[RWC2023] England vs Japan (17/09/2023)

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Dan Cole injured or just being rested? A mobile team like Japan doesn't really suit his game I suppose but mullering them in the scrum would take a lot of that game away potentially.

Pleased to see Mitchell getting another start, still so weird how he wasn't in the original squad though.

Re Mitchell do you think Borthwick actually bothered to watch any premiership games or did he just pick players he had already coached (Youngs/Van Portfliet) or played with (Care).

 

[Grizwald]

I hope Sinkler can find some form, I dont think Marler over Genge is a drop off as sich just different gamed with Genge offering more impact IMO. Unless Stuart plays himself in I can see Cole starting if England make the knock outs. He's just not an impact sub.

I like Danny Care but he's made some pretty ropey errors all be it in the warm ups which with a good WC performance will soon be forgot about. His club partnership with Smith makes sense too.

 

[Grizwald]

Re Mitchell do you think Borthwick actually bothered to watch any premiership games or did he just pick players he had already coached (Youngs/Van Portfliet) or played with (Care).

Hard to say on one hand JvP and Youngs fit the Borthwick gameplan. Care offers Smith a bit of familiarity as a bench combo but even with Farrells ban I can't see them starting together as the Chile game I'd expect may get used for game time for Faz.

Maybe Mitchell has shown he can play the Borthwick way while still brining the rest of his game. I watched the first game in a bar so couldn't hear the commentary. He seemed to kick well/give some control.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Daft to suggest Borthwick didn't/doesn't watch any premiership, guarantee he watches every second and probably multiple times

He just obviously knows what he wants, and has strong ideas over which players can provide that, leaning heavily on familiarity and experience

 

[Saintjay]

Re Mitchell do you think Borthwick actually bothered to watch any premiership games or did he just pick players he had already coached (Youngs/Van Portfliet) or played with (Care).

Picked those he knows and coached. Saints don't exactly fit his style either.

Can see Farrell and Youngs as a combo. They seem good mates and i have this nagging thought that Youngs selection has something to do with Farrell. Without him i don't think Youngs gets any where near this squad.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Daft to suggest Borthwick didn't/doesn't watch any premiership, guarantee he watches every second and probably multiple times

He just obviously knows what he wants, and has strong ideas over which players can provide that, leaning heavily on familiarity and experience

Yep. It's Borthwick's ability I question; not his commitment to the job. I don't doubt for a second that he's poured over every single bit of data and footage available to him.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Can't get overly excited about the selection. But….

It's a game we should win at a canter and aren't really going to be troubled in the set piece. So why Genge and Marler - we know all about them, surely one of them plus Rodd.

George makes literally no sense. Put him on the bench as a standby by all means, but if Dan can't cut it against these he won't against anyone. All we're doing is risking injury / suspension for George which really would cause us problems down the line. Walker must be totally fed up by now - a token few seconds against Chile await.

Binny's going to be 8 in future games but are they still auditioning about who's cover - last week Earl, this Ludlam. Maybe Curry's suspension has changed plans. Willis kicking his heels.

 

[IT157]

We should win, but the score will be close. People underrating Japan. They have lost to tier 1 nations quite a bit recently, but the score line has been very close in most games. They rarely get blown out.

 

[Grizwald]

We should win, but the score will be close. People underrating Japan. They have lost to tier 1 nations quite a bit recently, but the score line has been very close in most games. They rarely get blown out.

Agree with the sentiment.

In Japan's last 10 fixtures they've gone down

42-21 to Italy

41-21 NZ XV

35-17 France

38-31 NZ

52-13 Eng

Also a narrow win and narrow loss against Samoa and Tonga respectively.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

What will be disappointing and proves to me that SB doesn't have the stones to be a top coach, is when Ford/ Manu plays really well and then gets dropped for Farrell (one of them) and then when our backrow is playing well and then one gets dropped for a lazy lump of turd that is billy.

I want to be proven wrong but can't help thinking SB still hasn't learnt from his selection mistakes.

 

[Geordie]

If he gives Farrell a run out against Chile as his back up 10 / 12 then that's not a bad thing.

I'm very keen to see just how fit Billy is ....his performance off the bench on Sunday will be very telling.

A fully fit Billy and Earl gives you two hugely different options...which is great. Especially with Billy at 8 and Earl at 7...and then Ludlum in the mix.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

If he gives Farrell a run out against Chile as his back up 10 / 12 then that's not a bad thing.

I'm very keen to see just how fit Billy is ....his performance off the bench on Sunday will be very telling.

A fully fit Billy and Earl gives you two hugely different options...which is great. Especially with Billy at 8 and Earl at 7...and then Ludlum in the mix.

My problem is that Billy doesn't even deserve a chance. Ludlum, Earl and Willis all playing ten times better than the current version of Billy we get these days.

Why does Billy deserve another change and yet Willis doesn't? Maybe not starting will be good for Billy as he could be a wrecking ball off the bench but he'd have to suddenly change im his attitude and performances.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

If he gives Farrell a run out against Chile as his back up 10 / 12 then that's not a bad thing.

I'm very keen to see just how fit Billy is ....his performance off the bench on Sunday will be very telling.

A fully fit Billy and Earl gives you two hugely different options...which is great. Especially with Billy at 8 and Earl at 7...and then Ludlum in the mix.

A "fully fit" Billy is still not performing at international level. When did he last stand out in a game for a good reason? He's past his best and has only been on a downward slide. He's blocking a space for other players who have far more potential and more to their game than simply being a lazy lump with an attitude problem.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

And views that align with I.Folau.

 

[Geordie]

All the squad were poor in the warm ups...then looked FAR fitter and more alert in the first game.

SB will be testing to see how Billy shows up from the bench. If he doesn't perform, I don't think we'll see much of him the rest of the tournament....but if he does show up...a fit Billy on form is a player you want in your squad...it gives you many options.

Sunday will tell quite alot...

 

[Geordie]

My problem is that Billy doesn't even deserve a chance. Ludlum, Earl and Willis all playing ten times better than the current version of Billy we get these days.

Why does Billy deserve another change and yet Willis doesn't? Maybe not starting will be good for Billy as he could be a wrecking ball off the bench but he'd have to suddenly change im his attitude and performances.

Because we don't have anything like Billy....bit we have players who can do what Willis Does...like Earl, Curry etc.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Billy's not like Billy anymore, tbf
If you got Ludlam and Billy playing identical roles I'd back Ludlam to have a significantly bigger impact

 

[McTallshort]

I like the back row shame about the back row sub

 

[BPM]

All the squad were poor in the warm ups...then looked FAR fitter and more alert in the first game.

SB will be testing to see how Billy shows up from the bench. If he doesn't perform, I don't think we'll see much of him the rest of the tournament....but if he does show up...a fit Billy on form is a player you want in your squad...it gives you many options.

Sunday will tell quite alot...

Which would be a waste of a place in the squad.

It still rankles with me. There were more deserving candidates who could have brought a lot more.

 

[Geordie]

Well we shall see on Sunday.