cover within a RWC squad).
Then, of course, there's Joseph, who's been a regular, but displaced. He may get called back in if Bath's form turns around with the new coaches.


Of course, though, Eddie doesn't know who his first 3 choices are, despite playing the first 3 of those for every match they're available for (whilst simultaneously flitting about and not settling on anyone)

I don't think Lawrence is that high in the pecking order. It wasn't that long ago he was publicly criticised in Eddie's book and given he's been injured for the majority of this season, he's not really been in a position to respond with some 'f you Eddie' performances.

 

[LIONSxv]

Any updates on Marler or Simmonds.? Marlers scrummaging hasn't looked as good as it can be. Wonder if X 2 covid is having its affect
Simmonds I have been fairly impressed with .His work rate and carrying have both improved

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Simmonds is injured,

Not sure on Marler - might just be keeping Bevan back to test him more in training? I can't see him being in the 23 over Marler vs Wales

I imagine the 25 magic number is an EPS thing rather than an EJ chosen thing

Edit: Had a quick google and I think that 25 is the number of players that England are allowed to have in training during off weeks/out of the window - we've had 25man camps mid season/pre-AIs before

 

[Nudger]

I don't really think you can say Slade and Marchant is Eddie's preferred non Manu pairing. They've played together twice now. It screams of Eddie not knowing what to do without Manu.

And yes Smith and Ford did happen, it wasn't an accident. Jones chose to try that out for 5 minutes. Why? It's never going to work and it was stupid. Unless there was an injury what's the point.

I'm not looking for sticks to beat Eddie with, I just point out the many many sticks Eddie creates himself. It's no accident that these things keep happening with Eddie and his stupid selections, tactics and subs. It's all by an arrogant man's design who thinks he's smarter than he is.

Maybe eddy wanted smith to see first hand how ford plays?

 

[Lé Ddanno]

For a whopping 8mins

 

[Scotty]

Maybe eddy wanted smith to see first hand how ford plays?

Or maybe see what happens if 21 and 23 have come on already and a centre gets injured, i mean when do you ever get a chance to test that with zero risk. Thats why the Smith Ford thing didnt bother me at all. Youngs on at 54 min did when Randall was doing well.

 

[Reiser99]

Six Nations 2022: England captain Owen Farrell helping Marcus Smith 'big time behind scenes'

England fly-half Marcus Smith says injured captain Owen Farrell has been "helping me big time behind the scenes" during his first Six Nations.

www.bbc.co.uk

So Farrell has apparently been really helpful to Smith, giving him feedback and chatting about the games.

I imagine it's something like this:

Farrell: So I would have kicked the ball then, not passed it when there was a clear overlap.
Smith (thinking): Keep passing, got it.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Farrell: if you see the ref, make sure you shout at him angrily

Smith: shouldn't you speak nicely to refs?

Farrell: when you've won as much as me you can have an opinion

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

For a whopping 8mins

speaking from experience 8 minutes is plenty long enough

 

[Reiser99]

speaking from experience 8 minutes is plenty long enough

2 minutes of fiddling around, 1 minute of action, 5 minutes of exhausted panting?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Lawes confirmed available for Wales.

Will we see Itoje and Launch in the row with Lawes at 6? Two players just coming back from injury might be a bit too much of a gamble?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Think it'll be Itoje and Ewels with Lawes at 6
Launch on the bench, unless EJ doesn't like what he sees in training and puts Isiekwe there

 

[TW27BA]

Ewells must be pulling up trees in training to keep getting selected.
Shame that his matchday performances are unremarkable.

I'd go with the above as EJ's selections too with Launch on the bench.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Ewells must be pulling up trees in training to keep getting selected.
Shame that his matchday performances are unremarkable.

I'd go with the above as EJ's selections too with Launch on the bench.

Ewels probably caps out at pulling up blades of grass...

He and Youngs must have nudes of Jones at this stage.