England Squad

[SelimNiai]

Im feeling a sense of both pride and smugness. It's nice to see Vunipola get the call up, so there's the pride and the smugness 'cos I called it. Once he started playing for us I knew he'd make it into the England squad. Admittedly not as fast as this but still....called it!

 

[j_remos]

Hopefully Bomber will select Dowson. Means Mallender will have to use some imagination and pick someone who's not playing like a donkey.

This... All day long.

Dowson needs a kick in the pants.. either by playing for England or sitting on his bum.. Head is not where it needs to be.

Regarding the EPS selection its better than usual... Still some rubbish in there but the system is designed to make it hard to get rid of mediocre players.
I'm just wondering who out of Care and Youngs is going to have a shocker first... If they manage to keep there form through the AIs we might win.

 

[Teh Mite]

Care plays and England could do well. Youngs plays and they'll collapse up their own backside.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Chris Robshaw made the most turn overs out of all the 7's in the autum internationals. Chris Robshaw is and will be Englands 7 for a while. I think he is a brilliant player and if you stuck him in Toulon he would look just as good if not better surrounded by those top players.

Peopole forget that S. Armtagige did play for england and he couldn't keep up with the pace of the game, he might be playing amazingly at the moment but that is at Club level, same as Nick Easter.

As for the rest of the squad agree about Morgan, he hs been in alright form for gloucester and i think we need to continue with him.

I like the idea of Moyne coming in as i doubt he will play but he offers that experinece that we will miss from not having Foden in the squad, if we had lost Sharples then i would have had May in but if you loose some experince in the squad you need to add some back in.

I don't get Haskell coming back in, he has been in shocking form and seems to stil give away loads of penalties, plus he still hasn't nailed down a specific position.

I think we might see
1. Marler
2. Hartley
3.Cole
4. Parlmer/ Lawes - might be too soon for Lawes to come straight back in
5. Parling - top lineout operator
6. Johnson/ Wood - again too soon for wood, Johnson Phyicality might suit Fiji first up
7. Robshaw (C)
8. Morgan - Improving player and what ebngland need
9. Care - top form
10. Flood - would prefer Burns but he's not in the squad
11. Sharples - needs to cement his place in the team
12. Tuilagi - teh centres is a sore point, i'd rather see 12trees and tuilagi but with the squad thats who i'd pick i think???
13. JJ
14. Ashton - needs to redescover his form
15. Goode/ Brown - can't really choose between them, i like both players but just think Goode has a the international temperment more?

16. Youngs - no choice
17. Vuinpolo - no choice
18. Willson - no choice
19. Lawes/ Palmer -which ever is not starting
20. Wood or Johnson (although i could see Dowson or Haskells versitiliy get them a bench spot)
21. Tough call, Youngs is a rubbish player really, as a scrum half he still can't pass and has no temperment but the england team (stuart Barnes) seems to love him, great going forward shocking if not.
22. Farell - i can see Lancater sticking with him which is ashame really.
23. Strange one, i could see Goode on the becnh if not starting but then maybe Barritt as JJ can cover Wings? Who knows.

I know some people will disagree and have favourite players we all do but it is an ok squad considering the last few years.

 

[nickdnz]

Sad to see no Christian Wade. Can't comment on his form (he was injured for quite a while), but I love watching him play. Other than that no real complaints. I thought Thomas Waldrom was the best man on the park in the third test against South Africa, so I'd like to see him have a start. Bit annoyed not to see Freddie Burns in there; or George Ford. I rate both over Farrell. Also would have liked to have seen Steffon Armitage in the squad - even if it was only bench cover. He is capable of playing 8 as well as openside (I actually think #8 is probably his best possition, but Toulon won't move him). I have a bit of a soft spot for Ugo Monye - hope he gets some game time against a team like Fiji.

 

[Peat]

Nickdnz, I'd rate your mum above Owen Farrell.

Also, Jonny May is injured, and Monye's had more gametime than Sharples this season (to answer the OP). Personally I'd expect Monye to play 11 ahead of Sharples who's never played 11 in his life (and there is a bit of a difference), is only just back to fitness, and was pretty average last season.

 

[Teh Mite]

If your gameplan is boring and percentages, Farrell is probably the best available. Playing him implies a mindset to strangle the life out of a game... Precisely what Andy Farrell likes to do (what a coincidence).

Id love to see Burns given a shot. For that matter, Gloucesters entire backline is already well gelled and drilled....

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Englands backs

10. Burns
11. Sharples
12. 12trees
13. Trinder
14. JSD
15. May

Thats all english qualified and if you slot tuilagi in at 13 that back line would be international class! Its an interesting idea, using a whole backline for a club, does any clubs have an all english pack?..not that i can think of.

Saints
1 Waller
2 Hartley
3 Doren-Jones
4 Lawes
5 Day
6 Clarke
7 Wood
8 Dowson

Thats not bad any better options?

 

[j'nuh]

Hartley and Lawes doubtful for the AIs. Massive blows, two of the least replaceable players in the squad. Starting to dread the AIs now...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Launchbury in for Lawes, .....David Paice(?) in for Hartley?

Tom Youngs as first choice hooker makes me want to shoot myself.

 

[Patchey]

Launchbury in for Lawes, .....David Paice(?) in for Hartley?

Tom Youngs as first choice hooker makes me want to shoot myself.

Tom Toungs staring at hooker will simply mean the opposition kick for touch all game and feed off the turned over line outs that will follow. I may cry...

 

[Peat]

does any clubs have an all english pack?..not that i can think of.

Saints
1 Waller
2 Hartley
3 Doren-Jones
4 Lawes
5 Day
6 Clarke
7 Wood
8 Dowson

Thats not bad any better options?

Maybe not better options, but certainly options -

Quins
1. Marler 2. Gray 3. Collier 4. Kohn 5. Robson 6. Guest 7. Robshaw 8. Easter

Sarries
1. Vunipola 2. George 3. Stevens 4. Botha 5. Borthwick 6. Kruis 7. Fraser 8. Wray

Cheetahs
1. Stankovich 2. Chuter 3. Cole 4. Deacon 5. Parling 6. Croft 7. Waldrom 8. Crane

Glaws
1. Wood 2. Dawidiuk 3. Harden 4. Brown 5. Savage 6. Buxton 7. Hazell 8. Morgan

Pests are only a tighthead away from one. I can't be bothered to go through the lot, but most teams are very close to an all-English pack and often quite a good one (if not their first choice players).

Launchbury in for Lawes, .....David Paice(?) in for Hartley?

Tom Youngs as first choice hooker makes me want to shoot myself.

TEN THOUSAND MILLION TIMES THIS!

 

[Teh Mite]

"Sarries
1. Vunipola 2. George 3. Stevens 4. Botha 5. Borthwick 6. Kruis 7. Fraser 8. Wray"


That is not English.

 

[Tony Manx]

see below!!

 

[Tony Manx]

What is "English" if you want to go back we are probably all Romans, French or Vikings reigned over by the Germans and Greeks...................surely if you were born In England or have lived a substantial period there with the intention of staying, you are Englsih under the mulit nationalist society that we seem to have had imposed on the UK? Or is that too logical an argument for xenophobics?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That is not English.

Neither is Saints' or Tigers' then!



Sale could put out an English 1-8 but it's not really on the same level as those above
Harrison, Taylor, Thomas
Holmes, Myall
Doyle, Seymour, Easter

Though for pretty much toddlers the front row isn't too bad.

 

[nickdnz]

What is "English" if you want to go back we are probably all Romans, French or Vikings reigned over by the Germans and Greeks...................surely if you were born In England or have lived a substantial period there with the intention of staying, you are Englsih under the mulit nationalist society that we seem to have had imposed on the UK? Or is that too logical an argument for xenophobics?

 

[Teh Mite]

By simple virtue of, no heritage or recent ancestral ties and simply living within a set boundary of land for 3 years does not make someone of that country. A recent example, Rikki Flutey - played for Wasps, became an England player, retired then promptly swanned off 10,000 miles to his home country.

Part of the reason test rugby is so farcical. Anyone can effectively choose what country they want to play for.

 

[j'nuh]

Part of the reason test rugby is so farcical. Anyone can effectively choose what country they want to play for.

First of all, you said it about the Saracens squad posted above:

George, Borthwick, Fraser, Wray, Kruis all born in England.
Vunipola has been in the UK since 8 and England since 17(?), played for U18s and U20s England squads.
Stevens has been in the country for 10 years.
Botha has been in the country for 8 years.

Which of these aren't English? Would you dare tell them to their faces that they weren't?

ffs, we have lower standards to enter the military than we do our sports teams. People from the Commonwealth can join without spending any time in the UK. Officers require 5 years spent in the UK, but most soldier roles require much less, and from what I can tell, some roles don't require any residency period. Do you protest that these people aren't English?

Maybe it's because I require more from what I see as a nationality, but being English isn't about being born and raised - it's about ability to accept and integrate in local communities and accept or even involve yourself in other cultures. I don't give a crap about birthright nationality. I feel better represented by someone who wasn't born in England and takes their civic responsibilities well (votes, pays taxes, integrates), than I do those who complain about these people "not being English".

By simple virtue of, no heritage or recent ancestral ties and simply living within a set boundary of land for 3 years does not make someone of that country. A recent example, Rikki Flutey - played for Wasps, became an England player, retired then promptly swanned off 10,000 miles to his home country.

It's despicable that a guy with a wife and a fourth child on the way wanted to take them back to their extended family. I hate parents who need that kind of support.

Part of the reason test rugby is so farcical. Anyone can effectively choose what country they want to play for.

Why are Tonga'uiha's motives for playing for Northampton any more pure than Flutey's for England?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just heard that Joe Gray is expected back next week - would take him over Paice if full fit, but is there enough time before the AIs for him to be hitting top form?