England squad for start of 6N’s

[Digby]

I don't mind Daly at 15 given the choices, though we did spend too long giving Brown caps which is costing us now

[Raggs]

It can't have been his Wasps performance at 15. He was dire, and pulling out of taking high balls.

[Mellsblue]

Looks like we can kiss goodbye to Ford being anything other than back up to Farrell. I may be biased but Ford has shown far more in an England shirt than Slade.

Remember that 6N when we scored loads of tries with Ford and Joseph only to go for stodge come the World Cup? I’m hoping for a role reversal this time round.

[Mikey Brown]

Looks like we can kiss goodbye to Ford being anything other than back up to Farrell. I may be biased but Ford has shown far more in an England shirt than Slade.

Remember that 6N when we scored loads of tries with Ford and Joseph only to go for stodge come the World Cup? I’m hoping for a role reversal this time round.

Yeah, I’m possibly the biggest Slade admirer on here but I don’t know anybody could even consider that our attack (and most of the rest of the game) isn’t far better with Ford in place, at the expense of literally anyone else.

[TheDasher]

I get the complaints but to be fair Eddie has picked worse...

Launch is in our best XV all day long for me, so hoping that's an injury not him being ignored.

I would've played Brown at 15 and Daly on the wing without further thought. No brainer that one. Why not pick Brown? It can't be because of age because he's in the squad anyway!?! Side note, shame Cokanasiga isn't fit...

I imagine Manu and Slade will switch around quite a bit, I'm not sure that's as big an issue as it seems necessarily.

One positive is the number of ball carriers... Mako, Sinkler, George, Itoje, Billy, Manu, Genge, Hughes. There have been games in which we've not had one serious carrier.

[Puja]

"Eddie has picked worse" is a low bar to trip over! I do take your point though.

I imagine Manu and Slade will switch around quite a bit, I'm not sure that's as big an issue as it seems necessarily.

But neither of them are 12s! Whichever way around they go, somebody's going to be in the channel where he's uncomfortable and far less effective.

To look furthe on the bright side, that is a very nice bench. Lots of attacking options to step up the pace.

Puja

[TheDasher]

"Eddie has picked worse" is a low bar to trip over! I do take your point though.

I imagine Manu and Slade will switch around quite a bit, I'm not sure that's as big an issue as it seems necessarily.

But neither of them are 12s! Whichever way around they go, somebody's going to be in the channel where he's uncomfortable and far less effective.

To look furthe on the bright side, that is a very nice bench. Lots of attacking options to step up the pace.

Puja

Yep, it's an excellent bench. And we have some strong players starting, it's not a bad side.

I know what you mean but I'm happy Manu is in. I know it's frowned upon on here but frankly, I quite like the idea of us going to Ireland with Manu, Billy, Genge, Sinkler et al and just trying to knock the living daylights out of them.

Cue criticism.

[Mellsblue]

[Scrumhead]

Not even including Brown on the bench is stupid.

Murray or Sexton will target Daly at the first chance they get and Stockdale, Earls and Henshaw will be all over him. If he’s having a mare, what are we going to do? Swap him with Nowell or bring on Ashton? Idiocy of the highest order.

I’m furious.

[Mikey Brown]

Not even including Brown on the bench is stupid.

Murray or Sexton will target Daly at the first chance they get and Stockdale, Earls and Henshaw will be all over him. If he’s having a mare, what are we going to do? Swap him with Nowell or bring on Ashton? Idiocy of the highest order.

I’m furious.

Swap him with Nowell I guess, but how bad will it have to get?

And then what? We've got Daly clearing out rucks and playing 9th forward?

[francoisfou]

Thing is, even if the 6N is a disaster, Eddie will never fall on his sword! Shame, cos the bugger seems to have lost the plot!

[Oakboy]

I suppose we might have a chance if there are at least twenty scrums per half.

[old-n-slo-2nd-row]

The Irish Team:

Ireland: Henshaw; Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best (capt), Furlong; Toner, James Ryan; O'Mahony, van der Flier, Stander.

Replacements: Cronin, Kilcoyne, Porter, Roux, O'Brien, Cooney, Carbery, Larmour.

Or has this already been posted .. sorry

[Banquo]

We need Banquo to explain it to us.

wellll..............













nope. Beyond me.

[Digby]

The Irish Team:

Ireland: Henshaw; Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best (capt), Furlong; Toner, James Ryan; O'Mahony, van der Flier, Stander.

Replacements: Cronin, Kilcoyne, Porter, Roux, O'Brien, Cooney, Carbery, Larmour.

Or has this already been posted .. sorry

Why is Ryan down as James Ryan, is it to try and make it look like they've named 16, or to distinguish him from all the other Ryans?

[Insouciant]

My guess is to distinguish him from Donnacha Ryan.

Eddie makes no sense.

[Spiffy]

I just don't understand it at all. Eddie, fuck off.

Me neither! He really is pissing me off with his completely illogical approach to selection.

Murray and Sexton will be salivating at the prospect off Daly at 15.

Not just that, but having Farrell shooting out of the line and then having Tuilagi out of position alongside him...

Aki is going to cause havoc in the 12 channel.

The Aki-Tuilagi head-to-head could be a juicy one.

Since everyone expects an Irish aerial bombardment, and England will have been training for it, don't be surprised to see a change in tactics with the Irish keeping the ball in hand. Schmidt is a smart coach and does not always go for the bleedin' obvious.

[Raggs]

Me neither! He really is pissing me off with his completely illogical approach to selection.

Murray and Sexton will be salivating at the prospect off Daly at 15.

Not just that, but having Farrell shooting out of the line and then having Tuilagi out of position alongside him...

Aki is going to cause havoc in the 12 channel.

The Aki-Tuilagi head-to-head could be a juicy one.

Since everyone expects an Irish aerial bombardment, and England will have been training for it, don't be surprised to see a change in tactics with the Irish keeping the ball in hand. Schmidt is a smart coach and does not always go for the bleedin' obvious.

If he's been watching Daly, he'll go for the bleeding obvious.

[Renniks]

A matchday 23 with:
- 1 very questionable decision (Daly)
- 1 decision that we all seem to hope is due to injury (Launchbury)
- 1 decision that we're all quite nervous to see play out (Tuilagi at 12)

Plus choices at 9 and 10 which generally divide opinion, but I don't think will ever come close to surprising anyone

Is that reallllly that bad?! He's been worse in the past, and it's not like he's playing Burgess at 12 in a world cup game

[fivepointer]

Just odd to have brought Brown back, listed him in the final 25, then ignore him in favour of a player badly out of form and whose performances at FB have been underwhelming to say the least.
I really dont get that at all.
Outside of that I've no major quibble. Launchbury is very unlucky, but we are picking from strength here and someone very good was going to miss out.
At least we've got a nicely balanced back row and some good bench options.

[morepork]

Eddie is just a stubborn prick. Always has been, always will be. Ashton and Daly together at the back would be comedy gold.

[Puja]

Me neither! He really is pissing me off with his completely illogical approach to selection.

Murray and Sexton will be salivating at the prospect off Daly at 15.

Not just that, but having Farrell shooting out of the line and then having Tuilagi out of position alongside him...

Aki is going to cause havoc in the 12 channel.

The Aki-Tuilagi head-to-head could be a juicy one.

Since everyone expects an Irish aerial bombardment, and England will have been training for it, don't be surprised to see a change in tactics with the Irish keeping the ball in hand. Schmidt is a smart coach and does not always go for the bleedin' obvious.

He'll send up two early ones. If Daly catches both confidently, then I think you'll be right. If Daly does what he did in the autumn (run in with his head turned away and his arms held out to catch the ball way in front of him), then I don't see why plan B would be needed.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Not just that, but having Farrell shooting out of the line and then having Tuilagi out of position alongside him...

Aki is going to cause havoc in the 12 channel.

The Aki-Tuilagi head-to-head could be a juicy one.

Since everyone expects an Irish aerial bombardment, and England will have been training for it, don't be surprised to see a change in tactics with the Irish keeping the ball in hand. Schmidt is a smart coach and does not always go for the bleedin' obvious.

He'll send up two early ones. If Daly catches both confidently, then I think you'll be right. If Daly does what he did in the autumn (run in with his head turned away and his arms held out to catch the ball way in front of him), then I don't see why plan B would be needed.

Puja

I think a major reason that Nowell is included is that, if things go belly up with Daly, Jones can just switch the pair of them. Nowell has looked pretty good at 15 recently, and Daly is a top wing (scored two tries v. Ireland last year). It may even be in Jones' game plan to play Nowell at 15 from the off and he's just playing mind games. Numbers on backs don't mean much.

[Digby]

My guess is to distinguish him from Donnacha Ryan.

Eddie makes no sense.

Is there another Donnacha or is that the one who left for the T14 and isn't in the squad? Maybe it's to distinguish him from the fictional character Jack Ryan?

[Which Tyler]

Murray or Sexton will target Daly at the first chance they get and Stockdale, Earls and Henshaw will be all over him. If he’s having a mare, what are we going to do? Swap him with Nowell or bring on Ashton? Idiocy of the highest order.

Swap him with Nowell I guess, but how bad will it have to get?

I'd rather swap him with Slade