[Natwest 6 Nations] Round 4 : France Vs England (10/03/2018)

[TommiG88]

France Vs England at the Stade de France.

Personally, I'm hoping to see a response from England and for Eddie to play a proper back row.

France looked good against Italy, but both England and Ireland put more points on them. I expect this to be a tight game, although an England win.

Plus I'll be there and I've never seen England lose when present at the game.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I would like to see England come out and actually show a bit of passion and energy, they have looked far too lethargic. Unfortunately I think we will revert back to attempting to control the game with kicking and letting the French have all the freedom in the world at the breakdown. This is where Jones is really tested, if we go into the game against France playing the same way with the same glaring weaknesses and making the same mistakes then he obviously isn't learning the lessons from the defeats. If we go into the French game and there is a noticeable attempt to address the problems then I'll eat my words.

 

[BPM]

When was the last time we didn't look lethargic?

I'm thinking about it and the only times I can think of looking sharper and more 'on it' were when we were playing more or less a second string in Argentina.

I'm OK with the occasional loss provided we learn from it and react, but I feel like a narrow win would paper over the same cracks yet again.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Team I'd like to see from the squad but that we definitely won't:
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Launchbury
5. Itoje
6. Underhill
7. Simmonds
8. Hughes
9. Wigglesworth
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. JJ
14. Watson
15. Brown

16. George
17. Marler
18. Sinckler
19. Lawes
20. Mercer
21. Care
22. Te'o
23. Nowell

I know Daly's back available but Despite Watson's pretty poor showing vs Scotland, our wings have been going well so for now I'd keep him rested, maybe bring him in vs Ireland if any of the back three really fail vs France, but for now leave the back three as it is.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Big advantage for England to play after Scotland vs Ireland. They'll know if they need to chase a winning bonus point here or not.

If England played first they'd have to chase the BP and might mess up as a result (declining kicks at goal etc).

Will be a stoater of a match if they have to chase 4 tries.

 

[Scotty]

Team I'd like to see from the squad but that we definitely won't:
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Launchbury
5. Itoje
6. Underhill
7. Simmonds
8. Hughes
9. Wigglesworth
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. JJ
14. Watson
15. Brown

16. George
17. Marler
18. Sinckler
19. Lawes
20. Mercer
21. Care
22. Te'o
23. Nowell

I know Daly's back available but Despite Watson's pretty poor showing vs Scotland, our wings have been going well so for now I'd keep him rested, maybe bring him in vs Ireland if any of the back three really fail vs France, but for now leave the back three as it is.

Agree with your team in every sense except one, start daly over may. We all know EJ is not afraid to take a player off early if he they are not playing well and Nowell is a class player. May is bringing very little but pace, pace which daly has too, if daly is doing well then nowell comes on for brown, if daly is struggling then he comes on for daly. Plus he trained with england rather than playing for wasps so i thing EJ will want to use him.(or he wasmt fit intime for that game, IDK)

Would like to see mercer on the bench and this game is realisticly the last chance give him a chance to prove himself before the summer, we cant really just through him in against Ireland when we could have done it in an 'easier' game.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I expect a response from England this week and I don't think this French team can play as well as Scotland did last week so I'm going for a England win. Don't think it will be by much mind.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Nowell and Underhill out with Hartley a doubt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43299168

 

[Scotty]

So hughes was out...get hughes back and simmonds gets ruled out....get simmonds back and underhill is ruled out.

Daly out...daly back then nowell is ruled out lol whats going on.

Hartley...dont care george will start and LCD is on form can do the job for last 20 but it will just be getting up to speed with lineout calls and systems for him. But george is more than capable of starying.

Looks like

Mako
George
Williams
Itoje
Launchbury
Robshaw
Simmonds
Hughes
Care (rather he a finisher but oh well)
Ford
May
Farrell
JJ
Watson
Brown

LCD
Marler
Sinkler
Lawes
Mercer
Wigs
Teo
Daly.

Kind of wish may was out instead of nowell, dont wish injuries in anyone but if one had to be dropped it would be may.daly Like for like in the speed department but a much better more intelligent all round game. Start him straight off in mays place. But thats just my opinion.

 

[Scotty]

As said before nowell and underhill are out

Hartley, williams and mercer all have knocks

LCD called up and has trained today

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

As said before nowell and underhill are out

Hartley, williams and mercer all have knocks

LCD called up and has trained today

As per Borthwick Q&A, Mercer has returned to Bath. Sinckler has also trained with the squad.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

There must be something wrong with the training, players should not be getting injured like this.

 

[BPM]

It's been going on for ages. There must be a pretty long list of players injured in England training now.

Sam Jones is obviously the worst example, but Tommy Taylor was also out for almost a year from an injury in England training.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Jones bemoans our conditioning and says he's going to beast us,
Then we lose a load of players to injury

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

End up seeing another 5 call ups at this rate.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Underhill stubbing his toe and Nowell rolling an ankle and in doing so aggravating a previous injury, isn't necessarily linked to any over training or beasting by Jones.

Hartley/Williams muscle tightness, who knows.

Losing Underhill for this game isn't that huge, nor is losing Nowell if Daly comes in. It'll become a bigger problem against a very good Irish side.

 

[Scotty]

What happens if both england and ireland end up on 18 points? How do they determine a winner? Points difference? Or bps? Or what

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What happens if both england and ireland end up on 18 points? How do they determine a winner? Points difference? Or bps? Or what

PD

 

[Scotty]

Fair enough, Still dont like the bp system in a comp this small. Didnt last year either.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

The BP system is the 6N would be more suited to:

1 BP if you'd score 3 or more tries than the opposition

Plus a LBP if you are 6 or less (not 7) down.