England Six Nations Squad 2025

[AlRums]

Gats said the same about Wales.

I think Gregor Townsenf is more "This could be our year". As is every year Gregor.

Ireland are staying quiet as the world cup dream still stalks them like a lion on the serengeti.

Italy are just happy people stopped banging on about relegation. France are quiet as most people already say they are likely to win it.

I'd go more with Gats he seems a genuine kind of guy.
Borths is more of a straight to HR and get you put on gardening leave kind of guy.

I don't think Gregor has ever said that, I know John Barclay says it almost annually and some players have been known to have said it.

In reality I don't blame a player, you have to go into the competition believing you can otherwise why compete?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Is anyone here a fan of Borthwick?

Judging by general comments, very few.

Nope. Under qualified and has made a lot of basic errors. He might be a top tier analyst but he's not going to take this England team forward without first spending 5-8 years of us being rubbish while he learns on the job. England don't look like we've improved at all under Borthwick which is disappointing.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Gats said the same about Wales.

Got to dream big. You know what they say, the roofs the limit.

 

[Saintjay]

I don't think Gregor has ever said that, I know John Barclay says it almost annually and some players have been known to have said it.

In reality I don't blame a player, you have to go into the competition believing you can otherwise why compete?

In all honesty it's more a BBC HYS, and Tom English kind of thing.

As for Borthwick i think he's a decent guy. People seem to like him.

Just it's results and his win rate vs other England coaches is poor. I try to give him the benefit of the doubt as I'm not convinced we have the amount of world class players if any to be a top two \ three team. But part of me feels even saying that we can or should be doing better.

Given all the pressures on the RFU at the moment I'm not sure he survives a poor six nations.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Six Nations: Borthwick aims for victory in every England game

England coach Steve Borthwick says the RFU have set him no specific targets for the forthcoming Six Nations campaign, but he wants to win every game.

www.bbc.co.uk

I thought he had been set the target of 4 wins?

Anyway, he's getting his excuses in early saying that the number of one sided Prem matches (I'd also add in Europe) doesn't help the players learn how to close out the much tighter affairs that tests often are. For once I find it hard to disagree.

 

[AlRums]

Anyway, he's getting his excuses in early saying that the number of one sided Prem matches (I'd also add in Europe) doesn't help the players learn how to close out the much tighter affairs that tests often are. For once I find it hard to disagree.

How many of those one sided victories involved a fair smattering of foreign players? For example Bath has about 16 foreign players in their squad, Saracens 13 etc.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

How many of those one sided victories involved a fair smattering of foreign players? For example Bath has about 16 foreign players in their squad, Saracens 13 etc.

The premiership has definitely moved from a lot of tight niglery games to a lot more loose open games. I'm not sure when and I'd be interested to see some stats about meters run vs kicked from previous years and points scored and conceded etc but I don't know where you get good stats anymore.

You've also got to factor in the loss of two teams meaning you almost have to score more bonus points.

I'm waiting g for someone with lots of time on their hands to get statting!

 

[Saintjay]

Teams and coaches follow trends.

I think with the prem teams have looked at Saints \ Quins and thought running \ attack is the way forward. A flavour of the season. (Stats will probably show I'm talking boll@#£s )

I do believe no scrum no win (stealing another posters line ) is suited for international rugby. Not sure if the new laws will impact SA's scrum. But England have to set SA as the bench mark and at least aim to get parity against them in the future. As does probably everyone else.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Teams and coaches follow trends.

I think with the prem teams have looked at Saints \ Quins and thought running \ attack is the way forward. A flavour of the season. (Stats will probably show I'm talking boll@#£s )

I do believe no scrum no win (stealing another posters line ) is suited for international rugby. Not sure if the new laws will impact SA's scrum. But England have to set SA as the bench mark and at least aim to get parity against them in the future. As does probably everyone else.

There does seem to have been a trend in English rugby of disregarding scrummaging ability over being lighter and more mobile, essentially turning props into heavier flankers.

As has been said, preferred skill sets and body types emerged in various positions for a reason. There is a reason props aren't just flankers on the front row and locks aren't just tall flankers. It feels like we've gone from having little in the way of world class flankers in the Lancaster era to trying to turn everyone into one.

 

[Which Tyler]

Bath United:
1 Arthur Cordwel
2 Jasper Spandler
3 Kieran Verden
4 Harvey Cuckson
5 Ewan Richards ©
6 Ethan Staddon
7 John Stewart
8 Tom Cowan

09 Tom Carr-Smith
10 Ciaran Donoghue
11 Tyler Offiah
12 Will Butt
13 Louie Hennessey
14 Sam Harris
15 Austin Emens

Replacements: Jack Bennett, Rory Crum, Ieuan Davies, Mackenzie Graham, Arthur Green, Scott Kirk, Will Parry, Max Pearce, Archie Stanley, Raff Weston, Jack Woods, Henry Bartlett (Bath University), Alfie Griffin (Bath University), Tom Hilton (Bath University), James Maloney (Exeter University)

England U20
England U20 Men to play Bath United (Friday)

1. Oli Scola (Northampton Saints, Old Northamptonians RFC, uncapped)
2. Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby, Cwmbran RFC, uncapped)
3. Vilikesa Sela (Bath Rugby, Royal Wootton Bassett RFC, 9 caps)
4. Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, Blackheath Rugby Club, 11 caps)
5. Junior Kpoku (Racing 92, Saracens Amateurs, 11 caps)
6. George Timmins (Bath Rugby, Market Harborough RUFC, 2 caps)
7. Sam Williams (Leicester Tigers, Nottingham Corsairs RFC, uncapped)
8. Kane James (Exeter Chiefs, St. Peter's RFC, 9 caps)

09. Lucas Friday (c) (Harlequins, Bromley RFC, 6 caps)
10. Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks, Macclesfield Rugby Club, uncapped)
11. Charlie Griffin (Bath Rugby, Rosslyn Park, uncapped)
12. Nic Allison (Exeter Chiefs, Bishops Diocesan College, uncapped)
13. Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge RFC, uncapped)
14. Jack Bracken (Saracens, Barnet Elizabethans, 5 caps)
15. Jack Kinder (Leicester Tigers, Silhillians RUFC, uncapped)

16. Louie Gulley (Exeter Chiefs, Crediton RFC, uncapped)
17. Ralph McEachran (Sale Sharks, Guildford RFC, uncapped)
18. Tye Raymont (Sale Sharks, West Park Leeds RFC, uncapped)
19. Tom Burrow (Sale Sharks, Morley RUFC, uncapped)
20. Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints, Bedford Junior Blues, uncapped)
21. Jos Gilmore (Sale Sharks, Sandbach RUFC, uncapped)
22. Reggie Hammick (Saracens, Saints Rugby Peregian, uncapped)
23. Dom Hanson (Sale Sharks, Stockport RFC, uncapped)
24. Ben Coen (Exeter Chiefs, Teignmouth RFC, 5 caps)
25. Campbell Ridl (Exeter Chiefs, Sharks, uncapped)
26. Toby Wilson (Sale Sharks, Macclesfield RUFC, uncapped)
27. Josh Bellamy (Harlequins, Rosslyn Park, 10 caps)


Good to see Sam Harris back from his injury; weird to see John Stewart in the backrow.
Unfortunately, no live stream

 

[BPM]

I thought Griffin is a 12?

 

[Which Tyler]

I thought Griffin is a 12?

Centre and wing

 

[BrokenWing]

SCW thinks Fin Smith at 12.

 

[Saintjay]

The world must wonder how we won a world cup with SCW at the helm. As the years go by i do wonder if he got lucky with a very good generation of players.

 

[McTallshort]

The world must wonder how we won a world cup with SCW at the helm. As the years go by i do wonder if he got lucky with a very good generation of players.

Yes he did but....I have not heard of any player in that team saying he was knob or anything. In fact most speak quite highly of him.

 

[McTallshort]

5. Junior Kpoku (Racing 92, Saracens Amateurs, 11 caps)

So we are ok with U20s in France then?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I personally don't believe SCW believes a lot of what he says, it's more about sounding clever and having a different view point to sell media. But he really does need to shut the hell up.

On 12, if I had to have something different (I'm not allowed an actual centre there) it would be Ben Earl, then Tommy Freeman, Freddie steward and then Marcus who would work well outside fin (not the other way round).

But I'd rather just have a proper inside centre like Atkinson or Ojomorph.

 

[Booboobang]

The world must wonder how we won a world cup with SCW at the helm. As the years go by i do wonder if he got lucky with a very good generation of players.

At the time he took over england, english rugby was very much in still amateur culture in a profesional enviroment, he was key in bringing cutting edge methods to england that I am sure if there were forums then people would have been calling modern nonsense 'Ridiculous, there is a reason we as rugby men must sink 5 pints after a gam' vibe. Things like strength and fitness programms and tracking tech, diet plans, detailed statistical analysis and game review were initally brought in by him... It is covered in in a few docs.

Is he out of touch now? Probably he hasnt coached in years and years. Is he annoying? Yes. But at his time in coaching he was probably as good as it got at trying to milk any marginal gain and advantage you could to win.

Not now, but years ago I do think he probably would of made a good DOR for the RFU inovation and progress is something he exceled at, most of the shite he posts now is for engagement and shock factor.