England Squad

[Bullitt]

On that note however, it's much better to see Cueto then bloody Sackey.


Anyway, there's more options then just 5 in the EPS... they can put whoever they want in the Saxons squad. Should they want to put a Saxons player in, all they have to do (for example) is make Moody have a mysterious injury and promote <saxonsplayernamehere>.

Et voilla, access to any player in the league.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hall @ Jan 14 2009, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

We might as well not even bother with wingers, we can't seem to <strike>find</strike> pick two decent centres.[/b]

very true.

 

[Hall]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Jan 14 2009, 05:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

On that note however, it's much better to see Cueto then bloody Sackey.


Anyway, there's more options then just 5 in the EPS... they can put whoever they want in the Saxons squad. Should they want to put a Saxons player in, all they have to do (for example) is make Moody have a mysterious injury and promote <saxonsplayernamehere>.

Et voilla, access to any player in the league.[/b]

When you say 'make' Moody have a mysterious injury. Do you mean 'make' one up? Or 'make' Andrew Sheridan set about him with a baseball bat?

 

[Prestwick]

*Takes one look at the sheet*

£10 says Tindall & Noon start against Italy.

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hall @ Jan 14 2009, 07:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Jan 14 2009, 05:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

On that note however, it's much better to see Cueto then bloody Sackey.


Anyway, there's more options then just 5 in the EPS... they can put whoever they want in the Saxons squad. Should they want to put a Saxons player in, all they have to do (for example) is make Moody have a mysterious injury and promote <saxonsplayernamehere>.

Et voilla, access to any player in the league.[/b]

When you say 'make' Moody have a mysterious injury. Do you mean 'make' one up? Or 'make' Andrew Sheridan set about him with a baseball bat?
[/b][/quote]


The first is more likely, but I'd be far happier with the second in Moodys case.

 

[getofmeland]

Revised England elite player squad (32):

Forwards: Tim Payne (Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale), Matt Stevens (Bath), Phil Vickery (Wasps), George Chuter (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Lee Mears (Bath), Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Nick Kennedy (London Irish), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Tom Croft (Leicester), James Haskell (Wasps), Lewis Moody (Leicester), Tom Rees (Wasps), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).

Backs: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Olly Morgan (Gloucester), Mathew Tait (Sale), Mark Cueto (Sale), Paul Sackey (Wasps), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Riki Flutey (Wasps), Shane Geraghty (London Irish), Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Toby Flood (Leicester), Danny Care (Harlequins), Harry Ellis (Leicester), Ben Foden (Northampton).

Revised England Saxons squad (32):

Forwards: Matt Mullan (Worcester), Nick Wood (Gloucester), Julian White (Leicester), David Wilson (Newcastle), David Paice (London Irish), Joe Ward (Wasps), Rob Webber (Wasps), Richard Blaze (Leicester), Louis Deacon (Leicester), Ben Kay (Leicester), George Skivington (Wasps), Steffon Armitage (London Irish), Jordan Crane (Leicester), Tom Guest (Harlequins), Michael Lipman (Bath), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Joe Worsley (Wasps).

Backs: Nick Abendanon (Bath), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Matt Banahan (Bath), Topsy Ojo (London Irish), James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), David Strettle (Harlequins), Olly Barkley (Gloucester), Dan Hipkiss (Leicester), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Dominic Waldouck (Wasps), Ryan Lamb (Gloucester), Stephen Myler (Northampton), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Peter Richards (London Irish), Richard Wigglesworth (Sale).

Right these are meant to be the best 64 players in English Rugby... I challenge you to use players from both squads to make your starting lineup for the six nations, if you were Martin Johnson...

 

[Hall]

15. Ben Foden
14. David Strettle
13. Matthew Tait
12. Stephen Myler
11. James Simpson-Daniel
10. Shane Geraghty
9. Danny Care

1. Andrew Sheridan
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Matt Stevens
4. Simon Shaw
5. Nick Kennedy
6. Tom Croft
7. Tom Rees
8. Nick Easter

 

[Bullitt]

Right (in a hypothetical world where all are on song and fit)... If I was me, because "Martin Johnson" (*coughRobAndrewcough*) will be as Webby predicted;

1. Erm... Gawd knows...
2. Hartley
3. Stevens
4. Kennedy
5. Croft
6. Robshaw
7. Armitage
8. Easter
9. Care
10. Myler
11. Strettle
12. Geraghty
13. Turner-Hall
14. JSD
15. Morgan

16. Mears
17. Sheridan
18. Deacon
19. Rees
20. Foden
21. Hipkiss
22. Ojo

 

[stormmaster1]

I wouldn't have Kennedy and Croft in the second row Mite. both good players deserving a chance, but i'd want someone with some more beef in there too. Not really sure who the answer is though.

 

[Hall]

Kennedy should be there, Croft in the back row.

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (stormmaster1 @ Jan 15 2009, 12:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I wouldn't have Kennedy and Croft in the second row Mite. both good players deserving a chance, but i'd want someone with some more beef in there too. Not really sure who the answer is though.[/b]

Croft is big enough to hold his own now. And every other second row in either squad is oh-so ****.

Hall - Croft in the back row means there's no place at 6 for Robshaw (which on current form is a crime... Croft is fully capable of doing the job in the boliler room anyway). It's the same as SCW shifting Hill to the blindside as to accomidate Back; You simply didn't leave players off that quality out (unless you're an idiot like Rob Andrew).

 

[Hall]

I suppose having a second row that fast is always going to give you something extra as well.

 

[Prestwick]

Croft can work as a second row and is intensely physical and committed. I think having a Croft and Kennedy second row would work well although who would go in the back row?

 

[Bullitt]

6. Robshaw
7. Armitage
8. Easter

 

[Hall]

Rees when fit.

 

[cyRil]

Who's Robshaw? :huh: :euh:

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyRil of Ospreylia @ Jan 15 2009, 12:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Who's Robshaw? :huh: :euh:[/b]

Quins 6, part of the form back row of the GP this season.

My team from the squad:

1. Sheridan (not as great as the media think but still good).
2. Hartley (for want of some violence in an otherwise placid pack).
3. Vickery (I would of said Stevens but he can't scrum)
4. Borthwick (2 lineout locks doesn't work, but there's no one else)
5. Kennedy (ditto)
6. Haskell (Moody doesn't get turnovers. So someone has to; and Haskell's better at this than Croft)
7. Moody (only available choice)
8. Easter
9. Care
10. Geraghty (Flood and Cipriani need to go and find some form)
11. Cueto (on form and proven for England; which Monye isn't)
12. Flutey (shame he's the only proper 12 in the squad).
13. Tait (I don't care what anyone says, he's better than MT or Noon)
14. Sackey (at his best he is a shoe-in. Hopefully he'll find some form)
15. Armitage

you'll notice the ones who have no brackets are the ones I haven't had to explain. 1) They are the first names on the sheet based on recent club/ international performances, and compared to their rivals. 2) Only 3 just shows the deep **** England are in atm.

 

[Nidhogg]

Forwards: Tim Payne (Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale), Matt Stevens (Bath), Phil Vickery (Wasps), George Chuter (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Lee Mears (Bath), Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Nick Kennedy (London Irish), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Tom Croft (Leicester), James Haskell (Wasps), Lewis Moody (Leicester), Tom Rees (Wasps), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).

Backs: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Olly Morgan (Gloucester), Mathew Tait (Sale), Mark Cueto (Sale), Paul Sackey (Wasps), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Riki Flutey (Wasps), Shane Geraghty (London Irish), Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Toby Flood (Leicester), Danny Care (Harlequins), Harry Ellis (Leicester), Ben Foden (Northampton).

From the original squad, without any last-minute changes and all players at match-fitness I'd start against Italy with:

1. Sheridan (who else, Payne???)
2. Hartley (a bit of aggression never hurts)
3. Vickery (great form, Stevens can't scrum, leadership)
4. Kennedy (best english lock on current form)
5. Croft (Shaw is too old, Borthwick too one-dimensional, Palmer just not good enough)
6. Haskell (with Croft going to 5, you need Moody on the bench to cover both 6 and 7)
7. Rees (same as a above, plus the fact that Rees actually played well in the tests)
8. Easter (a stop-gap until Croft is freed from 5, and/or Crane brought into the team. Provides the experience together with Vickery in the pack)

9. Care (I'd rather have him than Ellis, and Foden is behind them both for scrum-half)
10. Cipriani (motivation from his last meeting with Italy, potential to shine, with Flood we don't move forward Cipriani needs confidence and exposure, Flood is better in closing games)
11. Monye (not convinced, but young and .... young?)
12. Geraghty (Flutey doesn't convince me, he's a Kiwi, and I want to see more from Gerarghty in an England shirt)
13. Tait (Tindall is old, a drunk driver, did I mention he's old and slow? I won't even start about Noon. I'm not a fan of moving Armitage to OC, but it's worth experimenting with later in the game)
14. Cueto (appears to have struck upon a vein of some form, and Sackey, while impressed me against Leinster, just bores me to tears. I heard he doesn't even like rugby that much, which explains a lot)
15. Armitage (has done enough to keep his place)

16. Stevens (good impact sub, miles ahead of Payne)
17. Mears (good impact sub, miles ahead of Chuter)
18. Borthwick (I'm under the impression he gets more game-time than Shaw, he appears to fill some captaincy role as well)
19. Moody (covering both 6 and 7)
20. Narraway (this is because last years match against Wales scared me. Rees is somewhat injury prone, two backrow injuries cripples England, this gives more fresh legs for the forwards)
21. Flood (covers centre and fly-half, if a winger is hurt, Armitage, Tait or Foden could fill that void)
22. Foden (covers scrum-half, and can move into FB in the second half, allowing Armitage to be tested at 13)

 

[Hall]

You can forget Stevens now that he's been outed as a Coke head.

 

[Nidhogg]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

You can forget Stevens now that he's been outed as a Coke head.[/b]

Wow, it's Tom Boonen all over again (top Belgian road cyclist). C'mon, give the man a break. They're talking about two year bans! If anything I'd say a night on the town and a snort of the white gold isn't really performance-enhancing

I appreciate a doping ban, but don't treat sporters as kids, they're people two. And yes, I'm one of those "zomg legalize drugs" types.