Team for Italy

[Banquo]

Premiership form means nothing to Banquo either based upon his last post.

Not quite, but I don't think its necessarily great indicator as to ability to thrive at intl level; I suppose its the only relative guide we have. Nice strawman.

What's your assessment of the standard of the GP?

It depends upon how we’re judging it. Entertainment-wise, in the main, I think it’s pretty good. That probably says as much about the quality of defending as it does about the attacking skills on display, but you could level the same criticism at Super Rugby.

Also, from a fans’ perspective, the top test players actually play in our leagues unlike the handful of games the top Irish and Welsh players see in the Pro14. This isn’t as good from a player welfare POV (and I think we have things to learn in that respect), but as an entertainment product, it does make a difference.

Tactically, it’s a bit of a lottery. Some teams, Exeter being the prime example, have a very defined style of play, while other teams it’s hard to tell what they’re trying to achieve from game to game.

I agree that it’s not a great indicator of test suitability, but it’s what we have and I’m uncomfortable with the idea that players who don’t demonstrate any kind of form being called-up for unfathomable reasons.

Agree with the former, and the latter seems a bit random for Eddie; some players have been pulled into the squad on form- Wilson is a prime example, others stay in irrespective (Hughes, Shields) and others get ignored (Armand). I think the GP is poor technically, and poor from an intensity-with-quality point of view-- there are far too many average players and coaches plying their trade.

[Scrumhead]

Oh I agree that there’s too much mediocrity, but that’s basically what you get from a 12 team, attritional league.

[Banquo]

Oh I agree that there’s too much mediocrity, but that’s basically what you get from a 12 team, attritional league.

Indeed, been screaming to reduce the size of it for years.

[Digby]

Oh I agree that there’s too much mediocrity, but that’s basically what you get from a 12 team, attritional league.

Indeed, been screaming to reduce the size of it for years.

If the concern is the national team, and if anything we've come closer to increasing it in size

[Banquo]

Oh I agree that there’s too much mediocrity, but that’s basically what you get from a 12 team, attritional league.

Indeed, been screaming to reduce the size of it for years.

If the concern is the national team, and if anything we've come closer to increasing it in size

If we aren't concerned about the national team then its a slippery old slope

[Digby]

Indeed, been screaming to reduce the size of it for years.

If the concern is the national team, and if anything we've come closer to increasing it in size

If we aren't concerned about the national team then its a slippery old slope

They've been ranked 2-5 over the last few seasons, okay still it's not getting the focus some want, but equally there's still a lot of resource poured into it.

[Banquo]

If the concern is the national team, and if anything we've come closer to increasing it in size

If we aren't concerned about the national team then its a slippery old slope

They've been ranked 2-5 over the last few seasons, okay still it's not getting the focus some want, but equally there's still a lot of resource poured into it.

Good money after bad if we aren't prepared to gear our system to national excellence.

[Digby]

If we aren't concerned about the national team then its a slippery old slope

They've been ranked 2-5 over the last few seasons, okay still it's not getting the focus some want, but equally there's still a lot of resource poured into it.

Good money after bad if we aren't prepared to gear our system to national excellence.

Depends on one's priorities. Though it isn't of no relevance the game against Wales topped with a viewing figure of 8.9 million

[Banquo]

They've been ranked 2-5 over the last few seasons, okay still it's not getting the focus some want, but equally there's still a lot of resource poured into it.

Good money after bad if we aren't prepared to gear our system to national excellence.

Depends on one's priorities. Though it isn't of no relevance the game against Wales topped with a viewing figure of 8.9 million

International rugby is the golden goose in England is my thinking, ergo priority.

[Digby]

Good money after bad if we aren't prepared to gear our system to national excellence.

Depends on one's priorities. Though it isn't of no relevance the game against Wales topped with a viewing figure of 8.9 million

International rugby is the golden goose in England is my thinking, ergo priority.

It's a priority, we've never had better systems in place, but it's not going to shift from a priority to the priority. Also I've really no idea if the next shift in priority will reduce or increase the priority of the test side

[Banquo]

Depends on one's priorities. Though it isn't of no relevance the game against Wales topped with a viewing figure of 8.9 million

International rugby is the golden goose in England is my thinking, ergo priority.

It's a priority, we've never had better systems in place, but it's not going to shift from a priority to the priority. Also I've really no idea if the next shift in priority will reduce or increase the priority of the test side

Your English teacher was right.

[Mellsblue]

Let’s give Curry a rest and stick Willis at 7.

[Oakboy]

Let’s give Curry a rest and stick Willis at 7.

Willis might just take the shirt off him if he carries on like this.

[fivepointer]

He's a contender no doubt. Very impressive today.

[Timbo]

Let’s give Curry a rest and stick Willis at 7.

Willis might just take the shirt off him if he carries on like this.

Ben Earl was apparently very impressive for Sarries today too.

[Mellsblue]

Let’s give Curry a rest and stick Willis at 7.

Willis might just take the shirt off him if he carries on like this.

Ben Earl was apparently very impressive for Sarries today too.

Yep. Quality player. Flanker is lining up to be a position of strength over the next decade.

[Banquo]

Willis might just take the shirt off him if he carries on like this.

Ben Earl was apparently very impressive for Sarries today too.

Yep. Quality player. Flanker is lining up to be a position of strength over the next decade.

Thompson was impressive too, shame he was such a late developer.

[Scrumhead]

I wouldn’t write off Lewis Ludlam yet either.

Sounds like he had a good game against Saracens today in his fair game as captain.

[p/d]

Staggered we are even discussing Curry’s shirt

[Mikey Brown]

Staggered we are even discussing Curry’s shirt

Well I thought Underhill had nicked it for the foreseeable future after the NZ game. Imagine having genuine options at 7. I can only see Earle/Ludlum/Ludlow as being back up, but having that behind Curry/Underhill/Curry/Willis is something to be pleased about.

[Scrumhead]

Indeed. We’ve gone from a position where 6.5s were our best/only realistic options to having really promising several players under the age of 23.

Tom Curry and Sam Underhill are clearly in pole position but it’s great to have Ben Curry, Jack Willis, Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam all banging at the door.

[Beasties]

Jack Willis could well have been nailed into that 7 shirt by now but for his badly times injury. That was some display by him yest considering. He seems to be right up Eddie's street in a 7 given what he was looking for before Curry made a strong case. These boys are timing their WC runup to perfection.

[p/d]

Don’t get me wrong I think it heartwarming we have genuine healthy competition for the 7 berth. Just need it at 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15

Was massively impressed with Willis yesterday, hell of a game.

[Stom]

Don’t get me wrong I think it heartwarming we have genuine healthy competition for the 7 berth. Just need it at 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15

Was massively impressed with Willis yesterday, hell of a game.

Oh, absolutely. But the competition at 8 is a bit different, as when Eddie goes we're going to have someone choosing between some seriously good options...But Billy will still be on a pedestal because of how much of a freak he is.

And surely Underhill would make a very good 6, while Willis has played plenty of rugby at 8, so those 3 could be the glue around Billy in the future. 2 of them start and one on the bench.

[Digby]

Don’t get me wrong I think it heartwarming we have genuine healthy competition for the 7 berth. Just need it at 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15

Was massively impressed with Willis yesterday, hell of a game.

With the team and tactics as is we'd perhaps do better with cover at 1, 2 & 3. There's not really anyone we can point to as a known adequate alternative in the front row post Marler retiring