England Six Nations thread

[Patchey]

Ashton is really going to ingratiate himself by blaming the management...


On the Umaga thing, is the Midlands set up directly controlled by the RFU or a county rugby thing?

 

[ratsapprentice]

My thoughts exactly, he doesn't exactly exude confidence does he!?

No idea how the RFU interfaces with local unions. I would expect they are fairly autonomous with a degree of financial and logistical support.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He's like 28 though isn't he ? I'd like to see it used for youngsters like someone said above when I mentioned monye and opened my eyes a bit

It's not like Ward is an old head who would be getting a token start as a stop-gap, though. He's only really just made it in the prem, after stays with a few clubs in the past and then his time in the Championship, and as a forward he's potentially got another 8 years in him.

 

[Peat]

I'm with j'nuh, I do feel sorry for him in that Lancaster has refused to play to his strengths, the main thing he's been there to do is defend which was never going to end well... but that is true of virtually every wing Lancaster has selected tbh. However, he has not been able to adapt and learn and we now have a multitude of better wingers. We have done so for ages actually, but now its getting silly. I'm far more annoyed with Lancaster than Ashton though.

I wonder how long it will be before you can make a genuinely classy team out of Pacific Islanders brought up in the UK. Depends how you define brought up a little I guess - but we're already on Faletau, Manu, the Vunipolas and the Matavesis... there's another Tuilagi in the Leicester academy, Javiah Pohe is half-Maori...

 

[glawsfan]

My team would be
1 Marler
2 Hartley
3 Cole
4 Lawes
5 Launchbury
6 Wood
7 Robshaw
8 B.Vunnipola
9 Youngs
10 Farrell
11 May
12 Twelvtrees
13 Barritt
14 Nowell
15 Brown

16 T.Youngs
17 M.Vunnipola
18 H.Thomas
19 Stooke
20 Morgan
21 Watson
22 Care
23 Ford

The pack pretty much picks itself. I would have Stooke on the bench as he would be a great impact sub. A bench of Ford,Vunipola,Morgan and Care would definitely be able to win you games.

Although i am not a big fan of Barritt there isn't many other options at 13 and he is defensively better than Burrell.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Stooke isn't in the EPS, hes in the Saxons.

 

[glawsfan]

Stooke isn't in the EPS, hes in the Saxons.

I know but what I mean is I would have him in the EPS. He's the only player I would have in the squad that isn't alread there.

 

[Big Ewis]

My team would be
1 Marler
2 Hartley
3 Cole
4 Lawes
5 Launchbury
6 Wood
7 Robshaw
8 B.Vunnipola
9 Youngs
10 Farrell
11 May
12 Twelvtrees
13 Barritt
14 Nowell
15 Brown

16 T.Youngs
17 M.Vunnipola
18 H.Thomas
19 Stooke
20 Morgan
21 Watson
22 Care
23 Ford

very nice looking third row there. Boy I hope our 3rd row is up to the challenge on Feb. 1st...and what luxury to have Morgan come off the bench.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Hip-belt squats.

Nice... very smart move getting one of those contraptions in by the S&C team.

 

[Maverick1987]

Hmmm if tana umagas nephew is half the player his uncle was we are in luck !

Now all we need is a member of Kevin mealamus family and it's tip tackle payback time !! Haha

Just seen Paul Grayson's son is in that team too rugby is definitely a sport that runs in the blood

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I know but what I mean is I would have him in the EPS. He's the only player I would have in the squad that isn't alread there.

Who would you drop though? Attwood?
Seems harsh, Stooke is looking very good, dont get me wrong, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[Crapspray]

It looks like Corbisiero is behind Tom Youngs in rats' picture. If he's in the gym, whether training or rehabilitating, it's a good sign.

While I agree he should be kept out of the tournament to get the injury well and truly sorted, I'd be sorely tempted to play him against Wales if he's fit in time.

 

[g6mcg]

Hip-belt squats.

Nice... very smart move getting one of those contraptions in by the S&C team.

I'm curious, what's the advantage over a conventional squat? Not that I intend to do either!

 

[glawsfan]

Who would you drop though? Attwood?
Seems harsh, Stooke is looking very good, dont get me wrong, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I know this sounds stupid but Parling.

It's pretty nailed on that Lawes and Launchbury will start so that means Parling will start from the bench. Now although I think Parling is a better player if I had a choice of who I would want coming of the bench then Stooke. He is a more effective carrier and has a better workrate than Parling. Although if it was between who I would start I would pick parling.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I'm curious, what's the advantage over a conventional squat? Not that I intend to do either!

You get the benefit of the usual back barbell squat movement without the load on the spine or girdle.
For front row players this is important - having to squat and scrummage will put the spine under a lot of compressive pressure.
Not having to load weight onto the back when they squat means that they can significantly reduce the volume of work put on their back.
It also means that guys with upper body injuries can still squat too - Manu Tuilagi for example.

I'm giving them props because it's quite an obscure piece of equipment.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It's basically a more "relevant" leg press (i.e. a machine movement that vaguely mimics real movement)

 

[ratsapprentice]

Not really.

For the hips and legs it's functionally exactly the same as a squat, you just remove the trunk and back from the equation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8ongBV7XZ0


Edit: Charlie Sharples replaces Tom Varndell in the Saxons squad after injury. Dan Robson comes in for injury cover.

 

[j'nuh]

Stooke, Robson and Sharples in after a couple of good matches from Gloucester.

No surprises really that if the team's performing well, the individuals get more plaudits. I wonder how far down the England pecking order Yann Thomas is, who is also rising up the ranks rapidly at Gloucester? One or two of us think he's ready to be first-choice loosehead at Glos.

 

[McTallshort]

Gloucester need some more consistant performances before more of their players start getting a look in. I know its tough but how can you pick any of the tight 5? Stooke has stood out but thats not hard given the performances around him. Wouild you say hes a better choice than Slater? As for Thomas he has 3 very good props in front of him playing well for their clubs apart from Corbs whos injuried.

 

[Patchey]

And on the subject of rushing players back before they're ready, are we really supposed to be surprised that Varndell is broken again?