Team for the Barbarians game

[Scrumhead]

Just seen a video of the England XV training on Instagram and Lewis Ludlam is definitely there. Probably should have been there to start with, but I didn’t see anything to say he’d been added?

[Tigersman]

Most likely just a body to train against if not announced.

[Scrumhead]

Possibly. I saw TImmy Harrison and Ellis in the video but not Ben Curry so perhaps he’s injured?

Mallinder didn’t give Ludlam much of a shot at Saints so you’re probably right.

[fivepointer]

England XV starters

15 Simon Hammersley (Newcastle Falcons)
14 Piers O’Conor (Bristol Bears)
13 Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
12 Johnny Williams (Newcastle Falcons)
11 Josh Bassett (Wasps)
10 Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
9 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)

1 Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks)
2 Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)
3 Ehren Painter (Northampton Saints)
4 Elliott Stooke (Bath Rugby)
5 Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks) captain
6 Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
7 Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
8 Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)

Finishers

16 Tommy Taylor (Wasps, 1 cap)
17 Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
18 Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
19 Will Spencer (Leicester Tigers)
20 Tom Ellis (Bath Rugby)
21 Ben White (Leicester Tigers)
22 Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears)
23 Ben Loader (London Irish)

[Mellsblue]

Meh. Glad I chose the Prem final instead of this.

[Banquo]

Meh. Glad I chose the Prem final instead of this.

meh is the word

[Mikey Brown]

It’s a shame as there’s plenty of individuals I’m interested in on both sides, but I don’t see what they could do to prove themselves in this game.

Great for Dombrandt, Painter, Smith etc. to get this experience, but for guys like Harrison, Stooke, Hammersley to play knowing this is the closest they’ll ever get... I dunno, that came out incredibly negative.

[fivepointer]

Problem when you rule out your top 45-50 players is that you are left with a lot of guys who arent really in the hunt for international honours, in the short or the longer term.
That said, I do believe Williams and Marchant are quality players who should be on the radar now. Painter, Dombrandt, B Curry, Mitchell and Smith should come into the conversation post RWC.
Its not a poor side by any means but the odds on them performing with any real cohesion arent great.

[Puja]

I'm much more interested in the women's game. Usually I struggle to watch England games cause the result is known beforehand unless we're playing NZ - there's just such a gulf in quality to everyone else from our player numbers and professionalism. However, this BaaBaas side will actually present a challenge.

Puja

[jngf]

Is Josh Beaumont no longer playing in the back row these days? (I know he was always down as a lock too)

[Scrumhead]

Problem when you rule out your top 45-50 players is that you are left with a lot of guys who arent really in the hunt for international honours, in the short or the longer term.
That said, I do believe Williams and Marchant are quality players who should be on the radar now. Painter, Dombrandt, B Curry, Mitchell and Smith should come into the conversation post RWC.
Its not a poor side by any means but the odds on them performing with any real cohesion arent great.

Yep. Roughly 50% of that starting XV have the potential to be full internationals following the World Cup.

Some of the others still have a decent shout too. But for his injury, Obano might have been ahead of Moon or Hepburn for example and Loader is very highly rated.

Paul Hill is a weird one. By now, he should have been established in the full squad, but if anything he’s been going backwards for a couple of seasons. He’s still young enough to come good, but he’s at a bit of a crossroads and will either kick-on or just be an average Premiership prop.

[Mellsblue]

Is Barnes going to the post-match fancy dress party as Rafa Benítez?

[Shiny]

Bassett looks hungry.

[Scrumhead]

He does. Ben Curry too.

[Shiny]

Mitchell looks like a real future prospect at 9 as well.

[Scrumhead]

Definitely. Mitchell looks really confident and composed. His awareness and the long kick and chase were a big part of the try we scored.

[Banquo]

Painter having a tough time, unsurprisingly.

Mitchell has looked the part for Saints whenever he has had the chance.

[Adam_P]

Agreed on Mitchell, looked very sharp so far. I think Harrison and Dombrandt is a wonderful combo in defence

[Banquo]

Quality from Marchant.

[Scrumhead]

Great try. Love that.

[Adam_P]

Marchant surely has to get a look in for England proper after the WC?

[Banquo]

playing well with the ball in hand now.

[Mikey Brown]

Marchant surely has to get a look in for England proper after the WC?

I was just thinking about this. I've thought for a long time he has the quality to play for England, but fear he might always suffer from being less powerful than Tuilagi, less gifted a handler than Slade, less canny in defence than Joseph etc. even though he is very strong in each of those areas.

Also absurdly good at catching restarts.

[Banquo]

Marchant surely has to get a look in for England proper after the WC?

I was just thinking about this. I've thought for a long time he has the quality to play for England, but fear he might always suffer from being less powerful than Tuilagi, less gifted a handler than Slade, less canny in defence than Joseph etc. even though he is very strong in each of those areas.

Also absurdly good at catching restarts.

He's been in and around squads for a while now.

[Banquo]

Dombrandt also sparky, maybe could lose a pound or ten