Name your predicted squad for Argentina

[Digby]

Props

Collier
Genge
Hill
Williams
Mulan

Hookers

LCD
Hartley

Locks

Ewels
Isiekwe
Launchbury

Back Row

Curry
Curry
Haskell
Hughes
Robshaw
Underhill
Wood

Halves

Care
Ford
Francis
Lozowski
Maunder

Centres

James
Mallinder
Marchant
Slade

Back Three

Cockanasiga
Earle
May
Solomona

Vice-Captain

Mike Brown

[skidger]

More caps for Mike Brown who should have stopped receiving them around 2015.

[Banquo]

cripes; no middle ground there! Dors will lurv it!

he's done his homework...and decided to skip a load of untried at test level 'in their prime' folks he doesn't think will cut it, by the looks of it.

Mallinder is a lucky boy tho.

Is Taylor injured?

[JellyHead]

Props

...
Back Three

Cockanasiga
Earle
May
Solomona

Vice-Captain

Mike Brown

Chuckle.

[twitchy]

More caps for Mike Brown who should have stopped receiving them around 2015.

No harm in taking mike with all the kids in the squad. These games will be ridiculously intense/physical.

[skidger]

More caps for Mike Brown who should have stopped receiving them around 2015.

No harm in taking mike with all the kids in the squad. These games will be ridiculously intense/physical.

I see harm in it as he utter tripe.

[Mellsblue]

Strange squad. If you're taking the Curry x2 and Maunder surely you take Mercer. No Robson or Taylor is just weird.

I'm assuming Brown is going as Jones' two preferences for fullback in the long term will be in NZ.

[Puja]

Both Currys, Maunder and Cokanasiga! I'm very happy about that indeed. Bit rubbish for the JWC team, but better to get these players involved early.

Interesting to have Francis there. I was going to mention him earlier in the thread, but assumed he'd be playing the Lions for the Blues so dismissed him out of hand.

Disappointed to have Solomona and doubly disappointed not to have Rapava-Ruskin. The one who is actually English will be screwed by the 5 year residency because he spent a year away, whereas the one who denied his Englishness three times before the cock crowed gets to sneak in before the deadline.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

I wonder if Jones is taking the 'chuck him in the deep end and see if he sinks or swims' route with Mallinder.

Seeing the breakdown by position, we are alarmingly callow at halfback and centre. Injury to Care and/or Ford and it's a bit scary.

[Mellsblue]

Disappointed to have Solomona and doubly disappointed not to have Rapava-Ruskin. The one who is actually English will be screwed by the 5 year residency because he spent a year away, whereas the one who denied his Englishness three times before the cock crowed gets to sneak in before the deadline.

Puja

I know I've been taking the Mickey out of Dors quite a bit this week (all lighthearted, obviously) but calling him a cock is crossing the line

[twitchy]

I forgot about Rapava-Ruskin and taylor that does seem odd.

[Banquo]

I wonder if Jones is taking the 'chuck him in the deep end and see if he sinks or swims' route with Mallinder.

Seeing the breakdown by position, we are alarmingly callow at halfback and centre. Injury to Care and/or Ford and it's a bit scary.

it is a strange squad, there is very little middle ground between a load of caps, and none/handful. He's skipped a generation at 9, but you can see why I guess; though Robson might be a little unlucky, he's not been all that in the last couple of matches I've seen. At least Wiggy isn't going.

[Oakboy]

Also, how will he react to Gatland omitting Hartley and Launchbury? Effectively, Eddie is being told he is wrong about those two

Maybe on Hartley, but how so on Launchbury?

He was 1st choice lock for England in the last 6N.

[Puja]

Gods bless your little cotton socks Digby for posting that in a sensible format.

Looking at the squad as a whole, I'm surprised he hasn't taken a third hooker, loosehead and scrum-half. Argentiana's an awfully long distance to call up replacements and eith the twin threats of injury and Lions replacements, it's not out of the question that a player could have to get off the plane and straight onto the bench. Seems risky.

I have no idea of the point of having Tom Wood there and will be disappointed if he plays. Maybe he's lock cover? Aside from him and Solomona, that is a very good squad.

Puja

[Digby]

I wonder if Hughes is going to have to spend some time at lock.

[Mikey Brown]

Certainly more interesting than the Lions squad. Taylor/Robson is very odd, worried they'll take the spots of his favourites?

What is Solomona offering* that Wade hasn't been doing for years?

Really interested by these young guys given a chance to hang around the squad. Get Hughes to learn about decent body position going in to contact by practicing on Mallinder. Would that be killing two birds with one stone or would it be a waste of time as he'll waltz right through him?

I thought Francis was more of a 12? Seems like he's taken the spot I would have seen Devoto in.

What I like here is that somebody in the inside backs (would guess Care/Ford/Slade but fuck knows) will really have to take charge of this rabble.

*Okay, he's a Kiwi with league experience. Of course he should be playing for England's union team.

[Banquo]

Also, how will he react to Gatland omitting Hartley and Launchbury? Effectively, Eddie is being told he is wrong about those two

Maybe on Hartley, but how so on Launchbury?

He was 1st choice lock for England in the last 6N.

Kruis was injured, as was Robshaw; next...

[ckeyn]

the best xv out of this squad? i have no idea.

[Oakboy]

Maybe on Hartley, but how so on Launchbury?

He was 1st choice lock for England in the last 6N.

Kruis was injured, as was Robshaw; next...

Ireland game?

[Oakboy]

Disappointed to have Solomona and doubly disappointed not to have Rapava-Ruskin. The one who is actually English will be screwed by the 5 year residency because he spent a year away, whereas the one who denied his Englishness three times before the cock crowed gets to sneak in before the deadline.

Puja

I know I've been taking the Mickey out of Dors quite a bit this week (all lighthearted, obviously) but calling him a cock is crossing the line

Take the piss as much as you like when I get something right!!

[Mellsblue]

He was 1st choice lock for England in the last 6N.

Kruis was injured, as was Robshaw; next...

Ireland game?

Neither Kruis nor Robshaw were fit for Ireland.
Tour to Aus when all were fully fit and available?

[Oakboy]

Back Three

Cockanasiga
Earle
May
Solomona

Vice-Captain

Mike Brown

Two points with that: 1. Is there FB cover in the list or are we talking Slade/Lozowski? 2. Is this the final coffin nails for Wade and Yarde?

[Banquo]

He was 1st choice lock for England in the last 6N.

Kruis was injured, as was Robshaw; next...

Ireland game?

they weren't fully fit to chuck into that game.

In fact neither were fit to play at all iirc

[Oakboy]

the best xv out of this squad? i have no idea.

Please tell me we aren't going to see Wood AND Robshaw starting.

[Banquo]

Back Three

Cockanasiga
Earle
May
Solomona

Vice-Captain

Mike Brown

Two points with that: 1. Is there FB cover in the list or are we talking Slade/Lozowski? 2. Is this the final coffin nails for Wade and Yarde?

yes, and Roko, Robson, Simpson, Harrison, Attwood and likely some others I can't remember! He's skipped over a generation of second teamers in effect.