EPS Form Watch

[Ragey Erasmus]

SHARPE! Hmmmrgh

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Who's been really outstanding so far? There haven't been many of the established players getting rave reviews yet.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Who's been really outstanding so far? There haven't been many of the established players getting rave reviews yet.

It has to be said that quite a few of the established starting team have been getting out shined by others.

Hartley, on form is maybe 5th choice ATM (Taylor, LCD, George, Youngs)
Itoje and Kruis haven't been as dominant as last season.
Robshaw's been fine but Williams, Jones and Thompson (just to name a few) have been immense.
Youngs too has been fine but Robson is just so good.
Joseph, even when un injured doesn't compare to Daly who's been electric.
Brown's gotten slow and has been unimpressive.

 

[Peat]

Who's been really outstanding so far? There haven't been many of the established players getting rave reviews yet.

Ford and that's it I think out of the starting XV.

 

[Timbo]

There's an element of it being a bit boring to rave about well established top class players. From the rugby I've seen Mako, Billy, George and Itoje have all been their usual excellent selves. Ditto Ford, and Joseph always oozes class. Lawes, imo, has been the outstanding second row in the league so far. At any given time Robshaw is never far from being the best 6 in the country (even when he has 7 on his back).

I don't think anyone's done badly really, but there have been a lot of players who've not had much/ any rugby. Tbh, the only established member of the 23 who ive watched this season who has looked off the pace and less than international standard has been Hartley. I know he's not played much but he just turns me cold, especially when compared to the performances of LCD, Taylor and George.

 

[Which Tyler]

For me the stand-outs so far have been Taylor, Lawes, Robshaw, Robson, Ford, JJ, Daly and Roko. Much as it pains me, Te'o is the form IC.
I certaily don't agree that JJ "doesn't compare" to Daly - they've both been excellent.

Actually, let's compare
Daly averages 38.6 m per match, making 1.4 clean breaks and beating 2.0 defenders.
. JJ averages 38.2 m per match, making 1.2 clean breaks and beating 2.4 defenders.
JJ gives slightly more clean passes (6.6 : 7.6), whilst Daly makes more offloads (0.8 : 0). Both about as busy in defence, making 7.0 : 7.1 tackles, but JJ more succesfully (71% : 92%)

For me, the only real points of difference between the two so far this season are Daly's kicking from the tee (as an option - it's basically unused this season), and JJ's defence. So long as the IC shirt is up-for-grabs / Farrell's, then the OC needs to be the defensive leader; making JJ's selection a no-brainer.

ETA:
Bath:
Charlie Ewels - Off the bench today; couple of big hits, and never exposed - didn't make too big an impression on me beyond that, and as ever, I'll leave it to the resident forwards to comment more... inteligently?

George Ford - Good game, bossed the players around him a bit more today, and got the ball to people running nice angles - still largely had to tell them what to do; good kicking from hand, and good movement of the ball to the right places. Kicking 6/6
Jonathan Joseph - first game back after a few weeks off - very threatening, and as solid as ever in defence.
Semesa Rokoduguni - Looked dangerous when he had the ball, but didn't get that much space to work with.
Anthony Watson - DNP - fractured jaw.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've been more impressed by JJ than Daly,
I'd have both in the 23 though (Daly in the 22/23 shirt but getting a start or two during the series to stake a real claim).

 

[Peat]

I've seen a lot of people say Itoje has been a level down.

Lot of praise for Launchbury mind.

Ford's probably the most praised starting player at the moment.

 

[Every Time Ref]

For me the stand-outs so far have been Taylor, Lawes, Robshaw, Robson, Ford, JJ, Daly and Roko. Much as it pains me, Te'o is the form IC.
I certaily don't agree that JJ "doesn't compare" to Daly - they've both been excellent.

Actually, let's compare
Daly averages 38.6 m per match, making 1.4 clean breaks and beating 2.0 defenders.
. JJ averages 38.2 m per match, making 1.2 clean breaks and beating 2.4 defenders.
JJ gives slightly more clean passes (6.6 : 7.6), whilst Daly makes more offloads (0.8 : 0). Both about as busy in defence, making 7.0 : 7.1 tackles, but JJ more succesfully (71% : 92%)

For me, the only real points of difference between the two so far this season are Daly's kicking from the tee (as an option - it's basically unused this season), and JJ's defence. So long as the IC shirt is up-for-grabs / Farrell's, then the OC needs to be the defensive leader; making JJ's selection a no-brainer.

ETA:
Bath:
Charlie Ewels - Off the bench today; couple of big hits, and never exposed - didn't make too big an impression on me beyond that, and as ever, I'll leave it to the resident forwards to comment more... inteligently?

George Ford - Good game, bossed the players around him a bit more today, and got the ball to people running nice angles - still largely had to tell them what to do; good kicking from hand, and good movement of the ball to the right places. Kicking 6/6
Jonathan Joseph - first game back after a few weeks off - very threatening, and as solid as ever in defence.
Semesa Rokoduguni - Looked dangerous when he had the ball, but didn't get that much space to work with.
Anthony Watson - DNP - fractured jaw.

I haven't watched enough non-Bath rugby to comment on this season but based on last year JJ's points of difference are defence and the fact that he is established. By that I don't mean you should never drop an established player, but you shouldn't drop one who is performing well in every aspect of the game and has no discernible weaknesses without a MUCH better case than Daly has made.

The supposed advantages of Daly are attack (minimal at best) and long range kicking (give a ****). JJ's are defence, the fact that he's a proven international, familiarity with the systems and other players, familiarity with one position, familiarity with the first choice playmaker and just the fact that he has performed consistently well for England ever since his first start.

 

[BPM]

I'm not generally an advocate for playing people out of position, but if Nowell is not back to 100% fitness, I wonder if there is any mileage in looking at Daly in the left wing?

I'm hoping to see Nowell and Roko, but I'd potentially rather see Daly on the wing than Yarde if Nowell isn't quite there.

 

[welshglory]

I've seen a lot of people say Itoje has been a level down.

Lot of praise for Launchbury mind.

Ford's probably the most praised starting player at the moment.

Maybe burnout starting to kick in. He's started every game for Sarries so far this year and hasn't been replaced in many of them. Played a hell of a lot last year as well and then a minimal break. England and Sarries should be careful how they manage him.

 

[RedruthRFC]

I'm not generally an advocate for playing people out of position, but if Nowell is not back to 100% fitness, I wonder if there is any mileage in looking at Daly in the left wing?

I'm hoping to see Nowell and Roko, but I'd potentially rather see Daly on the wing than Yarde if Nowell isn't quite there.

According to the Telegraph last evening, Nowell injured his calf in Brighton, so it's not a case of not being back, it's a new injury, which doesn't look good for his chances. He's out of the Chiefs side today. Unless he gets back very soon, he's going to be very short on game time coming in to the AIs.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Sounds like Mike Williams picked up a knock before the Tigers game.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Sounds like Mike Williams picked up a knock before the Tigers game.

Every back row apart from kvesic will be injured.

It is fate

 

[BPM]

According to the Telegraph last evening, Nowell injured his calf in Brighton, so it's not a case of not being back, it's a new injury, which doesn't look good for his chances. He's out of the Chiefs side today. Unless he gets back very soon, he's going to be very short on game time coming in to the AIs.

Exactly - even if Nowell is fit, he'll undoubtedly be short of match sharpness and as May and Watson are already out, we're really down to the bare bones of wingers with test experience with only Roko and Yarde available.

Again, I'm not generally supportive of playing people out of position, but considering Yarde is in no kind of form Wade is highly unlikely to be called-up, playing Daly as an auxiliary winger would at least give us the opportunity to get another in-form player in to the side.

- - - Updated - - -

Every back row apart from kvesic will be injured.

It is fate

Possibly - to be honest, a lot of players get their opportunities off the back of others being injured, so stranger things have happened.

It's crap to lose this many through injury, but I can't say I'm losing sleep over uncapped, unproven players not being available.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Sinckler.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Sinckler.

Sinckler vs Hill for the 18 shirt should be interesting. So should Taylor vs George for 16 and Vunipola vs Marler for 1. Some quality battles in the front row.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

How Sinkler's temperament these days? He was always incredibly easy to wind up, and it was a bit of an issue.
I presume his scrummaging has come on leaps and bounds over the past year or so for him to be spoken of as a potential choice again? (He was when he first burst onto the scene, but that was more wishful thinking because, as good as he was in the loose, he was poor in the scrum).

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Sinckler vs Hill for the 18 shirt should be interesting.

Neither fill me with a great deal of confidence. Hill isn't even starting for his club.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Neither fill me with a great deal of confidence. Hill isn't even starting for his club.

Hill is a solid international through and through. He's not an X factor player but very good at all aspects of the game Including ball handling and scrummaging.

For a bench option you'd have to go Sinklar but hill is the type of player you'd start. Don't worry he's not starting for the saints. Mallinder is not picking any of the good players, hopefully he'll be gone soon.