Team for Italy

[Mikey Brown]

Wilson, Shields and Robshaw all in one squad?

Hughes retains his place.

Earl? I mean he could at least offer some versatility from the bench.

Still no fullback in the squad even though I'm playing as well as I have since 2014.

[Banquo]

Glad JJ is in. Message ends.

[Bloggs]

Glad JJ is in. Message ends.

He was the second best 13 in the Bath v Quins game, and Marchant has been brilliant all season. I would really like to see him involved with England for the next World Cup cycle

[Stom]

Wilson, Shields and Robshaw all in one squad?

Hughes retains his place.

Earl? I mean he could at least offer some versatility from the bench.

Still no fullback in the squad even though I'm playing as well as I have since 2014.

It's just an update to the initial squad with JJ replacing Ashton. They were all there originally.

[Puja]

No Brown is utterly bananas. There's showing faith in Daly and then there's just wilful refusal to accept that it hasn't worked. It wouldn't be quite so bad if Brown wasn't in utterly brilliant form.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Wilson, Shields and Robshaw all in one squad?

Hughes retains his place.

Earl? I mean he could at least offer some versatility from the bench.

Still no fullback in the squad even though I'm playing as well as I have since 2014.

It's just an update to the initial squad with JJ replacing Ashton. They were all there originally.

I'm not really sure what you mean here. EJ still chooses these squads. There's some questionable calls in there.

[Stom]

Wilson, Shields and Robshaw all in one squad?

Hughes retains his place.

Earl? I mean he could at least offer some versatility from the bench.

Still no fullback in the squad even though I'm playing as well as I have since 2014.

It's just an update to the initial squad with JJ replacing Ashton. They were all there originally.

I'm not really sure what you mean here. EJ still chooses these squads. There's some questionable calls in there.

I mean he announced a 32 man squad at the start of the 6N and this is exactly the same as that one except JJ is in for Ashton, Hepburn is in for Mako and Lawes is injured and not replaced.

[Digby]

No Brown is utterly bananas. There's showing faith in Daly and then there's just wilful refusal to accept that it hasn't worked. It wouldn't be quite so bad if Brown wasn't in utterly brilliant form.

Puja

You think our defence has been the problem? The attack through the back three has actually worked well when we're using it and Daly has that much better organised than Brown tends to, Brown never having shown much he doesn't default to running for himself.

I'm pleased Daly continues and there's no Brown

[Mikey Brown]

It's just an update to the initial squad with JJ replacing Ashton. They were all there originally.

I'm not really sure what you mean here. EJ still chooses these squads. There's some questionable calls in there.

I mean he announced a 32 man squad at the start of the 6N and this is exactly the same as that one except JJ is in for Ashton, Hepburn is in for Mako and Lawes is injured and not replaced.

But... he can pick different people if he wants.

Whatever.

[Scrumhead]

No Brown is utterly bananas. There's showing faith in Daly and then there's just wilful refusal to accept that it hasn't worked. It wouldn't be quite so bad if Brown wasn't in utterly brilliant form.

Puja

You think our defence has been the problem? The attack through the back three has actually worked well when we're using it and Daly has that much better organised than Brown tends to, Brown never having shown much he doesn't default to running for himself.

I'm pleased Daly continues and there's no Brown

I’m with Puja. The Daly experiment has been a failure IMO.

Which bits of our attack do you credit Daly for organising? His try against Australia was good, but I can’t think of anything else he’s really done to shine in attack since moving to 15?

I can, however, think of a number of worrying moments in defence.

[Puja]

No Brown is utterly bananas. There's showing faith in Daly and then there's just wilful refusal to accept that it hasn't worked. It wouldn't be quite so bad if Brown wasn't in utterly brilliant form.

Puja

You think our defence has been the problem? The attack through the back three has actually worked well when we're using it and Daly has that much better organised than Brown tends to, Brown never having shown much he doesn't default to running for himself.

I'm pleased Daly continues and there's no Brown

Every time a contested high ball is put up, Daly either fumbles or is beaten to it. It's gone beyond a joke now and he's had enough time that it's clearly not going to get better. Brown would likely have saved the Adams try against Wales, as well as a good deal of territory that Daly gave up through failing to claim contested balls.

Daly's role as a free-running attacking threat has been great. As a full-back, however, he's been an unmitigated failure.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

I’d understand it more if we were actually playing in such a way where his ‘free running’ is actually utilised.

TBH, with the exception of the try against Australia, most of his better moments seem to have been counter attacks rather than coordinated/pre-planned moves.

For example, the run/kick that lead to May’s first try against France was off the cuff, not something we actively tried to engineer.

[Digby]

No Brown is utterly bananas. There's showing faith in Daly and then there's just wilful refusal to accept that it hasn't worked. It wouldn't be quite so bad if Brown wasn't in utterly brilliant form.

Puja

You think our defence has been the problem? The attack through the back three has actually worked well when we're using it and Daly has that much better organised than Brown tends to, Brown never having shown much he doesn't default to running for himself.

I'm pleased Daly continues and there's no Brown

Every time a contested high ball is put up, Daly either fumbles or is beaten to it. It's gone beyond a joke now and he's had enough time that it's clearly not going to get better. Brown would likely have saved the Adams try against Wales, as well as a good deal of territory that Daly gave up through failing to claim contested balls.

Daly's role as a free-running attacking threat has been great. As a full-back, however, he's been an unmitigated failure.

Puja

It's on my list of concerns, Daly under the high ball, but it's a long way down. So far down it's not really vexing me in any fashion. We're doing enough with our blocking for now, if that worsens Daly could and probably would concern me more

[Mellsblue]

[Banquo]

Teo's 'form' looks set to get him in the 23. Lol.

[Scrumhead]

Te’o is the biggest joke in the squad.

[Oakboy]

Te’o is the biggest joke in the squad.

Er, Shields??

[Scrumhead]

At least Shields has played for Wasps when fit rather than pi$$ing off on holiday in between injuries and test duty.

[Banquo]

Te’o is the biggest joke in the squad.

Its ridiculous, with the minor proviso that IF we are sticking with running physical presence at 12 aka bosh, then Teo is the closest to Manu about....though Jonny Williams could likely do it. But its still ridiculous.

[Mikey Brown]

At least Shields has played for Wasps when fit rather than pi$$ing off on holiday in between injuries and test duty.

He must be the highest paid club player in the world by a mile when you look at minutes/salary ratio. I doubt even the top French league guys are close.

I'm sure Slade's rather odd deployment mostly as a dummy runner so far will make perfect sense when Te'o takes back his rightful place in the side.

[Mikey Brown]

Ha. I don't want to link to the DM, but tried to look up Te'o's salary and found this.

"BIG BEN SILENCED

England centre Ben Te’o is not playing for Worcester again this week.

Having played 28 minutes for the Warriors then gone to England to play three of the four autumn Tests, Te’o took a three-week break and went ‘home’ to New Zealand after coach Alan Solomons chatted to Eddie Jones.

He is back at the club now, but not playing. As researched by super Twitter statman Russ Petty, in total he’s featured in 25 games – playing 1,701 minutes at an average of 68 per match – for his English club since 2016 (and 957 minutes in 21 games for England and the Lions).

Ben Te'o played for England in the autumn but has not been value for money for Worcester +11
Ben Te'o played for England in the autumn but has not been value for money for Worcester

It is understood he earns £350,000-a-year – so that means by the end of this calendar he has earned about £1.05million while (not) playing in the Premiership and Europe.

By our calculations he has cost Worcester just over £617 per minute and £42,000 a match.

We’re all for players resting, and he has had some injuries, but that’s hardly value for money is it?"

[p/d]

I’d have Mercer at fb ahead of Dlay.

Would like to see Williams and Slade linking up at 12 and 23 ...... though the thought of Manu and T’eo gives Jones wood

[Oakboy]

Is T'eo not just bench cover in case Nowell is unfit? If so, why is it not Devoto?

[Oakboy]

At least Shields has played for Wasps when fit rather than pi$$ing off on holiday in between injuries and test duty.

True. However, might most people not have T'eo further ahead in their IC rankings (4th or 5th?) than Shields at blindside (7th or 8th?).

[Timbo]

Is T'eo not just bench cover in case Nowell is unfit? If so, why is it not Devoto?

Cos Te’o is a better player than Devoto?