New England starting 15?

[Peat]

If I were choosing an 8 it would be Morgan > Faletau, but I wouldn't fight over Morgan as we have Fearns who is as good as him, and will get better with more game time.

Also Guest, Gibson, Gray, Vunipola jr, Sisi, Kvesic that lad at Wasps who isn't Vunipola...

The big thing about Morgan is he's ready now (more or less) and playing 8 already. Which makes him a rarity insofar as English 8s go. In fact, its him, Easter, Narraway, and Waldrom...

 

[Teh Mite]

After all that Neil Fissler (who is very rarely wrong) has said on Twitter that Ben Morgan has chosen England (and Chris Ashton will be unveiled by Sarries next week)

That'd be the same Neil "in the Loop" Fissler who gets all his inside info from the Sport Network boards? Remember when he exclusively announced that Magnus Lund was moving to Northampton was a rock solid guarantee?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

In fact, its him, Easter, Narraway, and Waldrom...

Yup: He's head and shoulders above Easter, probably about the same as Narraway, though a stronger runner, and is actually English, so should really get precedence over Waldrom.

6. Robshaw/Croft
7. Wood/Seymour
8. Morgan/Waldrom

Not too shabby, imo

That'd be the same Neil "in the Loop" Fissler who gets all his inside info from the Sport Network boards? Remember when he exclusively announced that Magnus Lund was moving to Northampton was a rock solid guarantee?

Probably - I've not seen him be wrong, though (admittedly I've not been following him on twitter for a massive amount of time)

 

[Teh Mite]

That'd be the same Neil "in the Loop" Fissler who gets all his inside info from the Sport Network boards? Remember when he exclusively announced that Magnus Lund was moving to Northampton was a rock solid guarantee?

Probably - I've not seen him be wrong, though (admittedly I've not been following him on twitter for a massive amount of time)

He's a self styled insider who's little more then a tabloid journo with a taste for hear-say. He was quoted recently having spoken to Jim Mallender about the Ashton story and knowing the entire situation. Chris Wearmouth, the Saints head of media and communications, said the same day that Loopys claim was a complete fabrication. I know him and he's not the sort to make things up.

If Loopys said it, take it with a pinch of salt. Or a fist-full.

 

[Draggs]

I prefer his style (I like #8s to be big ball carriers)
I think Faletau can do no wrong in a lot of peoples eyes - When he started out for Wales his hands were truely atrocious, he was knocking on everything, yet people were saying he was amazing
He's a good player, but not as good as many would have you believe.

If I were choosing an 8 it would be Morgan > Faletau, but I wouldn't fight over Morgan as we have Fearns who is as good as him, and will get better with more game time.

Really? I remember plenty of people slagging him off (Faletau) after the England matches. Just watch the Dragons when he plays. He still looks phenomenal even with a ever-retreating scrum and lightweight tight five.

 

[Me 1]

as in you like Morgan's style more or think he's a better player?

Faletau is easily better than Morgan, Morgan is just a ball carrier, whilst Faletau does lineouts, ball carries and never misses a tackle (0 missed tackles at the RWC)

That is the main part of his game yes, but he is capable of tackling. Just watch this video where he was tracking Trimble very well and tackled at the perfect moment.

 

[j'nuh]

I think Faletau can do no wrong in a lot of peoples eyes - When he started out for Wales his hands were truely atrocious, he was knocking on everything, yet people were saying he was amazing

I don't think you're being fair on him. IIRC, Faletau has had one bad game for Wales - the first England-Wales WC warm-up match. He played really well in his debut for Wales and again in the WC.

 

[eot345]

I think this Joe Marler cant scrummage thing is blown out of proportion, as has already been mentioned quins have a poor scrummaging secondrow aswell as a lack of scrummaging tightheads. For saxons Marler has been a good scrummager. If given time with graham roundtree i beleieve his scrummaging will improve furthur, Cobisiero is in my opinion overated he makes few tackles and is a very undynamic player Marler IMO has far more potential then corbs and so my starting 15 is this:

1.Marler
2.Hartley
3.Cole
4.Lawes
5.Attwood
6.Croft (line out machine and rapid)
7.tom wood (needs to prove himself to become a regular starter)
8.Robshaw (Hask when he gets back)
9.youngs
10.Hodgson (on fantastic form this season a good old hand to guide the ship in this transition phase)
11.Ashton
12.Farrel (if allen fit then allen with farrel at 10)
13.MANU(if not fit then trinder)
14.Christian Wade (a big risk here but the young guy offers so much of an attacking threat, fastest highest accelerating player in the premiership?)
15.Foden (dropped for Brown quickly if he can't show good form)

16.Joe Grey
17.Corbs
18.Bota (cant think of anyone else)
19.Ben Morgan (if English)
20.Simpson (mabe care but he is not a great distributer like youngs and lacks simpsons unpredictability
21.Barrit
22.Sharples

 

[McTallshort]

Feel a bit for Morgan, he is kind of in a lose lose situation. If he goes with Wales he has 2 very good 8s in front of him. If he goes with England and doesnt have a few good games early on the press will attack him from all angles and his international career will be over before its begun.

I would like him to play for England, he is a good 8 who with Rowntrees help could develop into a great 8 but I think everyone should back off for the time being and give the lad some space.

 

[Teh Mite]

Feel a bit for Morgan, he is kind of in a lose lose situation. If he goes with Wales he has 2 very good 8s in front of him. If he goes with England and doesnt have a few good games early on the press will attack him from all angles and his international career will be over before its begun.

I would like him to play for England, he is a good 8 who with Rowntrees help could develop into a great 8 but I think everyone should back off for the time being and give the lad some space.

On the flip side, because he plays in Wales he's relatively unknown to the England media and Twickenham rent-a-mob, so he could gave an advantage over the media hyped club stars like Tuilagi, Haskell or Ashton to proove himself before getting destroyed by the press.

 

[m0rris]

If Morgan does choose England that should be pretty good for us, there's enough potential around the English clubs (plus Morgan) to create a backrow without "Le Brand" which can only be a good thing. As Olyy says Fearns has the potential to be as good at 8, if Bath play him there.

If Abendanon keeps up the work he did yesterday I'd quite like to see him on the bench for England, even if it was just for one game vs Italy... he's proved himself more worthy than Delon. Given Attwood's efforts of late I think Bath are going to lose him which will be a major blow but he deserves some caps.

That'd be the same Neil "in the Loop" Fissler who gets all his inside info from the Sport Network boards? Remember when he exclusively announced that Magnus Lund was moving to Northampton was a rock solid guarantee?

That old muppet... I'll always remember the Carter rubbish he was spouting which sounded remarkably like the musings by a poster on the Bath Rugby ERE page, he's excelled himself in lazy journalism of late - most of his "scoops" like Ashton seem to be public knowledge before he's even typed his articles up.

 

[gingergenius]

Well our backrow won't have 'Le Brand' until autumn 2012, so there's no danger of him being in it anyway. Needless to say, 'le brand' was England's best player in 2011 and shouldn't be underestimated just because of a Marmitey personality.

As it goes with Marler, an international team like England simply cannot afford to take risks at the scrum and sacrifice what is always a 'given' - that our scrum will be better than or equal to the opposition's. It's one of the few areas England are actually consistent with. So no to Marler until he improves here.

 

[RAWWeyman]

I like Haskell. His personality is irrelevant to me, because when he's on form he's an excellent player. However in a way it's good that he's currently being payed millions to eat sushi in Japan, it allows young players to have a look in.

Just read Stuart Barnes' predicition of the England six nations squad.

1. Joe Marler
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Paul Doran-Jones
4. Courntey Lawes
5. Geoff Parling
6. Tom Croft
7. Chris Robshaw
8. Tom Wood

9. Ben Youngs
10. Danny Cipriani
11. Ben Foden
12. Owen Farrell
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Olly Morgan

16. Dan Cole
17. Joe Gray
18. Tom Palmer
19. I can't remember
20. Joe Simpson
21. Toby Flood
22. I can't remember

Dont agree with Olly Morgan at all. Dont think he's a bad player, and wouldnt say no to him saxons but would never put him ahead of Brown, Goode, Foden, Abendanon or even Armitage. I think Foden on the wing would be a mistake. I think he would be a good wing, but I think he would be 100 times more effective at fullback. That would also open up the left wing for a new player - potentially Wade/Benjamin/May/Sharples/Short.

Wouldn't mind having Cipriani in there just to add a bit of electricity into the 'new look' England squad. Would want Care over Youngs, no Marler, no Parling, and the back row to have a good ball carrier at 8 and a fetcher at 7 (Seymour/Saull).


I'd still like Barritt at

 

[RAWWeyman]

(cont)12 as I rate him above Farrell. Would give Farrell game time from the bench at first I think.

 

[Peat]

Stuart Barnes is full of manure and that squad is prime evidence of why. 5 players who are nowhere near starting for England and 2 massively out of position. He should be thrown into the Thames in a sack full of adders.

 

[Teh Mite]

Barnes and Morris have spent so many years waffling they've become parodies of themselves. They're as out of touch as Eddie and Stevo on skys Rugby league TV.

 

[RAWWeyman]

I lost all respect for his judgement when he started calling Banahan an excellent 12. This team made me laugh when I saw it.

 

[McTallshort]

I wish Barnes would give the cipriani thing a rest. He is currently behind nearly every English fly half in the premiership including Andy Goode. The blokes a busted flush and Barnes should just forget it. As for Ollie Morgan, good player but with Foden, Brown, Aberdanon playing well I think he is way off the running

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You have to ask: Has Stuart Barnes ever watched rugby?
Even when he's commentating I'm wondering whether he's actually watching, or just reeling off his list of clichés...

 

[SelimNiai]

You have to ask: Has Stuart Barnes ever watched rugby?
Even when he's commentating I'm wondering whether he's actually watching, or just reeling off his list of clichés...

I think he is at the game but looking in a mirror at himself miming passing and kicking and commentating on that.