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

[RugbyMarvel]

I think England come out with a 13 point advantage. It'll be a slog for much of the game, but that bench with the additional ball carriers could cause the French real problems in the last 15. I'd expect a lot of their defenders will get tied up and leave space open.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I think England come out with a 13 point advantage. It'll be a slog for much of the game, but that bench with the additional ball carriers could cause the French real problems in the last 15. I'd expect a lot of their defenders will get tied up and leave space open.

I'm not so sure. If the French are savvy (and we aren't) they will know that if they keep possession then the only way we will get the ball is if they cough it up. They will know there is little risk of a turnover. They will also know that we concede ground to pick and drives far too easily. It will be a dull game but if the French bludgeon us around the breakdown, I can see us struggling to get into the game and tiring first.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Good to see my favourite French flyhalf (not that that is saying much) Trinh Duc getting the start. He always looks dependable, albeit unspectacular and should help France keep the scoreboard ticking over a bit without major screw ups. Surprised at the change as Beauxis did well against Italy, the best I've ever seen him.

I'm actually entertaining a French win here given England's recent scoring woes. If they score 12 or 13 points like the last times out then I'm sure they'll lose. I'd rate the English chances of a winning BP at less than 10% as defence is about the only thing the French national side hasn't completely forgotten how to do.

Arguably the first bit of real (negative) pressure on EJ's tenure should provide some added interest.

England by 4 (no BP)

 

[Giraffatitan]

Hepburn, Kruis, Solomona all travelling as reserves apparently. Hartley also travelling, but probably just as a spectator

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I'm actually entertaining a French win here given England's recent scoring woes.

Agreed. No matter how pants they've been, this is still France away. Another loss is quite possible and if it happened our recent 6N history, with the best team to come, would be LLWWL. From RWC pretenders to full on crisis in a heartbeat.

I never want us to lose, but another defeat may just force Eddie's hand for the medium term better.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

If you'd told me this would be the squad at the start of the week I wouldn't have known whether to spit or laugh in your face. I can overlook the issues with Wiggy, centres and backrow just to see how this goes.

Farrell best learn to chop tackle fast and sweet-talk refs immediately or he'll have a very long day. Bastareau will get more mileage from him than Ford with his usual technique.

 

[Jimbo]

Very surprised to see brown dropped, I know he is widely considered as one of the weaker links in the back line, he doesn't offer too much in attack and should pass more often but I don't see a better option right now, he is defensively solid, this is what concerns me slightly about Watson, I have seen him play a couple of times at FB for Bath and he has missed a few key tackles and been made to look slightly silly.

Hopefully I am wrong and we can finally have a full back who is a genuine attacking threat, just not at the expense of defensive frailtys .

 

[Scotty]

I feel better having brown on the bench than not in the 23 though, hes not an impact player but if watson is stuggling a change can be made, if daly is tiring we can take him off and if both are doing well then take of may

 

[Which Tyler]

I feel better having brown on the bench than not in the 23 though, hes not an impact player but if watson is stuggling a change can be made, if daly is tiring we can take him off and if both are doing well then take of may

Yep, the bench needs a specialist FB there. It's already got wing cover in Joseph; whilst there's also wing cover starting in Watson; so we'd only NEED a specialist winger on the bench if we're 2 injuries down in one position; which isn't really worth worrying about.
However, if Watson picks up an injury, there's no FB cover elsewhere (yes, yes, I know, Daly played there a couple of dozen times 5 years ago; but that doesn't make him a FB in 2018).
Brown may be... past his best now, but it's not like there's a tonne of other full backs hammering on the door for inclusion. Let's face it, the next best option is never-been-good-enough Alex Goode.

 

[ncurd]

Don't you want Goode on the bench? Just imagine a bench with Wigglesworth and Goode and the ensuring fallout on this forum it would the most entertaining thing I can imagine.

 

[Which Tyler]

Don't you want Goode on the bench? Just imagine a bench with Wigglesworth and Goode and the ensuring fallout on this forum it would the most entertaining thing I can imagine.

This is a very good point.
Alex Goode for England!

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Hepburn, Kruis, Solomona all travelling as reserves apparently. Hartley also travelling, but probably just as a spectator

Hepburn travelling makes we wonder if either Mako or Marler are carrying an injury?

Normally only take two reserves, not often a prop.

 

[BenJeffrey]

Hepburn travelling makes we wonder if either Mako or Marler are carrying an injury?

Normally only take two reserves, not often a prop.

Surely you'd need a prop travelling as a reserve? If you lost one in the warm-up, you wouldn't have 3 front row replacements?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Jones has claimed our current back row is the best we can put out, what tripe! There are plenty of flankers in the prem who could step up. Jones is confusing his refusal to pick certain players with the players not being there at all. There is no way Lawes is a better 6 than all the others in the Prem. It's hard to tell with Jones because he says one thing and does another but what the hell is going through his head with the back row? Statistically the worst back row in this 6N, worse even than Italy, and yet he is putting it out again saying it's the best we can do. Complete crap.

What is it about the England job that makes them ignore perfectly good flankers and constantly put out sub-par back rows?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Having made his selection, he has no choice but to back them in public.

But why he's made the selection, God only knows and its even stretching His omniscience.

 

[curtbob7]

If we were to simply take a chiefs back row of Ewers, Armand and Simmonds id be so much more confident...or even stick Kvesic in there.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

Surely you'd need a prop travelling as a reserve? If you lost one in the warm-up, you wouldn't have 3 front row replacements?

Good point. I don't know what I was thinking

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

 

[RedruthRFC]

He's an odd fellow, but I must say he steams a good ham!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You call grandslams steamed hams?

...Yes....It's a regional dialect.

What region?

.....Australia

Really? Well, I'm from New South Wales, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase steamed hams.

Oh, not in NSW. No. It's a Tasmanian expression.