EPS Announcement

[TRF_Olyy]

I really like Marler, despite the haircut
He can hold his own against the best, and considering he's 20ish that's no mean feat
Carries well, and tackles hard. Also gets under the opposition players skin without actually doing anything punishable by the ref, meaning that if the other player starts something they get penalised (like Steve Thompson vs the entire Aussie front row over the summer)

 

[ssholl]

i like the fact he had the ordasity to step inside the wasps winger saturday then swan dive to score!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Demolishing the guys skull in the process :lol:
Was top

 

[Duckdee]

Props don't swan dive, they belly flop.

 

[ssholl]

haha it was a flop

 

[Teh Mite]

Brett Sharman goes up to the Saxons:

http://twitter.com/#!/bvmujati

bvmujati brian mujati



Congrats to @BCSharman for becoming a saffa Saxon

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Naughty Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooj, if he were an England player I think he'd be in hot water

He's not as SA as he could be: Had an English passport while living there/has English family (much like Barritt - unlike Fourie )
Not adverse to this, another young front rower getting in the mix, hopefully he's not in there at the cost of Rob Webber (though I think he's injured atm), but rather George Chuter

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England Elite and Saxons squad for Six Nations

*list removed because Bullits is easier to read*

I don't care if he did captain England to winning a world cup, if I ever see Martin Johnson in the street, he's getting kicked in the dick.
LOUIS DEACON?
TIM PAYNE?
NO WALDOUCK?
STRETTLE?
WORSELY?
Why the hell has he named Lawes when it's confirmed he'll miss the whole thing?


Only saving grace of the whole thing is Gaskell and Billy Twelvetrees being in the Saxons.
Hopefully Gaskell will be called up to replace Lawes and start every game, but it's much more likely to be Borthwick



Apparently a replacement for Croft is being named soon, I presume the same for Lawes, but it's not mentioned

 

[Teh Mite]

What a ******* crock:

Sale Sharks forward Gaskell and Northampton Saints lock Christian Day are named as injury replacements for Tom Rees (London Wasps) and Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers).

England Senior EPS Squad

<table class="alttable"><thead> <tr><th colspan="2">Forwards</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr class="alternate"> <td>George Chuter </td> <td>Leicester Tigers </td></tr> <tr> <td>Dan Cole </td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Tom Croft</td> <td>Leicester Tigers </td></tr> <tr> <td>Louis Deacon</td> <td>Leicester Tigers </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Paul Doran Jones</td> <td>Gloucester Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Hendre Fourie</td> <td>Leeds Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Nick Easter</td> <td>Harlequins</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Dylan Hartley </td> <td>Northampton Saints </td></tr> <tr> <td>James Haskell </td> <td>Stade Francais </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Courtney Lawes </td> <td>Northampton Saints </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Lewis Moody </td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Tom Palmer </td> <td>Stade Francais</td></tr> <tr> <td>Tim Payne </td> <td>London Wasps </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Simon Shaw</td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr> <tr> <td>Andrew Sheridan</td> <td>Sale Sharks</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Steve Thompson </td> <td>Leeds Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>David Wilson </td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Joe Worsley </td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table class="alttable"><thead> <tr><th colspan="2">Backs</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Delon Armitage</td> <td>London Irish</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Chris Ashton</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Matt Banahan </td> <td>Bath Rugby </td></tr> <tr> <td>Danny Care </td> <td>Harlequins </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Mark Cueto </td> <td>Sale Sharks </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Toby Flood</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>Ben Foden </td> <td>Northampton Saints </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Riki Flutey </td> <td>London Wasps </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Shontayne Hape</td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Charlie Hodgson </td> <td>Sale Sharks</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Joe Simpson </td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr> <tr> <td>David Strettle </td> <td>Saracens </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Mike Tindall </td> <td>Gloucester Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Jonny Wilkinson </td> <td>Toulon </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Ben Youngs </td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr></tbody></table>England Saxons EPS Squad

<table class="alttable"><thead> <tr><th colspan="2">Forwards</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Steffon Armitage </td> <td>London Irish</td></tr> <tr> <td>David Attwood </td> <td>Gloucester Rugby </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Duncan Bell </td> <td>Bath Rugby </td></tr> <tr> <td>Steve Borthwick</td> <td>Saracens</td></tr> <tr> <td>Alex Corbisiero </td> <td>London Irish </td></tr> <tr> <td>Jordan Crane</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Phil Dowson</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr> <td>Joe Marler</td> <td>Harlequins</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Lee Mears</td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Matthew Mullan </td> <td>Worcester Warriors </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Luke Narraway </td> <td>Gloucester Rugby </td></tr> <tr> <td>Geoff Parling</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>Tom Rees</td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Chris Robshaw </td> <td>Harlequins </td></tr> <tr> <td>Andy Saull </td> <td>Saracens </td></tr> <tr> <td>Dan Ward-Smith</td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Rob Webber </td> <td>London Wasps </td></tr> <tr> <td>Tom Wood</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table class="alttable"><thead> <tr><th colspan="2">Backs</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Nick Abendanon</td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Anthony Allen</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>Brad Barritt </td> <td>Saracens </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Jon Clarke</td> <td>Northampton Saints </td></tr> <tr> <td>Alex Goode</td> <td>Saracens</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Dan Hipkiss</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Paul Hodgson</td> <td>London Irish</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Ugo Monye</td> <td>Harlequins</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Stephen Myler </td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>James Simpson-Daniel</td> <td>Gloucester Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>Mathew Tait</td> <td>Sale Sharks </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>Billy Twelvetrees</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>Dominic Waldouck</td> <td>London Wasps</td></tr> <tr> <td>Richard Wigglesworth</td> <td>Saracens</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[ssholl]

massive dissapointment

 

[Teh Mite]

Once again the England management show absolutely no interest in form or ability and use typical handshake brigade nepotism to put the same shitty players in there again.

An absolute ******* disgrace.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I have absolutely no idea how they could justify Worsley or Payne.
Strettle, maybe, he's been average for Saracens, but the press have been singing his praises,
Worsleys not done anything for years, Robshaw is on top form atm
Paynes not done anything ever, apart from be pushed backwards at a rate of knots. Now that Sheridan is in the squad we should have a young backup tighthead. No point have two 30+ year old props, especially when one is a fairly poor scrummager but decent carrier, and the other is **** at everything, when we have a 20yr old guy in the Saxons who could demolish to two of them

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Does anyone else feeel that that saxons squad is probably as good as if not better than the eps...

at least lawes and croft's replacements are still to be announced

 

[Gavin]

So much for the removal of Rob Andrew allowing the coaches to choose players by form.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Does anyone else feeel that that saxons squad is probably as good as if not better than the eps...

You make a good point,
Day & Gaskell are better than Deacon,
Barritt, Allen, Hipkiss, Twelvetrees, Waldouck, Clarke - all better than Hape/Tindall/Bananaman
Armitage > Moody, Dowson>Worsley, Saull>Fourie, Marler>Payne, Webber>Chuter, Abendanon>Armitage,

 

[Duckdee]

Isn't Strettle leading the table for defenders beaten?

 

[Teh Mite]

Isn't Strettle leading the table for defenders beaten?

No, you mis-read it. That's "Beaten up by defenders".

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Isn't Strettle leading the table for defenders beaten?

Waldrom is third (or somewhere around there) - I wouldn't have him on the wing for England
Though that could be interesting...

 

[Duckdee]

I'll stay in my corner...

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

You make a good point,
Day & Gaskell are better than Deacon,
Barritt, Allen, Hipkiss, Twelvetrees, Waldouck, Clarke - all better than Hape/Tindall/Bananaman
Armitage > Moody, Dowson>Worsley, Saull>Fourie, Marler>Payne, Webber>Chuter, Abendanon>Armitage,

Exactly. If the two squads played each other, regardless of the old-hands/experience argument, the saxons would surely win with all that baggage-free young talent. There's a lot of it.

I really don't know what the EPS as a system is doing for England rugby besides placing constraints upon what it can do at any one time.

The best you can say is that it provides saxons players with the inspiration to keep improving, but to be honest if you look up above to the dizzying heights of the eps only to find danny care joe worsely and tim payne, I don't think the likes of marler, wood, dowson and day will feel that they have a great deal to aspire to.