Best uncapped 23

[ilovelamp]

Agree about Marshall - good player

On that note, we could even start naming a 'test XV with, at best, a dubious claim to being English'

He'd be in it

He's got more of a claim than some of our current internationals like the Vunipolas, Hughes, Tuilagi et al.

Hughes, I'll definitely give you, but it's a bit harsh to namecheck the Vunipolas and Tuilagi who've lived here half their lives and who went through our schools system. Marshall's very much a product of NZ who has English ancestry.

Still, all are better than Solomona.

Puja

Call it a draw and agree to start a petition about Solomona?

[Scrumhead]

Interesting looking at this with the new season about to kick-off.

Last season I went for:

1. Rapava-Ruskin
2. Haywood
3. H. Williams
4. Barrow
5. Symons
6. Jones
7. Underhill
8. Thompson
9. Robson
10. Lozowski
11. Earle
12. Tompkins
13. Marchant
14. Solomona
15. Haley

16. McGuigan
17. Catt
18. Cooper-Woolley
19. Slater
20. M. Williams
21. Spencer
22. James
23. Woodward

Looking back, that squad is pretty decent but only four of them actually picked up caps (Harry Williams, Underhill, Lozowski and Solomona).

I'd say that's partially down to the strength of the EPS as it is, but there were a few dark horses none of us really saw coming like Tom Curry, Isiekwe and Maunder, some that got a deserved shot like Wilson and a few that were unlucky to miss out like Haley.

If I were picking it now, there would be some different names:

1. Rapava-Ruskin
2. Dunn
3. Cooper-Woolley
4. Symons
5. Barrow
6. Jones
7. B. Curry
8. S. Simmonds
9. Robson
10. B. Burns
11. Earle
12. Mallinder
13. Marchant
14. Lewington
15. Haley

16. Haywood
17. Catt
18. Schonert
19. Beaumont
20. Mercer
21. Townsend
22. James
23. Woodward

I was very tempted to include some young players with really high potential like Smith or Malins at 10 or Cokanasiga on the wing, but right now players like Billy Burns or Lewington have shown that they can perform at a high level in the Premiership whereas players like Malins are a way off of getting decent game time at Sarries.

[Which Tyler]

I'd take Devoto I've Mallinder until the latter has proven that he's grown a pair in the tackle area...

Erm....
Yeah, I'll stick with that


Otherwise, your team looks good; whilst I'd put Zach Mercer ahead of Simmons for #8, I'm not sure how much club bias might be involved there (I also still see Walker as a higher potential than Dunn, though possibly not as ready 'right now'; equally a case could be made for Auterac at LHP on the principal of 'ready now' over potential)

[Scrumhead]

I'd take Devoto over Mallinder any day of the week but in the context of an uncapped XV, Devoto doesn't count. Even if he does only have one cap.

Simmonds vs. Mercer will be a good battle for the next few years. I changed that back and forth about three times before going for Simmonds. I think both have the potential to be genuinely excellent. I'm not 100% sure if Simmonds' future is at 8, but it looks like he'll be lining up there this season for Exeter.

I liked Auterac a couple of seasons ago too but during the time he's been out injured I'd say Rapava-Ruskin had developed in to a top loosehead. Assuming Auterac can get back to his best it's another situation where I'd be happy with either/or. The same goes for Alec Hepburn who I'm a massive fan of.

The crazy part re. the number 1 shirt is that as good as those three are, they're probably behind Marler, Mako, Genge and Mullan for the foreseeable future at least. I think Nathan Catt missed his chance altogether.

[Beasties]

It's quite something when players like Rapava-Ruskin, Auterac and Hepburn can't get near the squad.

[jngf]

I I think both have the potential to be genuinely excellent. I'm not 100% sure if Simmonds' future is at 8, but it looks like he'll be lining up there this season for Exeter.

I wonder if Simmonds will emulate Michael Jones' starting as a club No.8 but getting capped at openside? ( His vital statistics are small for an 8 - mind you Waldrom was no taller than 6' and got capped at 8 so there is some sort of fairly recent precedent )

[Scrumhead]

Wow - jngf is alive after all.

I agree that Simmonds' chances of being capped in the near future are probably higher as a 7 than as an 8.

Obviously he has very strong competition from Billy and Hughes, but the makeup of a pack/back row also means that our 8 is typically seen as the primary heavy carrier. Simmonds is not suited to that role and neither are any of our existing group of flankers, so there isn't anyone available to pick up the slack if the 8 isn't doing that.

Mark Wilson is a decent carrier but he's not a 7, so I think he's primarily competing with Robshaw who he isn't likely to displace. Underhill has the muscle and is allegedly a pretty decent carrier, but I haven't really seen him do that much and he certainly wouldn't be anywhere close to Billy or Hughes' level of effectiveness in that department.