Team for Australia

[Oakboy]

England team to face Australia:
Daly; Cokanasiga, Slade, Te'o, May; Farrell, Youngs; Moon, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Shields, Underhill, Wilson.

Replacements: Hartley, Hepburn, Williams, Ewels, Hughes, Wigglesworth, Ford, Tuilagi

[Shiny]

England team to face Australia:
Daly; Cokanasiga, Slade, Te'o, May; Farrell, Youngs; Moon, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Shields, Underhill, Wilson.

Replacements: Hartley, Hepburn, Williams, Ewels, Hughes, Wigglesworth, Ford, Tuilagi

No shocks there. And its nice to see Eddie read my thread of swapping the two hookers around.

[Renniks]

Interesting!!

I'd have preferred Hughes at 8 with Wilson at 6, Shields on the bench (well, Hill, but yeah)

I'd have preferred Tuilagi to start outside Ford & Farrell, but I assume that's how we'll end the game!

Keeping faith in George (or Hartley's ability to close out a game)

I'm not altogether unhappy with the team based on the number of injuries, and the options that Jones is interested in

[Oakboy]

One plus point is that Francis did not make the 23. Others: Coko starting, starting props/locks.

Minus points: Shields starting.

Question marks: George starting, Tuilagi's fitness.


Not much wriggle room with injuries anyway.

[fivepointer]

Given who was initially selected and who was left after injuries this is absolutely fine.
George starting is the one i didnt see coming. Thought Hartley would have come back in but i'm not at all disappointed. Its quite a compliment to George, as it must be the first time he's started a big game ahead of an available Hartley. Thought we might see Lawes at 6, so thats another bullet dodged. I can live with Hughes on the bench, where he keeps Manu company. I reckon thats fair enough given their lack of action over the last month.
Big Joe gets another start and Underhill back in are good things.
On the whole it looks a pretty well balanced side.

[Danno]

Fairly happy with that for points others have already raised. Odds on Manu failing to make matchday and Francis replacing him?

[Oakboy]

Fairly happy with that for points others have already raised. Odds on Manu failing to make matchday and Francis replacing him?

I would not put a fiver of your money on it, never mind my own.

[Mellsblue]

Good to see George getting the start. Hope to see Ford - Farrell - Tuilagi for 25/30 mins.

[Numbers]

After Eddie going on so much about finishers Wigglesworth is on the bench, the least finishy finisher of all time, he starts or doesn't play for me, wouldn't it make more sense to start him alongside his club half back partner?

[Rich]

I supose it is going to be:

1. Moon
2. Hartley
3. Sinckler
4. Lawes
5. Itoje
6. Shields
7. Underhill
8. Wilson
9. Wigglesworth
10. Farrell
11. May
12. T'eo
13. Slade
14. Nowell
15. Daly


I don't like quite a few of those selections but they are the ones I expect.

I like that team - I'd only make two changes: Cokanasiga on the right wing and (if fit) Manu at OC.

Almost bang on.

Hartley's on the bench to close out - I think he should be on at the start but I suppose Jones needs to know what George is capable if he had to start him in a crucial world cup game.

Manu on the bench, which given his injury record is only sensible I guess.

[Renniks]

After Eddie going on so much about finishers Wigglesworth is on the bench, the least finishy finisher of all time, he starts or doesn't play for me, wouldn't it make more sense to start him alongside his club half back partner?

Depends if your chasing the game or closing it out…

Fingers crossed we're not chasing the game!

[Puja]

To be fair to him, Wigglesworth has looked okay recently. He was certainly he best of the two scrum-halves against Japan and his pace and support work for Cokanasiga's try was reslly quite surprising.

Puja

[Rich]

No hate from me - in the same way that I've no hate for Stooke.

I just think that England are better off:
- having a pack with 3 second rows, not 4 (so no Stooke)
- having Wilson, Underhill, and Hughes start
- And seeing whether Hill is the real deal or not…

Regarding Te'o, I'm conceding to having Farrell at 12… and wanting / hoping for Tuilagi at 13…
Te'o on the bench might be passable, but Slade covers more positions, even if I don't think he's up to the challenge currently

A pack with three locks - but only two on the field at any one time.

Yes Hughes is better - but he's not played in a while so the bench was the right call.

When Hughes comes on, on Saturday, will is be Wilson of Shields who make way ?

You're right about Slade covering more positions - he's be a good shout for the 22 shirt.

If only Manu can get and stay fully fit, the best midfield for the RWC would be:

Farrell - Te'o - Manu

[Rich]

To be fair to him, Wigglesworth has looked okay recently. He was certainly he best of the two scrum-halves against Japan and his pace and support work for Cokanasiga's try was reslly quite surprising.

Puja

Wiggy's box kicking was much better too.

[Rich]

One plus point is that Francis did not make the 23. Others: Coko starting, starting props/locks.

Minus points: Shields starting.

Question marks: George starting, Tuilagi's fitness.


Not much wriggle room with injuries anyway.

Again I don't get the hate for Shields...

At least Lawes is at lock - I hope we keep the number of locks on the field at any one time to a maximum of two.

I think we'll finish the game (assuming no injuries) with a back row of:

Underhill (7) - Hughes (8) - Shields (6)

If we take 6 back rowers to the world cup, I'd hope the other three (barring injuries) would be:

Curry / Billy V / Wilson or Simmonds

[Mikey Brown]

Pretty much covered elsewhere-

Joe, George, no Lawes at 6, Underhill at 7, potential impact of Hughes/Tuilagi GOOD

W’worth bench instead of start, Farrell speaking to ref, Shields getting another free cap, potential for rustiness of Hughes/Tuilagi, dodgy back-3 cover and midfield reshuffles required BAD

[Mush]

Against more mobile back rows - of which Australia, with or without Pocock on Saturday, are one - I would prefer to have Mercer in the frame than either Shields or Hughes

[Tigersman]

Farrell
Te'o
Tuilagi

Then we can have curry twins on the wing and Shields at 15 because it won't matter at all how you attack with the back 3.

[Puja]

To be fair to him, Wigglesworth has looked okay recently. He was certainly he best of the two scrum-halves against Japan and his pace and support work for Cokanasiga's try was reslly quite surprising.

Puja

Wiggy's box kicking was much better too.

Low bar that.

Seriously speaking, if Wigglesworth can produce the Japan game repeatedly, we could do a lot worse at scrum half. Care or Spencer, for example.

Puja

[Oakboy]

After Eddie going on so much about finishers Wigglesworth is on the bench, the least finishy finisher of all time, he starts or doesn't play for me, wouldn't it make more sense to start him alongside his club half back partner?

I'd not have Wigglesworth near the squad but, if these are the two best SHs we have, I'd start him and I thought Jones would have. Against the Aussie backline, the biggest danger is kicking too much easy ball down their throats. Keeping it tight with forwards' possession is the way to frustrate them with the occasional very accurate kick. That means lots of early, short, quick passes which Wigglesworth excels at for Saracens. Youngs upping the pace and running at them in the last 20 seems more threatening.

I hope we are not banking on 'give it to Manu' as our only finishing ploy.

[Digby]

30 minutes against a tiring Japan isn't perhaps the best benchmark. Hopefully Australia aren't all that sick and they give all the subs a better chance to evidence their claims

[Numbers]

After Eddie going on so much about finishers Wigglesworth is on the bench, the least finishy finisher of all time, he starts or doesn't play for me, wouldn't it make more sense to start him alongside his club half back partner?

I'd not have Wigglesworth near the squad but, if these are the two best SHs we have, I'd start him and I thought Jones would have. Against the Aussie backline, the biggest danger is kicking too much easy ball down their throats. Keeping it tight with forwards' possession is the way to frustrate them with the occasional very accurate kick. That means lots of early, short, quick passes which Wigglesworth excels at for Saracens. Youngs upping the pace and running at them in the last 20 seems more threatening.

I hope we are not banking on 'give it to Manu' as our only finishing ploy.

Although Care didn't do himself any favours last weekend one thing he does bring is dynamism, I think he's the best impact 9 you have.

[Mikey Brown]

After Eddie going on so much about finishers Wigglesworth is on the bench, the least finishy finisher of all time, he starts or doesn't play for me, wouldn't it make more sense to start him alongside his club half back partner?

I'd not have Wigglesworth near the squad but, if these are the two best SHs we have, I'd start him and I thought Jones would have. Against the Aussie backline, the biggest danger is kicking too much easy ball down their throats. Keeping it tight with forwards' possession is the way to frustrate them with the occasional very accurate kick. That means lots of early, short, quick passes which Wigglesworth excels at for Saracens. Youngs upping the pace and running at them in the last 20 seems more threatening.

I hope we are not banking on 'give it to Manu' as our only finishing ploy.

Although Care didn't do himself any favours last weekend one thing he does bring is dynamism, I think he's the best impact 9 you have.

Yeah he’s consistently provided a lot of impact from he bench for years now, but failed to translate it into starting form. He’s managed to undo all that in the space of a half against Japan apparently.

[Danno]

I'm finding it increasingly bizarre that we cannot produce a quality player for such a key position.

7 was an issue for a while; then it was a self made one, for a time, when Kvesic was being overlooked and these days with the Currys, arguably Underhill and a few more floating about in the Prem, it looks quite rosy (ignoring our selector's foibles.)

The perennial problem at 12 has at least been bodged into something acceptable for those that can live with Ford-Farrell and something to merely complain about - as opposed to agonise about - for them what don't.

Why can't we pass?? Was Dawson really the last good SH we had?

[Puja]

I'm finding it increasingly bizarre that we cannot produce a quality player for such a key position.

7 was an issue for a while; then it was a self made one, for a time, when Kvesic was being overlooked and these days with the Currys, arguably Underhill and a few more floating about in the Prem, it looks quite rosy (ignoring our selector's foibles.)

The perennial problem at 12 has at least been bodged into something acceptable for those that can live with Ford-Farrell and something to merely complain about - as opposed to agonise about - for them what don't.

Why can't we pass?? Was Dawson really the last good SH we had?

I wasn't actually a huge fan of Dawson (although I'd take the sh*t out of him now!); I liked Bracken better. I prefer my scrum-halves to have quick and accurate service as their best quality. Everything else is secondary.

We had Gomarsall till 2007ish, who was okay, and the much maligned Shaun Perry at least had a good pass on him. And young Youngs was good - he's just got crapper with age.

Puja