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England - Squad Announcement Thursday 27th

Bought it forward from 31st is it ?

Guess Lancaster has made his mind up . If Cipriani isn't in people are going to lose their mind ......
 
What i think the 31 Man Squad will look like:-

Joe Marler
Dan Cole
Dave Wilson
Mako Vunipola
Alex Corbseiro

Tom Youngs
Jaime George
Rob Webber

Courtney Lawes
Joe Launchbury
Geoff Parling
Dave Attwood

Chris Robshaw
James Haskell
Ben Morgan
Billy Vunipola
Tom Wood

Ben Youngs
Danny Care
Richard Wigglesworth

Owen Farrell
George Ford

Brad Barritt
Jono Joseph
Sam Burgess
Luther Burrell (I massively want Slade to get this position)

Anthony Watson
Jack Nowell
Mike Brown
Alex Goode
Jonny May

I think we'll only take 5 back rows as Burgess can cover and take 4 Second row's.
The only way I can see Slade(He covers 4 Poistions- I'm Totally Neutral :D) getting in is over Burrell(only 2) which he really should! Or dropping Wigglesworth and risking only having 2 Scrum Half Specialists.
Cant see Cipriani getting in as Goode will be pipped above him as 2nd choice FB and 3rd Cover for fly half.
 
TobesHodges said:
I think we'll only take 5 back rows as Burgess can cover and take 4 Second row's.

Or dropping Wigglesworth and risking only having 2 Scrum Half Specialists.
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No. No he can't. If he could, we might not be in this situation. Lancaster has very clearly said that he's a centre for England. Regardless of the role that Bath see him playing, he has not - by all reports - had any time with the forwards. This isn;t akin to some sort of management game, where you can sling in a decent player and hope for the best. Not happening.

Also not happening. History indicates that teams, by and large, take 3 scrummies and for a good reason. How often do England 9s play a whole international game? Fresh legs are key, and taking just a pair leaves you chronically exposed.
 
TobesHodges said:
What i think the 31 Man Squad will look like:-

[...]

I think we'll only take 5 back rows as Burgess can cover and take 4 Second row's.
The only way I can see Slade(He covers 4 Poistions- I'm Totally Neutral :D) getting in is over Burrell(only 2) which he really should! Or dropping Wigglesworth and risking only having 2 Scrum Half Specialists.
Cant see Cipriani getting in as Goode will be pipped above him as 2nd choice FB and 3rd Cover for fly half.
Click to expand...

I think you've got it spot on. The only changes that might happen are Brookes for Corbisiero (depending on the state of their current injuries) and maybe 36 for Burgess (Lancaster has a massive chubby on for 36, always has - especially in the 23 shirt).
 
I refuse to look at any speculation and take it as gospel I think the only people who've been right so far this for this was the torygraph a few hours before last weekends team was announced. I think the fail predicted Roko to make the 39 man squad...

However I'll happily take Slade and Burgess over 36 and Burrell and can slightly forgive them not taking Cips in that case. However I'll believe it when I see it.
 
From watching the two england -france warm up games i cant see how burrell would get picked over the other centre options you have. i just didnt see anything that would make him stand out from the rest, slade (great passing) and burgess (smash) seemed to have a much better game the previous week. cipirani looked good in the last game too.
 
What a very nervous time for the squad players. I think I'm in agreement with a lot of you around the centres. I would dearly love to see Slade and, to a lesser extent, Burgess but I can see SL sticking to what he knows (better) in Burrell & Twelvetrees.

I think the only other positional conundrums are 3rd hooker & 5th prop.

Again as good as Cipriani looked in his 2nd cameo appearance on Saturday I don't see getting in ahead of Goode who, to be fair to him, had a good game at Twickenham. Also the biggest issue Danny has is he is really a specialist fly half.

Has anyone heard any updates regarding Alex Corbs & Brad Barritt's injuries? It seems to have all gone quiet on that front.
 
Willodell100 said:
Again as good as Cipriani looked in his 2nd cameo appearance on Saturday I don't see getting in ahead of Goode who, to be fair to him, had a good game at Twickenham. Also the biggest issue Danny has is he is really a specialist fly half.
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Should that really be an issue though? What's wrong with three 10s?
 
Difficult to judge based on match performances

Burrell vs Burgess played in very different games. With these tests being warm up games with lots of early changes, I'd also say that only the first 50 mins are anywhere close to a valid comparison of tournament games. Added to this, ring-rustiness can be and has been used to mitigate some very shaky and often uncharacteristic errors or performances.

Ultimately, a lot of the decision comes down to the quality already witnessed in the camps and last season.
 
Patchey said:
Should that really be an issue though? What's wrong with three 10s?
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I guess it means you're having to tighten your belt in other positions. I'd imagine that 3x9, 3xC, 3xW, 2xFB is a reasonable starting point. Add in 3 flyhalves, and maybe Slade, and you've gone over budget.

Reminds me of Tom Hanks having to balance the amps in Apollo 13. Only a lot more important than some silly little spaceship.
 
Patchey said:
Should that really be an issue though? What's wrong with three 10s?
Click to expand...

Not having three 10s is risky. But ideally one of the 10s should be able to play a different position.

I'd take Cipriani at FH and FB cover. Its not going to happen, but it would be pretty difficult for him to be a worse international full-back than Goode.
 
AzaMatt said:
From watching the two england -france warm up games i cant see how burrell would get picked over the other centre options you have. i just didnt see anything that would make him stand out from the rest, slade (great passing) and burgess (smash) seemed to have a much better game the previous week. cipirani looked good in the last game too.
Click to expand...

he had a good game on Saturday in a whipped team.
 
Patchey said:
Should that really be an issue though? What's wrong with three 10s?
Click to expand...

TRF_Peat said:
Not having three 10s is risky. But ideally one of the 10s should be able to play a different position.

I'd take Cipriani at FH and FB cover. Its not going to happen, but it would be pretty difficult for him to be a worse international full-back than Goode.
Click to expand...

Yeah picking 31 is always a bit of a nightmare balancing act! Although 10 is a specialist position it maybe isn't so important (fitness wise) to cover with three out & out specialists as say hooker or scrum half are.

For example Australia are taking only 2 scrum halves. Giteau can cover there but probably hasn't since the 90s which I think is a big risk particularly as they have Nic White who is a quality player.

Therefore I would take Slade for a few reasons. He is arguably the 4th choice 10 with his form for Exeter at the back end of the season. Also has he can cover more positions than Cipriani or Goode and crucially covers 13. His ability to play there gives SL & extra dimension and more flexibility from the bench. And his 'point of difference' to Goode at least is his cultured left peg to compliment Ford or Farrell at 1st receiver depending on which side of the field they are on & his kicking from the tee is up there with Ford & Farrell also.

Having said all of that I think SL won't take either Cips or Slade as he thinks Goode can cover. I'm not convinced even though he has done well at Sarries a few times in the past stepping in late for an injured fly half.
 
I think SL will dumbfound us all and take Slade and Burgess and then say "how do you like them apples" in his squad press review.
 

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