New England starting 15?

[Aedaphon]

That is a godawful selection. I have a soft spot for Cipriani as an England player and I wouldn't even dream of putting him close to the starting 15. With a good season at the Rebels maybe in the 22.

It'd be a travesty to put Foden at 11 when that's the position where we have the most young talent. Sharples/May have both played well enough to earn a spot and I'd love to let Wade have some game time even if it is off the bench.

And Morgan?

 

[TheUnbeatableAllBlacks]

I'm probably going to cop ALOT of flack for this BUT I think that Cipriani should be the go-to no.10 for England right now, if they're really wanting to change there game and up the tempo he's the man for them, he has some defensive frailties but he makes up for that with his brilliance in attack.

 

[Peat]

That is a godawful selection. I have a soft spot for Cipriani as an England player and I wouldn't even dream of putting him close to the starting 15. With a good season at the Rebels maybe in the 22.

It'd be a travesty to put Foden at 11 when that's the position where we have the most young talent. Sharples/May have both played well enough to earn a spot and I'd love to let Wade have some game time even if it is off the bench.

And Morgan?

I rate Olly Morgan and would be happy to see him playing for England. Its unfortunate for him that there are three full-backs better and about another three showing the same level of ability. Its sodding ridiculous that we have so many good full-backs and bugger all in so many other places.

 

[Blumbus23]

Team for Scotland

1. Nick Wood
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. George Robson
6. Chris Robshaw (c)
7. David Seymour
8. Ben Morgan

9. Ben Youngs
10. Toby Flood
11. Miles Benjamin
12. Brad Barritt
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Charlie Sharples
15. Mike Brown

16. Joe Gray
17. Joe Marler
18. Matt Garvey
19. Tom Wood
20. Danny Care
21. Owen Farrell
22. Ben Foden

 

[j'nuh]

Yeah, I like Morgan too, but there's no way he's going to get in ahead of Foden and Brown. It's probably unnecessary to take a third fullback, they'd just be wasting away in the reserves...

From a Glos perspective, it would be devestating to be potentially missing Wood, Lawson x2, Narraway, Burns, Trinder, Sharples, May, JSD, Morgan and even Tindall. We play Leicester, Northampton and Harlequins during the six nations (top teams with better depth than us), as well as Bath (who aren't likely to suffer too much by international call-ups).

 

[Aedaphon]

From a Glos perspective, it would be devestating to be potentially missing Wood, Lawson x2, Narraway, Burns, Trinder, Sharples, May, JSD, Morgan and even Tindall. We play Leicester, Northampton and Harlequins during the six nations (top teams with better depth than us), as well as Bath (who aren't likely to suffer too much by international call-ups).

Let's hope the HMS Banahan has finally departed international waters...

 

[RAWWeyman]

Team for Scotland

1. Nick Wood
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. George Robson
6. Chris Robshaw (c)
7. David Seymour
8. Ben Morgan

9. Ben Youngs
10. Toby Flood
11. Miles Benjamin
12. Brad Barritt
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Charlie Sharples
15. Mike Brown

16. Joe Gray
17. Joe Marler
18. Matt Garvey
19. Tom Wood
20. Danny Care
21. Owen Farrell
22. Ben Foden

I like this team that you've put here. It's very realistic I think. However I would change:

Danny Care over Ben Youngs as Care is in superb form at the moment and Youngs is still in his slump of form.
Would consider putting Farrell at 10 over Flood against Scotland to see his worth at controlling an international side.

Otherwise I couldn't agree more.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Team for Scotland

1. Nick Wood
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. George Robson
6. Chris Robshaw (c)
7. David Seymour
8. Ben Morgan

9. Ben Youngs
10. Toby Flood
11. Miles Benjamin
12. Brad Barritt
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Charlie Sharples
15. Mike Brown

16. Joe Gray
17. Joe Marler
18. Matt Garvey
19. Tom Wood
20. Danny Care
21. Owen Farrell
22. Ben Foden

Although I do like the look of your team, I really don't think Foden is droppable. He's our best player, even with Mike Brown on fire, and in that sense Brown is just incredibly umlucky. This said, with Armitage supposedly moving to France it does look like Brown will be given the chance to cement himself as our undisputed no. 2 15.

Have to confess I have seen little of Seymour; hoped that would change when I sat down to watch Leicester versus Sale but He was concussed within 2 minutes! It definitely would seem to be a case of Seymour versus Wood, however, and I also here would admit that Stuart Barnes on this occasion has a chance of being right if it turns out that Robshaw is played as a 7. It's not the least likely thing I've ever heard, especially with our deeply entrenched tradition of playing backrowers out of position. Wood seems to me to be the best bet at present but as I said, I say this without having seem Seymour enough. Guardian article a few weeks ago seemed to think it possible that Saull had played himself into contention after the Saracens Harlequins game. Seems unlikely to me.

The other thing is that I strongly believe Corbisiero has to feature in our next 22. Probably, as our starting no. 1. Nick Wood is probably behind Cole, Corbs and Stevens at least. However, I really hope he is chosen over Wilson.

Finally, Robson has been great but it's a big call to leave out Palmer...

 

[Peat]

If Saull is in contention I shall bang my head against the table angrily.

Wood is in no way behind Cole (a tighthead) for 1 (loosehead). Cole is not ambidexterous, and based on his attempts this autumn, neither should Stevens be seen that way. Its Wood vs Corbs, and I'm happy with either (as my excellent article linked in my sig says plug plug)

Still reckon Robshaw is as much as an openside as Wood, although I'd love to give Seymour a go.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If you saw Auva'a play, then imagine that times 50, and that's Seymour.


I'd really really really want Burns in over Farrell but with Daddy pulling the strings it's not going to happen. Burns is on much better form than Farrell, and is generally a better player, imo.
Farrell could/should go to the Saxons.

 

[Blumbus23]

Have to confess I have seen little of Seymour; hoped that would change when I sat down to watch Leicester versus Sale but He was concussed within 2 minutes! It definitely would seem to be a case of Seymour versus Wood, however, and I also here would admit that Stuart Barnes on this occasion has a chance of being right if it turns out that Robshaw is played as a 7. It's not the least likely thing I've ever heard, especially with our deeply entrenched tradition of playing backrowers out of position. Wood seems to me to be the best bet at present but as I said, I say this without having seem Seymour enough. Guardian article a few weeks ago seemed to think it possible that Saull had played himself into contention after the Saracens Harlequins game. Seems unlikely to me.

I also confess, I've only seen 3 games when Seymour's played this season (but when I have seen him, he's been fantastic). The main reason hes in there is because a Wood, Robshaw partnership would struggle against team's with genuine opensides. For example in the Big Game Quins fielded two excellent blindside flankers in Fa'asavalu and Robshaw, they were completly bossed by Saracens second choice openside, because for all their talents (carrying, workrate, hands) fetching at the breakdown is not one of them. Another reason he's in their is because there's only really 3 contenders (to my knowledge) for the England openside jersey; Andy Saull, who's tackling is well below standard (he's missed the fourth most amount of tackles in the AP whilst having been second choice most of the season), Luke Wallace whom has yet to nail the starting jersey at Quins (although I think next season will be a big one for him with both Quins and England), and finally David Seymour who I hear has consistently been one of Sale's best players and "the form openside".

The other thing is that I strongly believe Corbisiero has to feature in our next 22. Probably, as our starting no. 1. Nick Wood is probably behind Cole, Corbs and Stevens at least. However, I really hope he is chosen over Wilson.

Corbisiero's seemed to have lost form recently (for example, when the Bath scrum dominated the LI Scrum last weekend) and I think Nick Wood is the best scrummaging loosehead we have at the moment. I WOULD start Marler becasue I think his scrummaging is wildly underatted (and would be imrpoved by Rowntree) and his work around the field (ball carrying, breakdown work) is sensational at times but because I had such a lightweight second row (Robson and Lawes are both converted blindsides I think), I felt a need to have the strongest pair of scrummaging props possible

Finally, Robson has been great but it's a big call to leave out Palmer...

I would choose Palmer, but I thought he'd ruled himself out by playing in France (if he can play, then I'd have a Palmer/Lawes combo with Robson on the bench)

 

[Blumbus23]

I like this team that you've put here. It's very realistic I think

Thank you

Danny Care over Ben Youngs as Care is in superb form at the moment and Youngs is still in his slump of form.

I thought about that, but then I spotted that most of my XV was becoming Harlequins, and I'd be accused of bias and giving into the hype . Also I think the club understanding between Youngs and Flood is quite important. Finally, because Ben Morgan is my 8, I thought as Morgan seems to be a very similar player to Waldrom, it would benefit Youngs more than Care as Youngs is more used to playing with a big ball carrying 8 as oppossed to Care whom is used to playing with a streetwise Dean Richards like 8.

Would consider putting Farrell at 10 over Flood against Scotland to see his worth at controlling an international side.

My plan was to bring on Farrell at 12 against Scotland and then give him the start against Italy and see how it goes. I don't think he'll ever make it as an international 10 (I'd have Burns, Ford and Clegg all before him as up and coming 10's) because all he seems to be able to do is kick the ball away and as a result his team's attacking play suffers badly (for example, in the Saracens Gloucester match). BTW Before making him an international starter, you should note he tops the missed tackle count in the AP (which to be honest, I'm shocked at), although this may be partly due to him being shifted to 13 where defensive requirements are very different.

 

[RAWWeyman]

If you saw Auva'a play, then imagine that times 50, and that's Seymour.


I'd really really really want Burns in over Farrell but with Daddy pulling the strings it's not going to happen. Burns is on much better form than Farrell, and is generally a better player, imo.
Farrell could/should go to the Saxons.

The thing is that Farrell is most likely in contention for the England 12 shirt, whereas Burns would be contending for the 10 shirt. Farrell is the sort of 12 England should be wanting, so I think it will be him or Barritt getting there. In my humble opinion, I would not put Burns over Farrell. I think Burns is a very good player, but I would say let him prove himself in the Saxons first before he takes the stage as Enlgand's Fly Half. For now, I think we can afford to keep Flood in and have Farrell or Barritt outside him.

 

[Peat]

Interesting statistic

Tries scored by Saracens in games where Owen Farrell started: 2 in 5
" Charlie Hogson ": 17 in 7

Blumbus, you missed out Jamie Gibson from the list of possible English 7s

And I'll just plug this here while I'm at it http://www.nowrugby.com/the-eps-according-to-social-pundit-part-3-–-the-back-row/4806.htm - my thoughts on the English back row.

 

[Blumbus23]

Blumbus, you missed out Jamie Gibson from the list of possible English 7s

D'oh! I knew I'd forgotten someone ... I honestly can't say I've seen him play enough to make a judgement (although I did see him at Welford Road where he was very good), and no pundits really seem to talk about him :/, anyone out there who can tell me what he's like week in week out??

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Anthony Allen plops all over Farrel from a great height for the 12 shirt.
I'd take 12trees over him too, to be honest.

 

[Peat]

D'oh! I knew I'd forgotten someone ... I honestly can't say I've seen him play enough to make a judgement (although I did see him at Welford Road where he was very good), and no pundits really seem to talk about him :/, anyone out there who can tell me what he's like week in week out??

I don't watch him every week, but what I've seen is good, and LI fans rave about him.

Anthony Allen plops all over Farrel from a great height for the 12 shirt.
I'd take 12trees over him too, to be honest.

And JTH.

Farrell possesses versatility, good ball skills, good defence, a great boot and absolute nervelessness. They're great qualities for a squad player but more is demanded for starters. Or should be anyway.

 

[RAWWeyman]

Anthony Allen plops all over Farrel from a great height for the 12 shirt.
I'd take 12trees over him too, to be honest.

I'd take Barritt over all of them and put Farrell at 21, to cover 10 and 12 giving him game time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, forgot about Barritt - would take Allen over him, but he would be a very close second, and with AA missing the past however-long with injury then it strengthens BBs case.

Though, as I said above, Farrell will be starting as his Dad will make it so.

 

[RAWWeyman]

Why hasn't 12T been starting for Leicester recently? Is he injured? Because I think a 12T/Tuilagi partnership is better than a Tuilagi/Smith one. I thought 12T was superb last year.