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2024 Guinness Six Nations
[Six Nations 2018] Round 1: Italy Vs England (04/02/2018)
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<blockquote data-quote="Pieter Steph du Teague" data-source="post: 887412" data-attributes="member: 72520"><p>I don't disagree with what you've said , but what I would say about those other 8s is that they all have shared carrying responsibility throughout the pack. I don't know enough about the French or Italian sides to comment on Picamoles or Parisse, but:</p><p>Read is part of an All Blacks set up that also contains the likes of Coles, Retallick and Squire as dominant ball carriers while Franks, Whitelock and Cane are all also better carriers than their English counterparts. On top of that, they have SBW at centre to offer a threat in the midfield aswell as Ioane on the wing - we just don't have that level of ball carrying threat in our backs.</p><p>Heaslip is surrounded by the likes of Healy, Furlong, Henderson, Stander and O'Brien in what is almost certainly the bets carrying pack on the planet.</p><p>Wales are actually in a similar situation to England in the pack in that they don't have many dominant ball carriers, but Evans, Owens and Moriarty all take a significant amount of pressure off of Faletau. The big thing here is that in the past they haven't needed dominant ball carriers in the pack as they've had the likes of Roberts, Davies, North and Cuthbert in the backline. Now that they've ditched that gameplan they'll have to readdress their pack makeup IMO.</p><p>Pocock with Australia has guys like TPN, Kepu and McMahon to hep him.</p><p></p><p>Other than Mako, the English 8 is going to have very little assistance from the rest of the pack, and so without a freak like Vunipola or Hughes in that position they are going to seriously struggle. For that reason I just can't see Mercer coming in as an 8; surely it'll be as a 6.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pieter Steph du Teague, post: 887412, member: 72520"] I don't disagree with what you've said , but what I would say about those other 8s is that they all have shared carrying responsibility throughout the pack. I don't know enough about the French or Italian sides to comment on Picamoles or Parisse, but: Read is part of an All Blacks set up that also contains the likes of Coles, Retallick and Squire as dominant ball carriers while Franks, Whitelock and Cane are all also better carriers than their English counterparts. On top of that, they have SBW at centre to offer a threat in the midfield aswell as Ioane on the wing - we just don't have that level of ball carrying threat in our backs. Heaslip is surrounded by the likes of Healy, Furlong, Henderson, Stander and O'Brien in what is almost certainly the bets carrying pack on the planet. Wales are actually in a similar situation to England in the pack in that they don't have many dominant ball carriers, but Evans, Owens and Moriarty all take a significant amount of pressure off of Faletau. The big thing here is that in the past they haven't needed dominant ball carriers in the pack as they've had the likes of Roberts, Davies, North and Cuthbert in the backline. Now that they've ditched that gameplan they'll have to readdress their pack makeup IMO. Pocock with Australia has guys like TPN, Kepu and McMahon to hep him. Other than Mako, the English 8 is going to have very little assistance from the rest of the pack, and so without a freak like Vunipola or Hughes in that position they are going to seriously struggle. For that reason I just can't see Mercer coming in as an 8; surely it'll be as a 6. [/QUOTE]
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2024 Guinness Six Nations
[Six Nations 2018] Round 1: Italy Vs England (04/02/2018)
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