England v Scotland, 02/02/13

[TRF_Olyy]

Twickenham
16:00, 02/02/13

​

 

[Howzy]

Do we hav confirmed team selections for this game yet?

 

[smb64]

Do we hav confirmed team selections for this game yet?

They won't announce until later in the week.

Actually think this one will be quite close - I feel Scotland are somewhat unpredictable, what impact will Dean Richards and Johnson have or will nothing much change.

Nevertheless Scotland will of course always be up for playing Eng, should be a competitive contest.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Thursday midday is the usual announcement time.
Players get told on Tuesday, I read earlier.

I'm expecting to see:

1. Marler
2. Youngs
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Parling
6. Wood
7. Robshaw (C)
8. Morgan
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. Foden
12. Barritt
13. Tuilagi (Joseph if injured)
14. Ashton
15. Brown

16. Hartley, 17. Vunipola, 18. Wilson, 19. Botha, 20. Haskell, 21. Care, 22. Flood, 23. Joseph/Goode

Not necessarily who I'd go for, but from what I've read online this is the way it's leaning.

 

[Howzy]

I wud start flood at 10 and Hartley at 2 then put Farrell on at centre for Barrett

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Farrell's gash at centre, though.
Would take Flood over Farrell at 12, but when you've got Twelvetree's there as a playmaking 12 why shoehorn one of the 10s in?

 

[Peat]

No offence Howzy, but you're a nutter.

 

[Big Ewis]

will be cool to watch this...they both have a lot to prove at this point in time, and the first tests of the tournament are always so enthusiastic.
Probably England byyy...10-15 ?

 

[irelandfan123]

SCOTLAND BY 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gunna support Scotland the whole tournament bar when the play Ireland... Underdogs with a new coaching set up, maitland and visser = Dangerous stuff

EDIT: Hogg at 13 too
Anyone reckon how the Scotland backline will look? Where would Evans and Lamont go? actually look like a dangerous backline

 

[Teh Mite]

Throughout the entire buildup, the BBC will paint a picture that England are unstoppable since overhauling the ABs.

The in a drab and boring game, England will win by 9-12 points with a scoreline dividable by 3.

Scotland scoring the only try. When Brown bottles a tackle. Again.

Normal service therein being resumed.

 

[seatea15]

Anyone reckon how the Scotland backline will look? Where would Evans and Lamont go? actually look like a dangerous backline

I'd personally like to see the below -

9 - Henry Pyrgos
10 - Duncan Weir
11 - Tim Visser
12 - Sean Lamont
13 - Max Evans
14 - Sean Maitland
15 - Stuart Hogg

On paper a pretty good looking back line, especially back three of Visser, Maitland & Hogg. It is Scotland however, so we'll manage to take that talent and dim it down :O)

 

[Big Ewis]

Throughout the entire buildup, the BBC will paint a picture that England are unstoppable since overhauling the ABs.

The in a drab and boring game, England will win by 9-12 points with a scoreline dividable by 3.

Scotland scoring the only try. When Brown bottles a tackle. Again.

Normal service therein being resumed.

nahh England's scoring a try...but that does seem pretty realistic though otherwise !

 

[TRF_Olyy]

More likely to come from a Foden missed tackle or intercept than Brown - he's playing very well at the moment, as much as it must pain you to hear.

 

[irelandfan123]

Most likely Foden will throw an intercept and then a missed tackle from brown and hogg will glide under the posts, the scotland win by three

**** sake I started writing that a while ago and only just refreshed the page

 

[j'nuh]

Oh dear. Can't an England fullback stay in good enough form to keep the shirt for a decent length of time? England coaches like consistency and if Brown/Goode perform well this 6N and Foden doesn't quickly get back to form, he's risking being pushed out like Armitage was by Foden.

Monye in covering for Burns. I would actually like Monye to start at 11 now.
Thomas in covering for Corbisiero. Don't get this one - Thomas isn't going to compete with Cole/Wilson, whereas Wood is good enough to push Marler/Vunipola and did very well in the Saxons.

 

[Zed]

Farrell's gash at centre, though.
Would take Flood over Farrell at 12, but when you've got Twelvetree's there as a playmaking 12 why shoehorn one of the 10s in?

I agree. England always seem to do this - they have 2 good 10s so the stick one at 10 & one at 12. 10 & 12 might stand next to one another, but they are completely different positions. Flood, Farrell, Wilkinson etc etc are not 12s, bemusing why the England setup persist on trying to make a 10 into a 12. Might work at club level, not international.

 

[Zed]

England desperately need Tuilagi. Without him, their backline is going to be severely hamstrung. I don't know anything about other potentials 13s and how good they are, but they need two genuine centres not two 10s. England will win, I guess the only thing that may help Scotland is if it ****** it down. They really are a very one dimensional side and can't really play an expansive game, so the wet weather will suit them.

 

[Peat]

Oh dear. Can't an England fullback stay in good enough form to keep the shirt for a decent length of time? England coaches like consistency and if Brown/Goode perform well this 6N and Foden doesn't quickly get back to form, he's risking being pushed out like Armitage was by Foden.

Monye in covering for Burns. I would actually like Monye to start at 11 now.
Thomas in covering for Corbisiero. Don't get this one - Thomas isn't going to compete with Cole/Wilson, whereas Wood is good enough to push Marler/Vunipola and did very well in the Saxons.

I'm not sure I'd care to put money on that. They love Thomas. Besides, Wood plays for Glaws.

England desperately need Tuilagi. Without him, their backline is going to be severely hamstrung. I don't know anything about other potentials 13s and how good they are, but they need two genuine centres not two 10s. England will win, I guess the only thing that may help Scotland is if it ****** it down. They really are a very one dimensional side and can't really play an expansive game, so the wet weather will suit them.

Jonathan Joseph is pretty good - he looked amazing last season, despite playing in a poor London Irish side. Not sure how he's gone this season, but he certainly has the talent to be a very good international player. It's all irrelevant if our pack and 9-10-12 axis aren't doing the job anyway - if it does, I'd back Joseph to do a bang up job.

 

[Zed]

Yeah I've heard about Joseph, tried to find some youtube footage, but there wasn't any. But you're right, if the pack and halfbacks aren't performing then it's kind of irrelevant who you've got at 13 or on the wing.

 

[Teh Mite]

More likely to come from a Foden missed tackle or intercept than Brown - he's playing very well at the moment, as much as it must pain you to hear.

I know Foden is gash atm, but Brown in an England shirt is like Easter or Hodgson.