England squad named

[Digby]

I've been stuck in the office all afternoon and I'm feeling contrary.

Hit up the Irish board and have a rant about picking Aki a player they were able to entice to Ireland on better terms, but omitting Zebo a player someone else could offer better terms. They're simply not consistent on liking players being offered better terms

[Mellsblue]

Well, at 19 yoa, he was playing SH for England U20 (and Bath academy); at the same time as Robson was 18 yoa, playing SH for England U20.
Quite honestly though, very few players appear on my radar before they reach U20 level. I don't recall any talk of Cook converting to SH on joining Bath, though it is possible.

Either way; I'm saying I wouldn't advise it; not that it's impossible and has never happened.

ETA:
On Cook, his England U18 profile lists him as a scrum half
On Robson - I've found an interview with him aged 18 being "equally comfortable with playing him at scrum-half and fly-half"

I'm not going to go digging too far as I'm not really that bothered. Robson switched at 17 beating your arbitrary deadline by a year.

[Puja]

That midfield looks....messy.

Best you keep it that way.

We just wanna be like you!

I don't know it's that messy - Eddie's pinning his flag to the 2 fly-halves style of play, so one of Francis, Fazlet, or Lozowski plays 12, with a runner like Joseph, Daly, or Slade outside at 13. Basically what we've been doing for all of Eddie's tenure.

Puja

[morepork]

Coward.

[Puja]

Coward.

Other coward.

[Adam_P]

...not sure what Francis adds.

Other than being a starting Super Rugby 10/12 for the past couple of seasons? I think having players with experience in that kind of environment will be very valuable.

Could the same not be said of Haskell? Neither is playing particularly well at present in the Premiership...

From the 1 Premiership game he had played?

[Digby]

Coward.

Other coward.

Give it a few weeks and it's almost Noel

[Scrumhead]

Other than being a starting Super Rugby 10/12 for the past couple of seasons? I think having players with experience in that kind of environment will be very valuable.

Could the same not be said of Haskell? Neither is playing particularly well at present in the Premiership...

From the 1 Premiership game he had played?

Adam_P is right. Francis has only played one Premiership game and one ECC game. I didn't see the game, but most of the reports I read said that Francis was good against Clermont.

Haskell has been poor though. With so many options emerging in the back row, I think he's got a fight on his hands to get back in to the squad. When you consider that Armand, Wilson and Ben Curry are all playing better than Haskell and didn't make the squad, it underlines the competition for places is becoming pretty fierce.

[Digby]

Marler available for the Aussie game now after the hearing panel who gave him a 3 week ban over 4 weeks were told to do one. Why the panel thought they could I don''t know, panels have been told before now they can't do that, some people just want to have their cake and eat it the pillocks

[Which Tyler]

An outbreak of sense? It won't last

[Mellsblue]

Jones named Armand, Roko and Yarde as players 'who have a deserved right to be disappointed for missing out'.

[Mellsblue]

Jones on Lawes: 'He started like a house on fire but someone has put water on the fire'.
On the No7 shirt: 'We have got a great little battle there. Underhill v Curry. They are both good, young flankers. They are a little bit different. Underhill is more of a defensive player. Curry is more of an attacking player. It is who is able to elevate their game to the next level'.
On Robshaw: 'Our first choice no6'.

[Banquo]

Lawes is probably cream crackered

[Mellsblue]

Jones on Mercer: 'He's grown up, worked harder off the ball. He has great natural skill but he has lacked that want to do the things that are difficult and he is starting to do those things.'

[Digby]

Lawes is probably cream crackered

Did someone mention the jamboree?

[Mikey Brown]

Jones named Armand, Roko and Yarde as players 'who have a deserved right to be disappointed for missing out'.

Feels odd if he is even considering Roko, because if in contention at all he is surely way better than Solomona.

[Banquo]

Lawes is probably cream crackered

Did someone mention the jamboree?

Did someone mention Eddie's policy with respect to Jamboree attendees?

[Banquo]

Jones named Armand, Roko and Yarde as players 'who have a deserved right to be disappointed for missing out'.

Feels odd if he is even considering Roko, because if in contention at all he is surely way better than Solomona.

I'm still bemused that Roko hasn't been in all squads since his debut

[Digby]

Lawes is probably cream crackered

Did someone mention the jamboree?

Did someone mention Eddie's policy with respect to Jamboree attendees?

One can only hope it's better than Sinfield's take on England trailing at HT to the Aussie league boys 'We just need to get some dominance' - it's really making me smile even if it's a little mangled in its thinking.

And seeing as these comments are being attributed to Eddie it seems his thinking is a little better:

“Next week we are running three different programmes in Portugal,” the England head coach said. “There will be a normal programme for the bulk of the squad, a beach programme for selected Lions players and a semi-beach programme for other selected Lions players. Then we will assess where each player is and work out who is going to play.

“We feel that physically and mentally a number of the players need to be freshened up – some more than others. We have a pretty good idea who is going to be where but we haven’t finalised that as yet.”

[Banquo]

Did someone mention the jamboree?

Did someone mention Eddie's policy with respect to Jamboree attendees?

One can only hope it's better than Sinfield's take on England trailing at HT to the Aussie league boys 'We just need to get some dominance' - it's really making me smile even if it's a little mangled in its thinking.

And seeing as these comments are being attributed to Eddie it seems his thinking is a little better:

“Next week we are running three different programmes in Portugal,” the England head coach said. “There will be a normal programme for the bulk of the squad, a beach programme for selected Lions players and a semi-beach programme for other selected Lions players. Then we will assess where each player is and work out who is going to play.

“We feel that physically and mentally a number of the players need to be freshened up – some more than others. We have a pretty good idea who is going to be where but we haven’t finalised that as yet.”

That does sound like good thinking.

[Mellsblue]

Jones named Armand, Roko and Yarde as players 'who have a deserved right to be disappointed for missing out'.

Feels odd if he is even considering Roko, because if in contention at all he is surely way better than Solomona.

I'm still bemused that Roko hasn't been in all squads since his debut

These.

[Digby]

Feels odd if he is even considering Roko, because if in contention at all he is surely way better than Solomona.

I'm still bemused that Roko hasn't been in all squads since his debut

These.

All... things that I've done?

[Mellsblue]

Wales & England forwards to train together before autumn Tests
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/41787790

[Puja]

Wales & England forwards to train together before autumn Tests
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/41787790

That is intriguing as anything and a very, very good idea. Well done Borthers. Apart from anything else, I wouldn't mind if it helped the Welsh do over the ABs, as they could do with losing more often.

Makes me wonder if it's something that could be repeated before the RWC. Obviously we couldn't do it with the Welsh, as there's too high a chance of meeting them in the quarters, but maybe the Scots or even the Japanese?

Puja

[twitchy]

Wales & England forwards to train together before autumn Tests
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/41787790

Keep marler on the bus.