England - Squad Announcement Thursday 27th

[Wendigo7]

Can't see Cipriani in the squad next year personally.

You can't have a goalkicker at 60% average all season as your first choice fly half, that's worse than defence issues and attack issues for an out half these days. 80% bare minimum, then debate what you want in terms of attack or defence depending on how the team plays.

 

[Willodell100]

I might be well into my 30s but still excited about seeing the makeup of the 31.

Not waiting on rumours but my predicted 31 at this late stage would be:

Cole / Wilson
Marler / Vunipola /Brookes
Youngs / George /Hartley
Launchbury / Atwood
Lawes / Parling
Wood / Haskell
Robshaw
Vunipola / Morgan

Youngs / Care / Wigglesworth
Ford / Farrell
Burgess / Barritt
Joseph / Slade
Nowell / May
Watson
Brown / Goode

 

[goodNumber10]

Morgan in (lol @msf!)
Burgess in.

 

[Irish boy]

Wigglesworth���������� Oh dear

 

[profitius]

The backrow looks a little unbalanced.

 

[goodNumber10]

The backrow looks a little unbalanced.

that's because Wood only has four letter the rest have 6 (or 7)

 

[tsof]

Kruis over Atwood.... that's come out of nowhere a bit hasn't it?! Given his cameo in Paris last week, I thought Atwood was very much in the driving seat. I can only imagine the line out issues we had over there may have swung it in George's favour?!

 

[Peat]

Can't see Cipriani in the squad next year personally.

You can't have a goalkicker at 60% average all season as your first choice fly half, that's worse than defence issues and attack issues for an out half these days. 80% bare minimum, then debate what you want in terms of attack or defence depending on how the team plays.

72.6pc actually, although I'd agree that's a little low. Still, only 5 EQPs in the Premiership hit 80pc plus, assuming 30 or more kicks... and I'm bloody surprised by the guy with the highest percentage there.

 

[McTallshort]

Sadly predictable.

 

[MojoPin]

From a Welsh perspective it certainly seems a strong side...but not the scariest one I could have imagined. Cipriani should have been included IMO, and hard to tell if leaving Burrell out will turn out to be a mistake. We'll see I guess! Hooker and back row potentially have a couple weaker spots as well. But it's all relative - even the 'weaknesses' are pretty bloody strong!

 

[goodNumber10]

Kruis over Atwood.... that's come out of nowhere a bit hasn't it?! Given his cameo in Paris last week, I thought Atwood was very much in the driving seat. I can only imagine the line out issues we had over there may have swung it in George's favour?!

think he's in because of George, units. Parling & Youngs, George & Kruis. Webber &, er.....uhm.... (we'll just ignore that bit).

 

[Willodell100]

Kruis over Atwood.... that's come out of nowhere a bit hasn't it?! Given his cameo in Paris last week, I thought Atwood was very much in the driving seat. I can only imagine the line out issues we had over there may have swung it in George's favour?!

My worry is the lack of grunt in the scrum as much as the lineout. I wouldn't describe any of the locks picked as enforcers. Atwood certainly fits that bill.

 

[Mumbles119]

Corbisiero not there, makes me feel a little more confident, because his lack of proven form was starting to make me nervous.

Parling was an initial suprise, but after thinking a little, it actually isn't.

Would have liked to see Cipriani like most people here, but I can understand why not with Slade in covering 10/12/13, and Goode having more England set up experience and showing some good form last game too. So quite happy to see the fresh impetus of Slade and Burgess over the dirge of Burrell and Twelvetrees.

I can also understand the Wigglesworth selection. Care and Youngs can both be similar when on form, whereas Wiggy brings a better basic skills set distribution game from base.

 

[goodNumber10]

watching the press conf on periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/w/aK8BSjEw...1unrPKSlWrD4uPmelsUKe2UtWJZuSkoCzqzgcCc4MpA==

interesting

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

A little, but it does feel pretty insane to me not to have Cips on board. I think I'd have preferred him on the subs bench to either, although one can't be sure as he's played so sparingly for England - which in itself feels pretty insane. I really hope Lancaster plans for better integration and more use of him after the WC... possibly as England's number one fly-half. I don't think the mini-effers have nailed down the spot enough to not speculate that way.

p.s. Another possible alternate XV

1. Harrison 2. Taylor 3. Cooper-Woolley 4. Garvey 5. Gaskell 6. Croft 7. Johnson 8. Beaumont 9. Chudley 10. Burns 11. Sharples 12. Hill 13. Daly 14. Wade 15. Miller

Staggeringly quick team that. Throw in a bench of Gray/Balmain/Collier/Paterson/Gibson/Robson/Devoto/Ashton, still doesn't look too bad. And everyone has been involved with England recently-ish.

Oh I quite agree about Cipriani. I personally would have had Cipriani instead of goode. Yep, I know Cips is no full black but between him and Watson some sort of cover could be cobbled together if necessary.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh I quite agree about Cipriani. I personally would have had Cipriani instead of goode. Yep, I know Cips is no full back but between him and Watson some sort of cover could be cobbled together if necessary.

Also I get the units argument with regard to Kruis, but him over Attwood is pretty mind-boggling balance wise. Attwood really added something when he came on against France, showing what the other 4 lack between them

 

[ncurd]

Can't really argue, Attwood unluckiest probably, Cips was forgone conclusion since the 6 nations.

Glad to see the centre options and hooker also no Corbs all showing that Lancaster hadn't made his mind up in some places.

 

[goodNumber10]

Also I get the units argument with regard to Kruis, but him Over Attwood is bpretty mind-boggling balance wise. Attwood really added something when he came on against France, showing what the other 4 lack between them

completely agree.

 

[j'nuh]

72.6pc actually, although I'd agree that's a little low. Still, only 5 EQPs in the Premiership hit 80pc plus, assuming 30 or more kicks... and I'm bloody surprised by the guy with the highest percentage there.

If you have him at 15, which is where England seem to want to play him and imo may even be a better position for him, then we don't even have to care about goalkicking.

Alternatively, him at 10 and Slade in the centres also covers goal kicking quite well.

completely agree.

You've criticised a few selections recently.

Maybe you're not the Andy Farrell we all thought you were...

 

[msf]

Ugh. Is this really the best they could come up with? I think Lancaster has been a better manager (because that´s what he is) than Johnson, although that wouldn´t be hard, but this selection is just as unimaginative as the one for the 2011 world cup. Burgess is the new Tuilagi (as Lancaster has said), with Slade being the only wildcard.

This the squad we could have had, just by including players Lancaster chose to exclude for reasons other than ability/form:

Brown
Abendanon
Nowell
Watson
Tuilagi
Joseph
Barritt
Slade
Ford
Farrell
Care
Youngs
Wigglesworth
Morgan
Vunipola
Robshaw
Wood
Armitage
Lawes
Launchbury
Parling
Kruis
Brookes
Cole
Wilson
Hartley
Youngs
George
Marler
Vunipola

Now, which squad is better? Come on, be honest, it´s this one, isn´t it?

 

[thechosenfamily]

Ugh. Is this really the best they could come up with? I think Lancaster has been a better manager (because that´s what he is) than Johnson, although that wouldn´t be hard, but this selection is just as unimaginative as the one for the 2011 world cup. Burgess is the new Tuilagi (as Lancaster has said), with Slade being the only wildcard.

This the squad we could have had, just by including players Lancaster chose to exclude for reasons other than ability/form:

Brown
Abendanon
Nowell
Watson
Tuilagi
Joseph
Barritt
Slade
Ford
Farrell
Care
Youngs
Wigglesworth
Morgan
Vunipola
Robshaw
Wood
Armitage
Lawes
Launchbury
Parling
Kruis
Brookes
Cole
Wilson
Hartley
Youngs
George
Marler
Vunipola

Now, which squad is better? Come on, be honest, it´s this one, isn´t it?

I would prefer a World Cup win than have an 'imaginative squad'