Team for France

[Digby]

The psychological hangover from England's comprehensive humping by S.A. in the world cup final could also play a part.

It sure could. Equally the French might be concerned they take control and then give it away for free in a moment of stunning stupidity on the discipline front

[francoisfou]

The psychological hangover from England's comprehensive humping by S.A. in the world cup final could also play a part.

It sure could. Equally the French might be concerned they take control and then give it away for free in a moment of stunning stupidity on the discipline front

A Vahaamahina (sp) moment, for example?

[jngf]

Despite all the talk about French inexperience there are only two new caps in the team. As for Eddie's threat to beat them up physically - the French pack weighs in at 930 Kg or so and contains a few tough nuts. His words may come back to haunt him. They also have a pair of massive and talented centres and strike power to burn on the wing. A French win would not be a great surprise here. The psychological hangover from England's comprehensive humping by S.A. in the world cup final could also play a part.

Also two members of French back row are 6’3” and 1 (Olivon) is 6’6.5” - yet Curry, Underhill and Earl are all 6’1” (if that’s indeed what is likely to be Eddy’s starting back row )

[Epaminondas Pules]

25 man squad for contention on Sunday

SQUAD
Forwards

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 45 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 34 caps)
George Kruis (Saracens, 41 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 81 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 68 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 31 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 58 caps)
Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 39 caps)
Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 79 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 65 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 47 caps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps)

[morepork]

Oh my God. A 2-5 inch height advantage.

You are truly fucked.

[Banquo]

Some interesting calls to put Daly on the right wing, Mells has kept him on the left, as did Mikey, but Mike might just be making sure he's not at 15

I put him on the right wing because May should be the undisputed choice on the left wing. As a guy that’s played a lot at 13, Daly should be comfortable on either side of the pitch but I’m assuming he was put on the left for defensive kicking?

Either way, I’d prefer to see Watson at least tried at 15. If that means May shifts across to the right then I’ll take that.

Interesting- what do you mean by that?

And as for defending at 11 and 14, they are very different jobs off scrum ball with any sort of blindside space, playing 13 wouldn't help. Its not easy switching wings.

[Epaminondas Pules]

So looks like waiting on Mako’s fitness and a place for Stuart, which is cracking. Surprised not to see Earl.

No Watson due to calf strain so likely to see Thorley or Furbank. Would suspect Thorley.

[Banquo]

25 man squad for contention on Sunday

SQUAD
Forwards

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 45 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 34 caps)
George Kruis (Saracens, 41 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 81 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 68 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 31 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 58 caps)
Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 39 caps)
Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 79 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 65 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 47 caps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps)

Going in without any sort of 8 is just daft, and Lawes at 6 I assume....grr. Though Itoje, obvs at 8.

[jngf]

25 man squad for contention on Sunday

SQUAD
Forwards

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 45 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 34 caps)
George Kruis (Saracens, 41 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 81 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 68 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 31 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 58 caps)
Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 39 caps)
Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 79 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 65 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 47 caps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps)

Going in without any sort of 8 is just daft, and Lawes at 6 I assume....grr. Though Itoje, obvs at 8.

Can RFU save everyone‘s time and allow Jones to take them to an employment tribunal for early dismissal

[Banquo]

25 man squad for contention on Sunday

SQUAD
Forwards

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 21 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 19 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 45 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 34 caps)
George Kruis (Saracens, 41 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 81 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 68 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 31 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 58 caps)
Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 39 caps)
Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 79 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 65 caps)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 47 caps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 40 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps)

Going in without any sort of 8 is just daft, and Lawes at 6 I assume....grr. Though Itoje, obvs at 8.

Can RFU save everyone‘s time and allow Jones to take them to an employment tribunal for early dismissal

Its all a bit odd. If our scrum is in any sort of trouble, Curry will be in a mess. Hopefully its a very clever ruse, but I thought we'd ditched over indexing on locks!

[Danno]

Oh my God. A 2-5 inch height advantage.

You are truly fucked.

[fivepointer]

So we have to lose a LHP and a back from the 25.
We're going in with only 3 back rowers so the Lawes at 6 forecast seems to be bang on. Whoever starts at 8 will have virtually no experience of doing so. So our back row will basically have 2 players out of position. Mmm..why would you put yourself into this kind of completely avoidable situation?.
On the plus side LCD is available and Stuart will get capped. Either one of Thorley and Furbank will start.

[jngf]

So we have to lose a LHP and a back from the 25.
We're going in with only 3 back rowers so the Lawes at 6 forecast seems to be bang on. Whoever starts at 8 will have virtually no experience of doing so. So our back row will basically have 2 players out of position. Mmm..why would you put yourself into this kind of completely avoidable situation?.
On the plus side LCD is available and Stuart will get capped. Either one of Thorley and Furbank will start.

Is there an icon for Jones sporting a fetching pair of clown shoes? (apart from the no.8 bit...

[Mr Mwenda]

Don't forget, jonny may covers flanker.

[Oakboy]

At this point, all I care about is winning in Paris. We should. If we don't it will be 100% Jones's fault.

I know I am not going to like the 23. How could I when the training squad was wrong by 6 or 7?

Has Jones broken yet another player in training if Watson is out?

The sick aspect is that we should all be excited as a new team is built for 4 years time on the back of coming second last year. Then I look at the two SHs, search for a No 8 . . . .

[fivepointer]

I thought the original back row selection was suspect. It could easily have been expanded to 6 or 7 and included a genuine No 8 for instance, but at least it featured a player who had played No 8 this season and was in good form.
Excluding him leaving us with an out of position flanker at No 8 in the back row is baffling.
Can somebody help me out and explain why that might be a good idea?

[Mellsblue]

I thought the original back row selection was suspect. It could easily have been expanded to 6 or 7 and included a genuine No 8 for instance, but at least it featured a player who had played No 8 this season and was in good form.
Excluding him leaving us with an out of position flanker at No 8 in the back row is baffling.
Can somebody help me out and explain why that might be a good idea?

Because every other time we’ve tried a flanker at no8 it’s worked perfectly. Don’t you remember Tom Wood against Wales and Sanderson under Andy Robin....ah, no.....wait......nope, can’t explain it to you.

[Which Tyler]

Because every other time we’ve tried a flanker at no8 it’s worked perfectly. Don’t you remember Tom Wood against Wales and Sanderson under Andy Robin....ah, no.....wait......nope, can’t explain it to you.

Laurence Dallaglio didn't do too bad a job at 8

[Danno]

Odd how it's all converging in the middle. 4 years ago we were up in arms about 2 and (particularly) 12, now 8 and 9 are a shambles.

If anyone solves it we'll have a black hole form at Twickenham as HalfRobotCoach Farrell Jr hoists the 2039 WC trophy, following a flawless victory over the Ireland side coached by AllRobotCoach Farrell Snr, whose side capitulated because RobotMumFarrell had had about enough.

There concludes the fanfic I never wanted to write but did it anyway.

Shame about Watson, pretty worried about sticking anyone uncapped out vs Vahaamina or Thomas.

[Puja]

I thought the original back row selection was suspect. It could easily have been expanded to 6 or 7 and included a genuine No 8 for instance, but at least it featured a player who had played No 8 this season and was in good form.
Excluding him leaving us with an out of position flanker at No 8 in the back row is baffling.
Can somebody help me out and explain why that might be a good idea?

Wasn't Earl reported to have been carrying an injury in midweek?

Spare a moment of thought for Tom Dunn, who has been on the edge of his first England cap on several different occasions, including once where he was expected to bench and then Hartley recovered in time. He must've really thought he had it this week with LCD going home and the press writing articles about him, and now LCD's sorted out his family stuff and is back in. Poor sod - it's got to hurt.

Puja

[jngf]

Because every other time we’ve tried a flanker at no8 it’s worked perfectly. Don’t you remember Tom Wood against Wales and Sanderson under Andy Robin....ah, no.....wait......nope, can’t explain it to you.

Laurence Dallaglio didn't do too bad a job at 8

The paradoxical aspect I find in this is that Dayglo became the most successful no.8 to play for England yet arguably 6 was his strongest position and as a carrying 6 circa Lions 97’ he was on a par with Lions ‘89 version of Mike Teague and to slaughter a sacred cow as carrying 6’s both these were imo a step up from Richard Hill at 6 (though still agree that for versatility, work on the ground and grafting Hill has yet to eclipsed).

[jngf]

I will be perplexed if Tom Curry gets the nod at 8 - he’s barely got the power for a carrying game for 6 for goodness sake! - It’s not perfect but I’d feel more confident if Ludlum plugged the gap at 8 (imo he’s faster and more powerful than Curry for starters).

[morepork]

Curry is all right. He isn't the sort to die wondering. He'd go hammer and tongs at it if put there.

[p/d]

Spare a moment of thought for Tom Dunn, who has been on the edge of his first England cap on several different occasions, including once where he was expected to bench and then Hartley recovered in time. He must've really thought he had it this week with LCD going home and the press writing articles about him, and now LCD's sorted out his family stuff and is back in. Poor sod - it's got to hurt.

Puja

At least he is saved from the embarrassment of losing to a French u20’s side

[Digby]

Wasn't Earl reported to have been carrying an injury in midweek?


Puja

A potential haemorrhaged contract