Mikey Brown wrote:That's fair, I think we just disagree (and let's be honest we're both just guessing) at how his previous experience would help or hinder.
Has anyone already managed to coax an answer out of you as to who you'd pick? In addition to (presumably?) Wilson, Curry, Underhill, Billy?
Mikey Brown wrote:That's fair, I think we just disagree (and let's be honest we're both just guessing) at how his previous experience would help or hinder.
Has anyone already managed to coax an answer out of you as to who you'd pick? In addition to (presumably?) Wilson, Curry, Underhill, Billy?
Timbo wrote:
I would have Robshaw in my training squad, but not at the expense of Shields, who I (pretty much alone on this forum) rate quite highly.
I actually think Shields has done alright at test level, one advantage he offers is being much more of a back row lineout option than either Robshaw or Wilson. I think it’s not easy to call who will get priority as the starting 6 though Robshaw will pull all the stops out to win the shirt back and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
Heinz is a better player than many give him credit for. Makes good decisions, defensively outstanding and runs great support lines. He does lack the sniping ability of Care or Youngs but I'd say he's a better 'general'. Glaws always look better when he's playing.
ilovelamp wrote:Heinz is a better player than many give him credit for. Makes good decisions, defensively outstanding and runs great support lines. He does lack the sniping ability of Care or Youngs but I'd say he's a better 'general'. Glaws always look better when he's playing.
He was awful when he first rocked up though, and still a bit ponderous. He does look better in a team that is playing better, but chicken and egg I guess.
Timbo wrote:
I would have Robshaw in my training squad, but not at the expense of Shields, who I (pretty much alone on this forum) rate quite highly.
I actually think Shields has done alright at test level, one advantage he offers is being much more of a back row lineout option than either Robshaw or Wilson. I think it’s not easy to call who will get priority as the starting 6 though Robshaw will pull all the stops out to win the shirt back and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
Robshaw is a good lineout option as backrows go. Still wouldn't pick him.
ilovelamp wrote:Heinz is a better player than many give him credit for. Makes good decisions, defensively outstanding and runs great support lines. He does lack the sniping ability of Care or Youngs but I'd say he's a better 'general'. Glaws always look better when he's playing.
He was awful when he first rocked up though, and still a bit ponderous. He does look better in a team that is playing better, but chicken and egg I guess.
To be fair to him, he was mostly playing a very limited, kicking based, game plan instituted by Laurie Fisher. Under Ackermann he's been tremendous.
ilovelamp wrote:Heinz is a better player than many give him credit for. Makes good decisions, defensively outstanding and runs great support lines. He does lack the sniping ability of Care or Youngs but I'd say he's a better 'general'. Glaws always look better when he's playing.
He was awful when he first rocked up though, and still a bit ponderous. He does look better in a team that is playing better, but chicken and egg I guess.
To be fair to him, he was mostly playing a very limited, kicking based, game plan instituted by Laurie Fisher. Under Ackermann he's been tremendous.
a point I made earlier in the thread , though I'd say tremendous is a bit over stated. Ironic that he is talked about being picked to likely play a limited kicking based plan for England. I still say that looking to NZ rejects to improve our team seems a little odd....
BBC are prepared to say Marler is in the elite player group and is considering "coming out of retirement " for the World Cup. He has an extra week or so mandatory down time to fanny about as he played for the ba baas, before he commits to joining the training squad.
I have this feeling that Care may have done or said something take stupid in camp at some point and crossed a line for Eddie. No evidence at all just a guess.
ad_tigger wrote:I have this feeling that Care may have done or said something take stupid in camp at some point and crossed a line for Eddie. No evidence at all just a guess.
He seems to have carried the can for the Japan performance. Perhaps the post match reaction wasn’t what Jones was looking for. Lozowski has also been dropped like a hot stone but he was always a fringe player.
From the BBC -
"England hooker Dylan Hartley is set to miss out on the World Cup after struggling with a knee problem.
Regular captain Hartley led England to back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2016 and 2017 under head coach Eddie Jones, but hasn't played since December.
Jones is also set to shun hundreds of caps worth of experience when he names his first training squad on Thursday.
Scrum-half Danny Care and flanker Chris Robshaw are understood to be among the high-profile omissions.
Thursday's 29-man party will only include players not involved in the Premiership semi-finals, with Harlequins' uncapped forward Alex Dombrandt in line to be named after a strong performance against the Barbarians earlier this month.
With all English-based players given a mandatory rest period of five weeks, those from beaten semi-finalists Gloucester and Northampton will join the camp next week.
Jones then names his final training party, including players from finalists Exeter and Saracens, on 4 July"
Hmm ... lots of speculation on this. I’m no fan of Hughes, but for him, Robshaw and Care to miss out on a squad of 29 players excluding last season’s top 4 seems insane.
What are we looking at? Putting together various bits of speculation, I’m guessing something like:
1. J. Marler / E. Genge
2. J. Singleton / T. Dunn
3. K. Sinckler / D. Cole
4. C. Ewels
5. J. Launchbury
6. M. Wilson / B. Shields
7. T. Curry / S. Underhill
8. A. Dombrandt / Z. Mercer
9. T. Youngs* / D. Robson*
10. G. Ford / M. Smith
11. J. May / J. Cokanasiga
12. M. Tuilagi / B. Te’o
13. J. Joseph / J. Marchant
14. A. Watson / McConnochie
15. E. Daly / M. Brown
*no idea of the latest on their injury situations, which makes Care’s alleged omission even stranger.
Struggling for other locks excluding the top 4 players.
