[November Tests 2016 EOYT] England vs. Fiji (19/11/2016)

[The Jones Boy]

It's Fiji guys, and you're playing at Twickenham, it's ok to have injuries...
:lol:

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

It's Fiji guys, and you're playing at Twickenham, it's ok to have injuries...
:lol:

Tell that to Anthony Watson and his fractured jaw, or Sam Jones' broken leg.

The angst is less about England's performance than player welfare. Too many people have lost massive chunks of potential to being overplayed and perpetually injured.

It's most likely an odd run of bad luck, but it's also true that the schedule's been adapted this year to fit in another England camp. By all accounts Jones isn't holding anything back in training in terms of physicality either.

 

[Which Tyler]

The way I see it is thast it's jst averaging things out over the course of a year.
We got through the 6N and June tour practically unscathed in terms of injury - whilst you'd usually expect about 1/3 players to be missing at any one time.
Now we're a bit over that 1 in 3; but probably still below it for the year (so far).

I'm more upset on behalf of the players who might have seen this as their chance to nail down a spot, or prove their versatility (eg May for the former, Watson for the latter); and that "from reports" he's look at things like Slade at FB, instead of calling up Haley. However, this is Eddie Jones, and I will virtually never believe anything "from reports" about his decision making - surely we all learned that 15 years ago!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Well Daly, Hughes and Vunipola are fine

Seeing Goode down at 15 is heartbreaking.....

 

[Mumbles119]

England Team Line-up


1 Mako Vunipola
2 Dylan Hartley (CAPTAIN)
3 Dan Cole
4 Joe Launchbury
5 Courtney Lawes
6 Chris Robshaw
7 Teimana Harrison
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Ben Youngs
10 George Ford
11 Elliot Daly
12 Owen Farrell
13 Jonathan Joseph
14 Semesa Rokoduguni
15 Alex Goode


Replacements
16 Jamie George
17 Joe Marler
18 Kyle Sinckler
19 Charlie Ewels
20 Nathan Hughes
21 Danny Care
22 Ben Te'o
23 Henry Slade

Even with the Goode at full back, I still feel comfortable with the strength of this squad. I suppose that is the Eddie effect

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is this Daly's first evert start on the wing?

 

[Every Time Ref]

Well Daly, Hughes and Vunipola are fine

Seeing Goode down at 15 is heartbreaking.....

I know what you mean, but it's a stopgap in extreme circumstances, I for one can bite the bullet and accept it at home against Fiji

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I know what you mean, but it's a stopgap in extreme circumstances, I for one can bite the bullet and accept it at home against Fiji

Honest for me that makes it worse.

Why not play Haley v Fiji.....

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

If Jones makes Goode a proper international then he is the messiah!

He's worked his magic on Haskell, Wood played as well as I've seen him play....maybe it's Goode's time

This is half tongue in cheek by the way

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Tell that to Anthony Watson and his fractured jaw, or Sam Jones' broken leg.

The angst is less about England's performance than player welfare. Too many people have lost massive chunks of potential to being overplayed and perpetually injured.

It's most likely an odd run of bad luck, but it's also true that the schedule's been adapted this year to fit in another England camp. By all accounts Jones isn't holding anything back in training in terms of physicality either.

I wouldn't worry, look at Ireland's injuries between the RWC and the SA tour, muscle ripped off the bone, acl's and stuff like that aren't due to overtraining just like fractures and breaks.

If you were getting a lot of ligament injuries with 3-4 month layoffs then it might be time to raise a few eyebrows.

- - - Updated - - -

Strangely strong England side, Farrell really is your most important player these days, if you lose him in his secondary position you look a lot more vulnerable.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Not as anti Goode as some, but we know what he can do and it feels like an opportunity lost. But I s'pose it makes a bit of sense given that our wingers have started precisely one test on the wing between them.

With half an eye on Aus I guess it makes sense to get Hartley some game time. Makes less sense to risk both Lawes and Launch.

I'm sure Harrison will be distraught to know that my jury is well and truly out on him.

Mako's interesting. I really want to see a command performance from him while wearing 1. Maybe this will be more his type of game, but still feels more like an impact sub to me.

 

[Raggs]

Is this Daly's first evert start on the wing?

He's played there a fair bit for Wasps, sometimes moved mid game, sometimes subbed, and a few starts. It's been a while though. Not worried by it myself. It's an argument between who to put on the wing between Joseph and Daly, Joseph will defend better at 13, which is very important, Daly will attack better as part of a unit with his better distribution.

 

[Peat]

I know what you mean, but it's a stopgap in extreme circumstances, I for one can bite the bullet and accept it at home against Fiji

Is it? That's pretty much a full strength team and I missed Brown being reported as injured. Looks to me like what Jones wants.

Hopefully Goode has improved like people have told me and Eddie works some magic - that or he has an international career ending game - but I just can't see either happening. He's too good to crap the bed entirely, too poor an athlete to be an international standard full-back.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It's weird Goode has quite a lot of admirers really (even non Sarries ones) but to me he will always be a very good system 15. He works for Saracens but I have never seen him do anything that suggests he is a 15.

Esp compared to the likes of Williams, Hogg and Borwn a couple of seasons ago.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Honest for me that makes it worse.

Why not play Haley v Fiji.....

I think in the circumstances he's gone for the strongest side available to him rather than the experimentation we might have seen with fewer injuries. In that context Goode is a fairly sensible option.

Unless Brown isn't injured, like Peat says - I haven't been checking news, just heard rumours he was out and assumed he must be when he wasn't in the 23. If he's fit then yeah, this is proper facepalm.

Strangely strong England side, Farrell really is your most important player these days, if you lose him in his secondary position you look a lot more vulnerable.

Think that says more about our options at 12 than anything else, although he is doing a decent job

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I can kinda see why Goode would be picked. I think Jones has given him specific instructions like he did for Haskell. I don't think we will see Goode try to run the ball back at Fiji and beat defenders too much (not that he could anyway). Goode to me functions in a Sarries system of keeping pressure through territory and I believe that is how Jones wants to tackle Fiji, make them play the entire game camped in their own half constantly looking for that magic offload to break the line. This will cause errors and frustrate them if we can apply the pressure well and be clinical in defence. We then just let them make the errors for us. I think Goode would fit this gameplan better than Brown.

Still not a fan of Goode and frankly I think I'd rather see an octopus on LSD playing at 15 than him but it might just work out.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Not sure whether this a one-off fill in or an audition for Daly. I don't think he's quite as jet heeled as May or Watson but he's not far off. Those 3 with the like minded JJ at 13 could be seriously exciting. Not the biggest, but physical enough. All teams fear pace.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Not sure whether this a one-off fill in or an audition for Daly. I don't think he's quite as jet heeled as May or Watson but he's not far off. Those 3 with the like minded JJ at 13 could be seriously exciting. Not the biggest, but physical enough. All teams fear pace.

Small guys can bring down big guys with good technique, slow guys cannot catch fast guys

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Did Haskell just say Goode has such speed??:lol:

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Did Haskell just say Goode has such speed??:lol:

Compared to Haskell maybe? Or a snail

Edit: I wonder if Hughes will sing along with the Fijian national anthem?