Wales vs England - RWC warmup, Raeburn Shield challenge, and chance to *become* the #1 ranked team

[Puja]

If we were to win in Cardiff by >15 points, then we'd officially become the no 1 ranked side in the world, regardless of the New Zealand vs Australia result. Having launched several impassioned defences of the rankings the other day from Kiwis whining that it wasn't fair that Wales could overtake them without beating them (and ignoring that they'd won 66% of their last 12 games, compared to Wales's then 100%), I think that us being number 1 might be a tad undeserved if it came to pass. Still, wouldn't pass it up, and it's a nice target to aim for.

Anyway, who would we have for Cardiff? I'd like to see:

Marler
George
Sinckler
Itoje
Kruis
Wilson
Curry (if fit, if not, then whoever is fit from Ludlam and Underhill!)
BillyV

Heinz (needs more international minutes if he's going to be a real option)
Ford
May
Fazlet
Manu
McConnochie (if fit and in the squad, as he needs minutes. If neither, then Cokanasiga)
Watson

And, yes, I know that it's a risk playing Watson out of position, but I think he might do well there.

Puja

[Peej]

Think this needs to be our first choice team to get a hit out, in a hostile environment

[Scrumhead]

Agreed. I can’t see us going back to playing Ford and Farrell together TBH.

I thought we actually looked better with Heinz at 9 than we did with Youngs, so I wouldn’t be too disappointed to see him start again.

[Banquo]

Agreed. I can’t see us going back to playing Ford and Farrell together TBH.

I thought we actually looked better with Heinz at 9 than we did with Youngs, so I wouldn’t be too disappointed to see him start again.

agreed, he distributes with more alacrity. A low bar, tbh.

[fivepointer]

I'm minded to say pick the same side but that isnt really on.
Those missing today will come into the squad, and those on the bench will probably get a start, assuming they are in Eddie's squad tomorrow.
Marler, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Kruis, Wilson, Underhill, BV, Youngs, Faz, May, Manu, Slade, McConnochie, Watson.

[Scrumhead]

Yep. Unfortunately for McConnochie, I think the timing of his injury may have robbed him of the chance he needed. It would be a bold call to take an uncapped player. Not that that’s much different to take a player with 1 cap I guess.

[Mellsblue]

Jones hinted that he still had a chance to play a game. I wonder if he’ll keep him in the squad as cover for Nowell.

[fivepointer]

Nowell is touch and go I understand. He has little chance of playing in the warm up games. It might be quite late for a final decision to be made, so it would make sense to retain McConochie and give him some exposure over the next 3 games in case Nowell is ruled out.

[Raggs]

Just because Jones names his 31, does that mean he has to use them in the warm-up games?

[Puja]

Just because Jones names his 31, does that mean he has to use them in the warm-up games?

No - Eddie's basically making his own rules by going this early and can break any of them that he fancies. Final decisions where actual IRB rules come in don't happen until September.

Puja

[Raggs]

That's what i thought.

[Renniks]

BBC are reporting that:

- Curry is a “small amount of weeks injury”
- Slade is out for 2 to 3 weeks
- Underhill available for Ireland
- Nowell on track for the world cup

And, No news on Ruaridh
(What's the situation with Mako?)

Biggest concern for me is that we don't have enough back-row players healthy to give Billy a rest

[Puja]

I wonder if we're going to keep players in training with the squad to help with training/fill out numbers in XXIIIs. Williams is the key example - surely they don't plan to have Cole and Sinckler for three weeks on the bounce? He'll be first reserve anyway, so it makes sense for him to continue training.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

BBC are reporting that:

- Curry is a “small amount of weeks injury”
- Slade is out for 2 to 3 weeks
- Underhill available for Ireland
- Nowell on track for the world cup

And, No news on Ruaridh
(What's the situation with Mako?)

Biggest concern for me is that we don't have enough back-row players healthy to give Billy a rest

Yep. Which makes the last sentence of this article all the more interesting ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rug ... 54931.html

If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, Matt Kvesic has been added to the squad for Saturday despite Eddie not showing any interest in him whatsoever up until now ...

I get that he’s more of a like-for-like for Curry or Underhill but still strange.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Kvesic, but surely Dombrandt would have made more sense given his recent involvement.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I think that’s a cracking call from Jones. Kevs has had a superb season and can cover 8 should Underhill or Curry not come through.

[Oakboy]

BBC are reporting that:

- Curry is a “small amount of weeks injury”
- Slade is out for 2 to 3 weeks
- Underhill available for Ireland
- Nowell on track for the world cup

And, No news on Ruaridh
(What's the situation with Mako?)

Biggest concern for me is that we don't have enough back-row players healthy to give Billy a rest

Yep. Which makes the last sentence of this article all the more interesting ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rug ... 54931.html

If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, Matt Kvesic has been added to the squad for Saturday despite Eddie not showing any interest in him whatsoever up until now ...

I get that he’s more of a like-for-like for Curry or Underhill but still strange.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Kvesic, but surely Dombrandt would have made more sense given his recent involvement.

Until now, Jones has resisted playing a lighter Exeter-type 8 though he tried Simmonds some time back. He stuck with Hughes as the back-up lump until the last minute. He has refused for years to tackle the SH problem and has now gone for a left-field option as back-up to Youngs.

Today's DT says the other coaches changed Jones's mind on one of the 31. I wonder if Mitchell has engineered quite a bit of the late thinking. Nobody previously has cut through Jones's stubborn streak.

[fivepointer]

Maybe Kvesic should have been in the training squad from the outset?
Very pleased he's got the call - albeit a late one.
Tough on Dombrandt but Kvesic offers greater versatility.

[Mellsblue]

Poor old Kvesic. Terrible hairline, ignored by England despite being one of the best EP backrow players for the last couple of years, championed by Diggers and now, just to kick him whilst he’s down, we find out his nickname is Kevs.

Being serious, yet another nail in the ‘meticulous planning’ coffin. What has he done in the last month to change Jones’s mind?!?!?

[Mellsblue]

BBC are reporting that:

- Curry is a “small amount of weeks injury”
- Slade is out for 2 to 3 weeks
- Underhill available for Ireland
- Nowell on track for the world cup

And, No news on Ruaridh
(What's the situation with Mako?)

Biggest concern for me is that we don't have enough back-row players healthy to give Billy a rest

Yep. Which makes the last sentence of this article all the more interesting ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rug ... 54931.html

If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, Matt Kvesic has been added to the squad for Saturday despite Eddie not showing any interest in him whatsoever up until now ...

I get that he’s more of a like-for-like for Curry or Underhill but still strange.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Kvesic, but surely Dombrandt would have made more sense given his recent involvement.

Today's DT says the other coaches changed Jones's mind on one of the 31. I wonder if Mitchell has engineered quite a bit of the late thinking. Nobody previously has cut through Jones's stubborn streak.

Any ideas/clues? Launch v Shields?

[Mikey Brown]

Poor old Kvesic. Terrible hairline, ignored by England despite being one of the best EP backrow players for the last couple of years, championed by Diggers and now, just to kick him whilst he’s down, we find out his nickname is Kevs.

Being serious, yet another nail in the ‘meticulous planning’ coffin. What has he done in the last month to change Jones’s mind?!?!?

Jones probably read some criticism of him dropping Dombrandt so he’s doubling down and never going to involve him again.

[Oakboy]

Today's DT says the other coaches changed Jones's mind on one of the 31. I wonder if Mitchell has engineered quite a bit of the late thinking. Nobody previously has cut through Jones's stubborn streak.

Any ideas/clues? Launch v Shields?

No idea. Francis, maybe? It does not say if its in a critical area which might imply it's not TH or SH. I'd have thought one too many back three players was debated.

[Scrumhead]

Yeah - I’d imagine SH. It would explain why Heinz got back in the mix after a long absence.

[Renniks]

Ah good to see that he's calling up players to help out, I guess they will want to turn up as injuries are likely, but it must be slightly hard to get motivated knowing that with a month to go, you can't easily force your way in

Ludlam, Kvesic, Wilson back 3… with Lawes benching to cover --- not my first choice by a long way, but actually could be a lot worse.
Helped if we pick Sinckler and Manu for a bit of carrying…

[Digby]

Ah good to see that he's calling up players to help out, I guess they will want to turn up as injuries are likely, but it must be slightly hard to get motivated knowing that with a month to go, you can't easily force your way in

Ludlam, Kvesic, Wilson back 3… with Lawes benching to cover --- not my first choice by a long way, but actually could be a lot worse.
Helped if we pick Sinckler and Manu for a bit of carrying…

True, but it's a downside to players knowing they're in and settling into more settled training Vs competing more with each other to impress the coaches whilst not serving the team. There isn't a perfect answer in this.

[Renniks]

Ah good to see that he's calling up players to help out, I guess they will want to turn up as injuries are likely, but it must be slightly hard to get motivated knowing that with a month to go, you can't easily force your way in

Ludlam, Kvesic, Wilson back 3… with Lawes benching to cover --- not my first choice by a long way, but actually could be a lot worse.
Helped if we pick Sinckler and Manu for a bit of carrying…

True, but it's a downside to players knowing they're in and settling into more settled training Vs competing more with each other to impress the coaches whilst not serving the team. There isn't a perfect answer in this.

Definitely not a perfect answer -- I think before the announcement, I thought it was bonkers to announce so early. Now it's happened, I'm quite the fan of it -- I felt that preivously there was a lot in flux that could feck us over, now I feel like we know what's happening and where to focus.

If we can continue to use players like Spencer, Dombrandt, Ewels, Kvesic, Williams, and even Te'o to bolster the team and give players rest, then we'll be setting ourselves up quite nicely…