Stade de France Saturday 19th March

[Oakboy]

It's reported that the team announcement is 5.30pm today. Funny time. One or two fitness doubts perhaps?

[p/d]

It makes sense. Currently a big announcement by Southgate on his squad selection for the friendly against the Ivory Coast.

[francoisfou]

France team - it means over the course of the 6 nations they've made a total of one change to their starting XV for tactical reasons.

No surprises, unlike what our Eddie will offer! Plenty of grunt and flair, but will they be mentally prepared? French sides against England often have the jitters until they get into their stride so captain Lawes’ objective in the first 20 minutes or so is to get under their skin and niggle! If they don’t, then a bp win and a Slam for Les Bleus is on the cards.

[Oakboy]

Maybe, the 5.30 time is just because of the late KO on Saturday - 8pm.

[Spiffy]

France team - it means over the course of the 6 nations they've made a total of one change to their starting XV for tactical reasons.

No surprises, unlike what our Eddie will offer! Plenty of grunt and flair, but will they be mentally prepared? French sides against England often have the jitters until they get into their stride so captain Lawes’ objective in the first 20 minutes or so is to get under their skin and niggle! If they don’t, then a bp win and a Slam for Les Bleus is on the cards.

This bunch looks a lot less niggleable (?) than previous French teams.
That looks like a 6:2 bench split.

[francoisfou]

France team - it means over the course of the 6 nations they've made a total of one change to their starting XV for tactical reasons.

No surprises, unlike what our Eddie will offer! Plenty of grunt and flair, but will they be mentally prepared? French sides against England often have the jitters until they get into their stride so captain Lawes’ objective in the first 20 minutes or so is to get under their skin and niggle! If they don’t, then a bp win and a Slam for Les Bleus is on the cards.

This bunch looks a lot less niggleable (?) than previous French teams.
That looks like a 6:2 bench split.

From what I’ve seen of French rugby since I’ve been over here, all French sides are “niggleable”!

[SDHoneymonster]

England:

Genge
George
Stuart
Itoje
Isiekwe
Lawes (c)
Underhill
Simmonds

Youngs
Smith
Nowell
Slade
Marchant
Steward
Furbank

BENCH: Dolly, Marler, Sinckler, Chessum, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Daly.

It's... a team, I guess?

[ckeyn]

hahaha, blimey

[Danno]

Christ, we really are scraping the barrel a bit

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

No words

[SDHoneymonster]

Feels a bit 2018 to me: cosmetic shuffling thanks to odd initial selections at the end of a disappointing campaign. Think there's still fairly substantial surgery to come on the Australia tour then, if we're following that pattern.

[Puja]

We are going to get taken roughly, without lubrication. France have had their scare and their poor performance against Wales and their coaching team will be making sure that there is no repeat. Meanwhile, England were in disarray before one of their best players and their only openside in the squad was ruled out. And, if that wasn't bad enough, Charlie Ewels is going to be banned and unavailable!

We will not get within 20 points.

Puja

I stand by my original prediction after seeing that team.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Ffs. I was going to stay off the booze this weekend but….

[Which Tyler]

Oh dear

[Peej]

Very brave selection that......

[p/d]

gawd

[Puja]

From the BBC article:

Capture.PNG

It's not a surprise tactical switch BBC. It is the most boring, most obvious, most retrograde thing we could possibly do - giving up any thoughts of being a fully functional rugby team in favour of lumping the ball high to our tallest bloke, like an U11s basketball team.

Sack Jones.

Puja

[p/d]

Unjust I know, but over 5 games we have seen one constant amongst the slow spiral to despair.

I blame Smith

[SDHoneymonster]

Scott Robertson or Andy Farrell, then. Who's your money on? The dream ticket of course would be an all-Wigan panel of Farrell, Edwards and Gleeson, but that's so Northern I think rugby union would explode.

[Banquo]

Jeez. Better win then.

[Oakboy]

So, front row downgraded by injury. Second row without Launchbury anywhere hardly upgraded. Halfback pairing stymied by selection. Back three a selection farce.

If Underhill is fully fit at least the back row is useful.

However, let there be no post-match criticism of the centre pairing because it will have no attacking function.

Reaction in a word - despair!

[Oakboy]

Jeez. Better win then.

I would not put a pound of your money on that, never mind any of mine.

[Oakboy]

Sack Jones.

Puja

You have seen the light, at last!

[Banquo]

Is Launchbury injured btw? Steward on the wing is utterly ludicrous.

[fivepointer]

Feel for Steward. He's finding his feet at FB and thats where he should be playing.

Launchbury not even in the 23 just seems really odd.

The Stuart-Sinckler situation i dont get. Presumably Sinckler is fit to play, so why isnt he starting?

Underhill starting, which i did expect, has me a little anxious.

It might all work out. Or it might not.....