Yer all a bunch of German's vs bent cheating mick twats

[paddy no 11]

Think the last few times meeting on the last day has suited Ireland, with England strength in depth and tactically not up to it as tournie progressed, getting us first up is a good draw for ye surely?

What's the likely team ours is a given

[Tigersman]

England let's hope for
1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Itoje
6. Hughes
7. Wilson
8. Vunipola
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. Nowell
12. Te'o
13. Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Brown

16. George
17. Moon
18. Williams
19. Shields
20. Clifford
21. Robson
22. Slade
23. Daly

Great mix of something.

[Scrumhead]

Genuinely, we don’t know ... plenty of debate I’m lots of positions. I’d say George, Itoje, Billy, Youngs and Farrell are the only definite starters. Even then, whether Farrell starts at 10 or 12 obviously influences who else is picked.

Personally I’d go for:

1. Moon
2. George
3. Sinckler
4. Itoje
5. Launchbury
6. Wilson
7. T. Curry
8. B. Vunipola
9. B. Youngs
10. Ford
11. Daly
12. Farrell
13. Tuilagi
14. May
15. Brown

16. Cowan-Dickie
17. M. Vunipola
18. Cole
19. Lawes
20. Hughes
21. Robson
22. Te’o
23. Slade

[Puja]

Scrumhead - you wouldn't have Cokanasiga or Nowell on the bench?

Puja

[paddy no 11]

Tuilagi hope hes fit and plays whole thing

[Scrumhead]

Scrumhead - you wouldn't have Cokanasiga or Nowell on the bench?

Puja

Yes, actually. Nowell over Te’o.

[Digby]

England by 18 scoring three tries to one. Tbh the target should be scoring five tries but we're so busy finding ways to stunt the attack that’s perhaps a little fanciful

[Mellsblue]

Mimosas with breakfast, old bean?

[Digby]

Three cups of tea, but it all takes a toll.

[Tigersman]

Looking like maybe
1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Sinckler
4. Lawes
5. Itoje
6. Wilson
7. Curry
8. Hughes
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Tuilagi
14. Daly/Nowell
15. Brown

16. Cowan-Dickie
17. Genge
18. Williams
19. Launchbury/Kruis
20. Hughes
21. Robson
22. Slade
23. Daly/Nowell/Ashton

[Timbo]

I reckon;

1. Mako
2. George
3. Sinck
4. Itoje
5. Launchbury
6. Wilson
7. Curry
8. Billy
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. Daly
12. Tuilagi
13. Slade
14. May
15. Brown
16. LCD
17. Genge
18. Williams
19. Lawes
20. Hughes
21. Robson
22. Ford
23. Nowell

[fivepointer]

England have retained 25 players to continue their preparations for their Guinness Six Nations match again Ireland in Dublin on 2 February 2019 (kick off 4.45pm, live on ITV).

In addition Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby) and Brad Shields (Wasps) will remain with the squad to continue their reconditioning until Thursday when the team travel to Dublin. Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), who has a side strain, will also stay in camp while the team is in Portugal.

Scrum-half Dan Robson is in line for his international debut having been retained in the 25.

Owen Farrell is also included having recovered from a hand injury.

"We have Brad Shields, Joe Cokanasiga and Ben Te’o who are not far away from where we want them to be but in a game of this magnitude we need everyone to be 100% so they will stay with us and continue to rehab," said scrum coach Neal Hatley. "The plan is to have them all fit for France.

"Ben suffered a small side strain in training, he is doing his rehab, is not far away, but as I say everyone needs to be fully fit."

Hatley however, says the squad can cope with the missing trio as they prepare for Saturday's game with head coach Eddie Jones set to name his side on Thursday.

"We have had people running in different positions so we are pretty good at that and we make sure we comprehensively cover all the different permutations of what could happen so it’s not like Ben is the only person who has run at 12 for us," added Hatley.

Forwards
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons).

Backs
Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens) captain, George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Dan Robson (Wasps), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

[Digby]

I think that's pretty close Timbo, the one surprise which wouldn’t surprise is Ashton in at 15 given the management seem such fans

[Renniks]

So, hoping that a lock is left out of the match day 23 (Rather than a back-rower)

Also surprised to see Ashton make the 25…

[Puja]

Te'o out with a side strain as well! They appear to be key to us actually picking a good side. I'm still annoyed that Fazlet is nailed on at 10, but we have had far worse squads than that.

Puja

[Puja]

So, hoping that a lock is left out of the match day 23 (Rather than a back-rower)

Also surprised to see Ashton make the 25…

He is a good player and covers 15 and wing. Wouldn't have him in my XXIII, but he's more than handy to have if someone goes down midweek.

Puja

[Digby]

With Te'o out it might be Farrell at 12, but they did say they've had different people running the roles and not they've been running entirely different shapes

[Tigersman]

Really hope it's
10. Ford, 12. Faz, 13. Tuilagi
not
10. Faz, 12. Manu, 13. Slade
or
10. Faz, 12. Slade, 13. Manu

[Fungineer]

Agree with Timbo's forwards prediction above. As to the backs...

Nowell's playing very well right now whilst Daly isn't so I wouldn't be surprised to see following 9-15 starting:

9. Ben Youngs
10. Owen Farrell
11. Jack Nowell
12. Manu Tuilagi
13. Henry Slade
14. Jonny May
15. Mike Brown

However, the 'finishers' configuration might be better than the starters:

9. Dan Robson
10. George Ford
11. Chris Ashton
12. Owen Farrell
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Jonny May
15. Jack Nowell (could go to 13, Brown to stay on if playing well, handling high balls etc)

Farrell virtually never goes off when Ford comes on and apart from Tuilagi at a push, there are no other obvious 12s.

[Oakboy]

I'd have retained Devoto ahead of Ashton. With Nowell covering wing/FB, why not have centre cover in the 25 even if you then leave him out of the 23?

[Mellsblue]

I guess we’ll see Ford - Farrell - Tuilagi, with Tuilagi playing the Te’o role and Farrell in the Slade role in attack. I just can’t see them trusting Tuilagi at 12 in defence as a straight swap with Te’o.

[Stom]

I know it's not nice to wish injury on anyone, or to be happy about any player getting injured, but losing Shields and Te'o is about as good as it could have got.

Hopefully we'll get Wilson and Curry on the flanks, Ford at 10, and Farrell and Tuilagi in the centres now.

[Digby]

If we must have Farrell I'd prefer him at 10 still over 12

[Tigersman]

But then who would you have at 12?

The perceived gap between Ford and Farrell at 10 is far smaller than Farrell and Manu/Slade at 12.

[Stom]

If we must have Farrell I'd prefer him at 10 still over 12

I'd much rather have Ford on the pitch for the most possible number of minutes.

Statistically, we score more points when Ford is on the pitch. We also win more matches when he starts.

Farrell's win %age starting at 10 is poor. And we score fewer points on average.