England v Scotland, 02/02/13

[TRF_Olyy]

We'll have to agree to disagree - I think if he wore a Green Black and Gold shirt on the weekends, rather than any other colour, you wouldn't be so harsh on him


I think Monye is likely to be involved vs Scotland, thinking about it. They've called him up to cover Burns - surely they would've called up Ford? But with Goode only just back from injury, Foden poo and Strettle being Strettle, maybe they wanted to bring in another back three player?
Though I'd have rather it were Biggs, Monye's been playing well for Quins.

 

[Teh Mite]

We'll have to agree to disagree - I think if he wore a Green Black and Gold shirt on the weekends, rather than any other colour, you wouldn't be so harsh on him

You appear to miss the part where I said Foden is gash.

Goode is the best fan for the shirt ATM.

 

[smb64]

Id much prefer it they kept with

15 - Goode : Can come in as first receiver when Farrell is down in a ruck.
11 - Brown : He was immense in that All Black game, I mean how many people can skin Cory Jane and go on to dodge another three AB's.

Does Foden deserve to get straight back in under his current form? Bench sure but starting 15 I dunno.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Brown was good vs All Blacks, but 15 is his best position - would get more chance to show his running from 15 too.
The only reason I'm saying 15. Brown, 11. Foden is that (apparently) there are question marks over whether Goode is ready for international rugby after his lay off.
I'm hoping he at least makes the bench, but who knows - hopefully it's just the media running with a non-story and he starts.

 

[smb64]

Foden's form in SA wasn't bad. So maybe his international form will be better than his club form of late. So 15. Brown 11. Foden might not be so bad if Goode's not quite yet ready.

And bad news -
http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/21800.php - Looks as if Corbs will be out of the entire tournament (likely 10 week injury)

 

[McTallshort]

Calcutta cup games are normally boring affairs decided on one or 2 penalties, just hope England get through it with a win. I would wish Scotland all the best but I think Scott Johnson in a knob so I wont....

 

[martinspoonboy1]

Tuilagis out of the Scotland game ! May be a good chance to try other combinations!

 

[Saintjay]

Tuilagis out of the Scotland game ! May be a good chance to try other combinations!

Damm it, I have to edit my destroyer of worlds fantasy team now.

 

[SelimNiai]

I had to do the same

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Shame about Manu, but an excellent chance for Jonathan Joseph to shine. However, I wouldn't go as far as to say it gves us loads of opportunty to experiment or anythng because I can absolutely guarantee that the guy playing at 12 will be a Saracen

I really really hope Care starts because the first time in quite a while Scotland have a back 3 you genuinely shouldn't kick loosely to. I've had enough of Youngs sh***y box-kicks.

 

[Big Ewis]

I mean this only half sarcastically, but should be interesting to see what the England backs can conjure without Tuilagi.

 

[Crapspray]

I wouldn't write Lancaster off for experimenting. In the same fixture last year he had eight uncapped players in the team and a captain with only one cap. I don't see why he can't give a new cap to a 12 and go with an inexperienced 13 now. Heck, the back three might even get the ball passed to them once or twice. Barring Twelvetrees, is anyone else in with a shot of a new cap? Vunipola at a push, but I can't see it, and Clark is injured. So really the great experiment is to cap one player?

With all due respect, and at risk of being called arrogant, Scotland haven't won at Twickenham for thirty years. With the aforementioned team that went up to Murrayfield last year, against a more settled Scottish side, England managed to grind out an ugly win. I see no reason not to use the match for experimenting.


In an ideal world:

9. Care
10. Farrell -- Never rated Flood, one of the last remnants of England's mediocrity since 2003. Twelvetrees covers should Farrell somehow suffer a breakdown.
11. Foden/Strettle -- Former looks off colour, the latter never having shown much internationally- admittedly he hasn't played in sparkling line-ups. Flip a coin.
12. Twelvetrees
13. Joseph -- Would be nice to see him given a decent (longer than twenty minutes) chance. Looked good against the BaaBaas, was it two tries?
14. Ashton
15. Brown

20. Youngs
21. Barritt -- Solid, see above re: Flood.
22. Goode -- For when/if Barritt goes on.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

I wouldn't write Lancaster off for experimenting.

It's not that he's particularly conservative when it comes to selection policy, it's more that I think he's quite loyal to an idea when he and his team decide it works. He's stuck with Barritt at 12 throughout our weaker performances. I can't seen him change this now that Barritt put in his best shift in an attacking sense against the worlds best. Can you?

Also, this England coaching set-up knows how it wants to play. It emphases a strong and organised defence first, a la Saracens, and an expansive game second.*

I see no reason not to use the match for experimenting.

Semi-agree considering the only real thing we need to experiment with is 36 in at 12... but, on the other hand this is a somewhat more dangerous Scotland back division than we are used to seeing, and Barritts defence is excellent. Why give a Scotland team with their backs against the wall and nothing to lose, a chance to exploit an England debutant in attack?

Also, the trend seems to be that Lancaster bloods new players from the bench, rather than from the starting line up.

With all due respect, and at risk of being called arrogant, Scotland haven't won at Twickenham for thirty years. With the aforementioned team that went up to Murrayfield last year, against a more settled Scottish side, England managed to grind out an ugly win

I hear you, but Scotland are closer in ability to England than England are to New Zealand, yet we all know what happened back in November... Still, I agree we should wn, probably by 10-15, BUT, I would worry if we experiment too much, especially as I already think sooner or later Lancaster/England are going to get stung for playing full-backs on the wing.

 

[j'nuh]

Which England Northampton players are still impressing? Is Hartley doing well? Wood? Lawes? (I think I get the gist on how Foden is doing!)
Same for Wasps: Haskell? Launchbury?

Although I know it's going to be Waldrom, who could the backrow bench option be? That position has opened somewhat since Johnson's injury.

 

[Patchey]

I wouldn't write Lancaster off for experimenting. In the same fixture last year he had eight uncapped players in the team and a captain with only one cap. I don't see why he can't give a new cap to a 12 and go with an inexperienced 13 now. Heck, the back three might even get the ball passed to them once or twice. Barring Twelvetrees, is anyone else in with a shot of a new cap? Vunipola at a push, but I can't see it, and Clark is injured. So really the great experiment is to cap one player?

With all due respect, and at risk of being called arrogant, Scotland haven't won at Twickenham for thirty years. With the aforementioned team that went up to Murrayfield last year, against a more settled Scottish side, England managed to grind out an ugly win. I see no reason not to use the match for experimenting.


In an ideal world:

9. Care
10. Farrell -- Never rated Flood, one of the last remnants of England's mediocrity since 2003. Twelvetrees covers should Farrell somehow suffer a breakdown.
11. Foden/Strettle -- Former looks off colour, the latter never having shown much internationally- admittedly he hasn't played in sparkling line-ups. Flip a coin.
12. Twelvetrees
13. Joseph -- Would be nice to see him given a decent (longer than twenty minutes) chance. Looked good against the BaaBaas, was it two tries?
14. Ashton
15. Brown

20. Youngs
21. Barritt -- Solid, see above re: Flood.
22. Goode -- For when/if Barritt goes on.

This would be a back line all things considered. I would love to see what Twelvetrees and Joseph can do and having Barritt on the bench for some defensive clout if things get tight towards the end seems sensible.

Anyone know if Botha is going to play? When the new EPS was announced I had dreams of a Botha-less 6 Nations that may now be shattered.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

From the EPS or anyone English and good?

Wade continues to shine, although has had a disappointing couple of weeks and the Saxons under Callard don't seem to have clicked that he needs the ball to be able to score tries.

To be honest I haven't seen much of Launchbury recently, what with the EPS and the LV cup where academy players are preferred, but he was the only Amlin cup player to be shortlisted for the ERC player of the year . Which speaks volumes.

The Hask is an odd one really. Because he's playing in an ambiguous 6.5 role and isn't much of a fetcher, it's quite hard to measure how he's doing apart from how much of a nuisance he causes around the breakdown. He generally puts in a pretty good shift but personally I think he's worse off for the extra weight he's put on in the last couple of years. You don't see him running with the ball as much in the link role he used to have for Wasps, and he doesn't steal as much ball anymore. I kind of preferred the old Haskell really. My feeling is that he was putting on extra weight to try and make it as an 8, but hasn't quite got there and is stuck in a 6 7 8 no-mans-land! He'll always be a decent bench option.

Also, Haskell just is unable to make referees think he's on the right side of the law, he's not a canny type of player at all. Referees him at the bottom of a ruck and their arm goes right out He still averages about 2 penalties a game.

Palmer is injured I think but before that was being kept out of the Wasps side by Launchbury, Wentzel, and sometimes Cannon.

 

[Crapspray]

He's stuck with Barritt at 12 throughout our weaker performances. I can't seen him change this now that Barritt put in his best shift in an attacking sense against the worlds best.

Fair point. The main reason I'd like to see Twelvetrees start is to give a good enough assessment of whether he'll cut the mustard for later games in the tournament. If we find that we still lack a cutting edge against Scotland it leaves a harder a choice for the Ireland and France games if we aren't sure if Twelvetrees truly adds anything.

Also, the trend seems to be that Lancaster bloods new players from the bench, rather than from the starting line up.

Which is the sensible way. However, with Tuilagi injured there's umming and ahhing over Joseph. Largely, I believe, because he's spent most of his time coming off the bench and still remains an unknown.

On the bright side, it could be worse, could be Hape and Tindall starting.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

As above, I think Barritt starting is a certainty.
However I really have no idea, out of 36 and JJ, will start with him.
Either would be good, but I think I'd like to see 36 there (at 12) with Barritt outside him (wouldn't want 36 at 13). Eventually trialling 36 and Manu together, which I think has the potential to being one of the best partnerships around.

Twelvetrees is a great player - big and strong enough to bosh people, great at the breakdown (think I saw a stat earlier in the season he has the most turnovers of any back, and was still relatively high up the list when forwards were added to the equation), but then has the passing and kicking game of a quality 10.

 

[pd rugby]

Although i would like to see twelvetrees start i think he will be on the bench and cover the 10/12, think a centre of 36 and manu would be v.good it did work for tigers.

Backline will prob be, 9. Care, 10. Faz, 11.Brown, 12.Barrit, 13.Joesph, 14.Ashton, 15.Goode.

Don't like the centres orhaving a full back on the wing but can see lancster wanting to stick to this sort of team.

 

[McTallshort]

"On the bright side, it could be worse, could be Hape and Tindall starting."

with Borthwick as captain and Perry at scrum half