Teams for A.I.'s after first two rounds of H Cup

[Patchey]

Are Parling and Corbisiero injured? If not those two have got to be in there. In the front row I can't look past Hartley. Hugely important for Northampton. Also, his main rivals are held back by an inability to throw straight - Youngs, Lindsay etc.

Props - Cole and Corbisiero with Mahler subbing and Doran-Jones on call.

locks on present form: Lawes, Parling, Launchbury, Palmer (As I said, Parling may be injured, not sure) EDIT : Launchbury is a great possibility for a bench spot. I'd possibly put him ahead of Kitchener and Palmer.


I can see you're a quins man but Easters a dead-end. Vunipola is coming up FAST! He's having a huge huge impact week in week out. He has soem of the very highest stats for offloads, carries etc in the premiership. I'd liek to see him blooded but I can see the argument that it may be a bit too soon. For now, Morgans the best bet even if he seemed tired in South Africa. The three options for the other backrow I reckon are: 6. Robshaw 7. Armitage or 6. Johnson 7. Robshaw or 6. Robshaw 7. Wood

However, wood has little time to make hi case. He's have to bolt it.

Scrum half Care with Youngs benching.

I'd be very tempted to preserve the Leicester mid-field, Barritts a good 12 but the death of all ambition. Go for Flood with Allen and Tuilagi.


If Foden is out, then the full-back should be Brown really. I'd prefer Armitage but he won't be chosen. Wings, Ashton and Sharples. I want Wade to be there but he's a defensive weakness for wasps in the premiership and would not cope in the six nations.

I think Parling is injured indeed. Wood is also just coming back from injury isn't he? Completely forgot him...

I don't think Steff Armitage will be picked, Lancaster speaking on five live last week seemed to hint that him not being released for all training camps is a big fat cross trough his name.
Barritt has been looking much better recently and I rate him defensively (like most people). Allen has to make the squad at least though.Also, I take the point about Easter. Morgan is likely to start with Waldrom on the bench, which is a bit confusing for me but there you go.

I've seen nothing of Haskell since his return, what kind of form is he in?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

My team (from the EPS squad named/the replacements drafted in due to injuries):

1. Joe Marler
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Geoff Parling (Injured? Hopefully not...)
6. Chris Robshaw (c)
7. Tom Wood
8. Ben Morgan
9. Danny Care
10. Toby Flood
11. Charlie Sharples
12. Anthony Allen
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Mike Brown

16. Tom Youngs (only because he is the only other hooker in the squad, as he's been brought in for Webber. Don't rate him, don't like him.)
17. **Whoever is brought in for Corbisiero, if he's not going to be fit. If he's fit then him. I'd have him before Marler usually, but he'll be lacking in game time** (((EDIT: Read something that said Mako Vunipola might be coming in to the squad, so him here if he is.)))
18. David Wilson
19. Tom Palmer
20. Thomas Waldrom
21. Ben Youngs
22. Alex Goode
23. Jonathan Joseph

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

My team (from the EPS squad named/the replacements drafted in due to injuries):

1. Joe Marler
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Geoff Parling (Injured? Hopefully not...)
6. Chris Robshaw (c)
7. Tom Wood
8. Ben Morgan
9. Danny Care
10. Toby Flood
11. Charlie Sharples
12. Anthony Allen
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Mike Brown

16. Tom Youngs (only because he is the only other hooker in the squad, as he's been brought in for Webber. Don't rate him, don't like him.)
17. **Whoever is brought in for Corbisiero, if he's not going to be fit. If he's fit then him. I'd have him before Marler usually, but he'll be lacking in game time** (((EDIT: Read something that said Mako Vunipola might be coming in to the squad, so him here if he is.)))
18. David Wilson
19. Tom Palmer
20. Thomas Waldrom
21. Ben Youngs
22. Alex Goode
23. Jonathan Joseph

Largely agree with all of that Ollyy. To be honest most of the debates to be had are about the readiness/fitnes of players. E.g with Corbisiero and if hes had enough game time, and similarly I think with Wood - I know he's been playing regularly again but is he back to the level that got him selected for the six nations in 2011?

i knwo your basing it on the current eps squad and therefore whats possible rather than ideal, but I think Wilson is a waste of valuable space. Doran-Jones didn't impress in South Africa but I'd still rather have him there.

Youngs is a good loose player but crap at set-piece - I've seen little evidence that he's a strong scrummager and even less evidence that he can throw straight.

Tom Lindsay is similar but worse all round. Immense in the loose but his poor throwing can be costly. We'll have to wait for Joe Gray to step up.

Patchey, Poff is currently preferred over Haskell at 7 partly because Haskell still averages 3 penalties a game. Regardless of whether he plays to the rules, he has an inability to make referees believe hes playing by the rules. Ultimately thats what matters. The referee sees his head popping out guiltily at ruck-time and immediately pings him. Too costly. He's not even in the eps so I very much doubt he'll feature in the autumn internationals. Especially as these games are a chance to put domestic form of players to the test. This is why I would haev loved to see Armitage given a shot at 7.

Oh well, never mind - got a potentially pretty strong 23 there - I'd actually swap Launchbury in for palmer as he's playing better than Palmer at club level and can offer cover in the back-row as well as lock. We need that back-row versatility because Waldrom can't properly play 7 even though Cockerill seems to think he can: having both Waldrom and Launchbury there would give us a whole host of options.

 

[j'nuh]

In a world where putting the letters E, P, and S together constitutes a horrible nightmare:

1. Wood
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Parling
6. Robshaw
7. Armitage
8. Morgan
9. Care
10. Burns
11. JSD
12. Allen
13. Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Brown
16. ???
17. Vunipola
18. PDJ
19. Croft/Savage/Launchbury
20. Waldrom
21. Youngs
22. Flood
23. May(/Sharples if May is still injured)

 

[Peat]

... similarly I think with Wood - I know he's been playing regularly again but is he back to the level that got him selected for the six nations in 2011?

i knwo your basing it on the current eps squad and therefore whats possible rather than ideal, but I think Wilson is a waste of valuable space. Doran-Jones didn't impress in South Africa but I'd still rather have him there.

Youngs is a good loose player but crap at set-piece - I've seen little evidence that he's a strong scrummager and even less evidence that he can throw straight.

Tom Lindsay is similar but worse all round. Immense in the loose but his poor throwing can be costly. We'll have to wait for Joe Gray to step up.

Oh well, never mind - got a potentially pretty strong 23 there - I'd actually swap Launchbury in for palmer as he's playing better than Palmer at club level and can offer cover in the back-row as well as lock. We need that back-row versatility because Waldrom can't properly play 7 even though Cockerill seems to think he can: having both Waldrom and Launchbury there would give us a whole host of options.

Personally I don't believe Wood is back there and would rather promote Fearns into Croft's slot and use him as a hard-running physical six. Or Haskell if people prefer. Wood on the bench. Waldrom and Dowson to be forgotten about. I'd be happy to see Launchbury involved as well...

Wilson seems greatly improved for Bath at the moment, back to where he was, so I'm happy with that.

Gray just doesn't seem to impress Lancaster. I don't like Hartley, but long may he stay fit compared to the crap around him.

I am reasonably happy with Olyy's selection, save that I'd probably start Palmer ahead of Parling; have Robshaw at 7, someone else/Wood at 6, and Wood/someone else on the bench; possibly Barritt ahead of Allen; and there's not a way in hell I'd countenance Goode as a bench fly-half, if you want fly-half/full-back cover on the bench call up Freddie Burns.

Not terribly happy with Sharples either but can live with it... maybe Joseph in his place.

I know this sounds a little irrational - but you could move Ryan to 6, O'Mahony to 7 and Toner to the second row. I think a good place to attack SA is the line out, and there's no better man to do that than Toner.

I would personally be overjoyed to see that lining up against me. The lineout might be difficult but everything else would be easier than it should at international level - and I really can't say I rate O'Mahony as an international.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Believe me, I wouldn't want Goode playing flyhalf either, but between him and Joseph they pretty much cover 10-15 so itll do (keeps Farrell away as well, Hurrar). Burns deserves this spot, but as I said, I'm basing it off of the EPS and Goode was promoted for Foden, so it forced my hand
Id love to see Fearns brought in and start at 6. He's exactly the type of 6 I like, and is on fantastic form at the moment.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

 

[SelimNiai]

Good to see Mako Vunipola being mentioned, you see, this is what having Bristol on your CV does to you....


Or more accurately its; look at what you can achieve once you leave us.

 

[Peat]

Believe me, I wouldn't want Goode playing flyhalf either, but between him and Joseph they pretty much cover 10-15 so itll do (keeps Farrell away as well, Hurrar). Burns deserves this spot, but as I said, I'm basing it off of the EPS and Goode was promoted for Foden, so it forced my hand
Id love to see Fearns brought in and start at 6. He's exactly the type of 6 I like, and is on fantastic form at the moment.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

I see your logic, just disagree it even offers cover. Also, Goode was in the original EPS, not promoted, so we still have that injury slot to work with.

Good to see Mako Vunipola being mentioned, you see, this is what having Bristol on your CV does to you....


Or more accurately its; look at what you can achieve once you leave us.

OT - were you at the Bristol - Ulster Ravens B&I cup game?

 

[SelimNiai]

OT - were you at the Bristol - Ulster Ravens B&I cup game?

No, was out of town Sunday, shame 'cos I wanted to go.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I see your logic, just disagree it even offers cover. Also, Goode was in the original EPS, not promoted, so we still have that injury slot to work with.

Really?
Well that is interesting. Bring Burns straight in then, and straight in to the 23.
Won't happen as long as Flood and Farrell are both fit, but a man can dream.

Though if England want to replace Foden with a Wing (as that's where Foden was being played before) then the choices are: Biggs, Monye, Strettle, Wade as wings, Abendanon and Miller as fullbacks.
Obvious who I'd want in there

I think it's most likely to be between Strettle and Wade, probably edging towards Strettle for no other reason than he's a Sarrie and was a starter recently - though I think Biggs or Abendanon or the better choices are they're on the best form.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

We've always had too many blindsides comepting for one spot but if Fearns wants to stake his claim now is the time: you've got Croft out injured for a while more, Haskell ruining his chances through poor discipline, Robshaw finding his way as a makeshift seven, Launchbury preferred as a lock, Dowson getting on a bit and not an ideal candidate to take through to 2015. So really the main rival for that 6 spot at the present time is Tom Johnson.

 

[j'nuh]

Believe me, I wouldn't want Goode playing flyhalf either, but between him and Joseph they pretty much cover 10-15 so itll do (keeps Farrell away as well, Hurrar). Burns deserves this spot, but as I said, I'm basing it off of the EPS and Goode was promoted for Foden, so it forced my hand

Blah, would rather not take the risk of ushering a player who has such little experience in playing flyhalf into possibly the most important position on the field. Would rather have specialist cover for flyhalf than fullback. If there's an injury to Brown, Sharples could go to fullback (he's played there in the past for Gloucester and has some decent attributes to make it work, I would only be worried about his positioning and kicking/run it back decision making) and Joseph to the wing I guess.

Of course, Burns covering 15 and Tuilagi covering 12 from the field, Flood to cover 10 and Joseph to cover wings and 13 is the best case scenario imo.

The thought of Farrell being seen as cover in the centers makes me cringe though. Thankfully, it's likely that Allen/Barritt/JTH, Tuilagi and Joseph will be involved and cover the centers between them.