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

[RugbyMarvel]

It's been announced!

15 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 31 caps)

14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 32 caps)

13 Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors 11 caps)

12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 56 caps) C

11 Elliot Daly (Wasps 16 caps)

10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 43 caps)

9 Danny Care (Harlequins 79 caps)

1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 47 caps) VC

2 Jamie George (Saracens 23 caps)

3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 80 caps)

4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 50 caps)

5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 17 caps)

6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 64 caps)

7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 62 caps)

8 Nathan Hughes (Wasps 13 caps)




16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs 4 caps)

17 Joe Marler (Harlequins 54 caps)

18 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins 8 caps)

19 James Haskell (Wasps 75 caps)

20 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 5 caps)

21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens 29 caps)

22 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 38 caps)

23 Mike Brown (Harlequins 67 caps)

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

wow, dropping Brown is a massive call

 

[martinspoonboy1]

I called Teo starting but not Watson at FB. Don't like Lawes at 6 but Simmons should bring impact against tired French legs with any luck .

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Daly in for Brown, Watson to FB. Hopefully he has a stormer, it's time to take the shirt.

Te'o over Joseph, expected.

Hartley must actually be injured, Wow.

Love the bench impact

 

[Giraffatitan]

Underwhelming selection. Also surprised at brown being dropped, but happy to see LCD in the team even if it is injury enforced.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Underwhelming selection. Also surprised at brown being dropped, but happy to see LCD in the team even if it is injury enforced.

Other than Simmonds in for Lawes, how is it underwhelming from the squad called up?

 

[martinspoonboy1]

Also like the replacement front row. Impact! Hope Daly isn't undercooked. Overall, apart from Lawes, I think there are quite a few positive selections in there. Some forced on EJ. Just need these lads to show exactly what they're capable of.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I could be proved wrong, but Brown doesn't really strike me as a 'finisher', maybe Eddie wants a smash and grab from the backs in the first half, then sure up in the second and got through big hitting forwards?

 

[BenJeffrey]

Can imagine the backrow finishing as 6 - Robshaw, 7 - Haskell, 8 - Simmonds. Haskell and Simmonds will add a lot. Back to early EJ days, where we're excited for the "finishers" impact.

 

[Giraffatitan]

Other than Simmonds in for Lawes, how is it underwhelming from the squad called up?/QUOTE]

As you said, I would have preferred to see Simmonds starting over the 3 lock combination. It's the area that needed to be addressed and it hasn't been. I would have kept Lawes and dropped Itoje to the bench.

Still not convinced by Te'o as a 13 or Watson as a 15 either, but hoping to be proved wrong

 

[RugbyMarvel]

As you said, I would have preferred to see Simmonds starting over the 3 lock combination. It's the area that needed to be addressed and it hasn't been. I would have kept Lawes and dropped Itoje to the bench.

Still not convinced by Te'o as a 13 or Watson as a 15 either, but hoping to be proved wrong

I expect Te'o is in because the French don't exactly get wide fluidly or with any great success, so his physicality will be a good addition.

Watson hasn't really had the opportunity to price himself at 15 for England. The French kick chase is so unorganised, so guessing they want his broken field running to come to the fore.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Interesting selection, Teo selected to go toe to toe physically with Basteaud for 60 minutes then unleash JJ with against tired defence. I still don't think that's an international quality back row though and can you can't do anything with the backs if you have no ball.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Any thoughts on faz getting the capitaincy? I'm not sure whether I like it, but I don't know who else you would give it to

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Happy enough with that team.

Would change the back row for ireland though.

 

[TommiG88]

Happy with that.

 

[ncurd]

Brown dropped, shocked but pleasently surprised I suspect he's bench injury cover though or bring on a solid player if Watson fails (he won't). Big call from EJ though considering what he said a few weeks ago.

Daly in can't disagree on that front.

Te'o I find him a bench player not a starter and I think defensively we lose a lot by taking Joseph off but Joseph has stuggled in attack for some time so can't whine too much.

Lawes instead of Simmons I can only assume that Simmons is still carrying something.

Can't agree with a back as Captain but I suppose Launchbury is the only forward as a choice and for some reason isn't deemed a leader.

Hartley injured and hopefully we'll never see him in an England shirt again.



Overall I'm positive mainly because we may see the back of two players that have long not justified their selection.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

JJ didn't exactly hold up the defence v Scotland either.

The French game is a good one to start Te'o IMO.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not a fan of lawes at 6 or Haskell being considered international standard, but other than that it's a good side.
Exciting back 3 and George finally gets a shot in a big test

 

[Scotty]

Dint like lawes at 6 but at least we have 2 back rowers on the bench, and on field lock cover.

George starts, lcd on the bench. Waitung fir this fir a while.

May daly watson. Serious pace


Good impact off the bench, lcd sinks hask simmonds all carriers.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Te'o I find him a bench player not a starter and I think defensively we lose a lot by taking Joseph off but Joseph has stuggled in attack for some time so can't whine too much.

Lawes instead of Simmons I can only assume that Simmons is still carrying something.

JJ hasn't been a rock in defence, and hasn't as you say done much going forward. After Italy EJ was obviously worried that Te'o defends way too narrowly, however the French attack is akin to Warrenball (without the organisation). They use big runners in tight, and Te'o is built to withstand that.

With Lawes over Simmonds I expect it's all about the lineout, trying to dominate there with extra jumpers.