RugbyRebels

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 9:21 pm Assuming there's some overlap between the squads, I think we're probably looking at 23 something like:

1. Baxter / Brantingham
2. Walker / Langdon
3. Painter / Opoku-Fordjour
4. Coles / Hammond
5. Bamber
6. Cunningham-South
7. Pepper
8. Barbeary / Fisilau
9. Warr / Porter
10. F. Smith
11. Radwan
12. Ojomoh / Hartley
13. Beard
14. Roebuck / Sleightholme
15. Carpenter

Rationale wise, I was going for players Borthwick has name checked recently or picked before (Walker). I'd pick Langdon ahead of Walker, but I thought it made sense to stick with club combos where possible.

Wonder if Langdon would've been selected had he not been banned. Assume we'll see Blamire instead.

Ben Curry and/or Tom Pearson at flanker perhaps. Not sure if Borthwick will consider the Bath trio of Ewels, Spencer & Muir for this level given their experience.

Curry the Younger and Pearson both have Senior caps and frankly should have been in with a better shout at the main squad than an ABs/Punchy reject

Ewels ewww

Squad's out

No Seb Atkinson

Or Brantingham

Looks like the team will just be from this squad rather than anyone dropping down out of the main squad.

Only two centres selected? Seb Atkinson and Dan Kelly would have been more useful call ups than Ma'asi-White who's managed a whopping 142 mins of first team action this season.

OHC, Murley or Sleightholme with Hodge at 15 should be fun.

FKAS wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:51 am Only two centres selected? Seb Atkinson and Dan Kelly would have been more useful call ups than Ma'asi-White who's managed a whopping 142 mins of first team action this season.

OHC, Murley or Sleightholme with Hodge at 15 should be fun.

Kelly might have turned it down to avoid being tied to England.

From a Bristol perspective Randell has not been in good form & is lucky to be there.
Think Thacker & Harding should be there over Blake and Clarke, Ibitoye is unlucky as well as he's been really good.

Actually Batley over Bamber as well..

Very disappointed not to see Atkinson, Ojomoh and Carpenter in particular. Think Batley is worth a look.

on the plus side Pepper, Riley, Bamber, Haffar and Clement are good calls up front, while Englefield, Hodge, Shillcock and Atkinson are pleasing picks in the backs.

Squad has a lot of potential.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:47 am No Seb Atkinson

Bloody joke.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:47 am No Seb Atkinson

That does seem weird. Even if they’re not convinced of his form demanding a starting spot.

You feel his time will come at least, where as this feels like confirmation for Will Evans that he will under no circumstances ever wear an England shirt, regardless of whether or not he’s the best 7 in the league.

There’s a very exciting looking side amongst that though. Will be very interesting to see what balance of experience they go with.

Do we know if this is the actual squad, to pick 23 players from? Or the addition to the first's 36 men?
Would love to see Ojomoh and Hartley form a centre combination.
Also, a huge vote of confidence in Sam Harris; even if he's unlikely to make the match-day (though he might be a good option for the 23 shirt, covering FH and back-3)

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:08 am

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:47 am No Seb Atkinson

That does seem weird. Even if they’re not convinced of his form demanding a starting spot.

You feel his time will come at least, where as this feels like confirmation for Will Evans that he will under no circumstances ever wear an England shirt, regardless of whether or not he’s the best 7 in the league.

There’s a very exciting looking side amongst that though. Will be very interesting to see what balance of experience they go with.

Will Evans would be the joint oldest player in the squad if he was called up. Unless I've missed someone Ioseffa-Scott at 27 is the oldest and the rest are at most 25. Shillcock might be 26 having said that.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:10 am Do we know if this is the actual squad, to pick 23 players from? Or the addition to the first's 36 men?
Would love to see Ojomoh and Hartley form a centre combination.
Also, a huge vote of confidence in Sam Harris; even if he's unlikely to make the match-day (though he might be a good option for the 23 shirt, covering FH and back-3)

That’s a good question. I’d assumed the team will be picked from this squad alone, but it does leave guys like Fin Smith and Oscar Beard potentially getting no senior or A game time at all.

How would Hartley and Ojomoh line up? I can’t say I really see it with Ojomoh. He looks very athletically gifted, but I’m not sure what his USP would be?

FKAS wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:14 am

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:08 am

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:47 am No Seb Atkinson

That does seem weird. Even if they’re not convinced of his form demanding a starting spot.

You feel his time will come at least, where as this feels like confirmation for Will Evans that he will under no circumstances ever wear an England shirt, regardless of whether or not he’s the best 7 in the league.

There’s a very exciting looking side amongst that though. Will be very interesting to see what balance of experience they go with.

Will Evans would be the joint oldest player in the squad if he was called up. Unless I've missed someone Ioseffa-Scott at 27 is the oldest and the rest are at most 25. Shillcock might be 26 having said that.

Yeah that’s fair, more just saying it’s a shame really. He’s absolute class, but a bit small and slightly older than I’d realised.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:43 am

FKAS wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:14 am

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:08 am

That does seem weird. Even if they’re not convinced of his form demanding a starting spot.

You feel his time will come at least, where as this feels like confirmation for Will Evans that he will under no circumstances ever wear an England shirt, regardless of whether or not he’s the best 7 in the league.

There’s a very exciting looking side amongst that though. Will be very interesting to see what balance of experience they go with.

Will Evans would be the joint oldest player in the squad if he was called up. Unless I've missed someone Ioseffa-Scott at 27 is the oldest and the rest are at most 25. Shillcock might be 26 having said that.

Yeah that’s fair, more just saying it’s a shame really. He’s absolute class, but a bit small and slightly older than I’d realised.

There's no disputing he's the in form EQ openside.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:42 am

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:10 am Do we know if this is the actual squad, to pick 23 players from? Or the addition to the first's 36 men?
Would love to see Ojomoh and Hartley form a centre combination.
Also, a huge vote of confidence in Sam Harris; even if he's unlikely to make the match-day (though he might be a good option for the 23 shirt, covering FH and back-3)

That’s a good question. I’d assumed the team will be picked from this squad alone, but it does leave guys like Fin Smith and Oscar Beard potentially getting no senior or A game time at all.

The group will also be joined by some of the players that aren’t selected by Steve Borthwick for England senior men’s fixture against Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations (24 February).

p/d wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 12:02 pm

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:42 am

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:10 am Do we know if this is the actual squad, to pick 23 players from? Or the addition to the first's 36 men?
Would love to see Ojomoh and Hartley form a centre combination.
Also, a huge vote of confidence in Sam Harris; even if he's unlikely to make the match-day (though he might be a good option for the 23 shirt, covering FH and back-3)

That’s a good question. I’d assumed the team will be picked from this squad alone, but it does leave guys like Fin Smith and Oscar Beard potentially getting no senior or A game time at all.

The group will also be joined by some of the players that aren’t selected by Steve Borthwick for England senior men’s fixture against Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations (24 February).

Good news, thank you.
In which case, I've no problem with some of the less-known names getting a mention, even if I'd have made different choices.

I will just take a moment to note "Oliver Sleightholme", "Oliver Hartley", and then "Ollie Hassell-Collins" for some reason. Plus Blamire is now a loosehead according to that formatting.

A few names that it's disappointing not to see - SAtkinson, Kelly, Brantingham, Warr, Joseph, Radwan, Carpenter - along with some names that will never seriously trouble an EPS squad in the future - Clark, Blake, Clement. You have to wonder what's happened to Ojomoh and Beard, who left the main squad like Blamire and Pearson, but apparently aren't needed for England A. It's not a terribly exciting squad all things told - some good players, but nothing where I'm looking at it going, "Wow, I'm excited to see them" or being thrilled about securing a dual qualified player. I'm mildly interested in having secured Englefield, as he's got a hell of a boot on him, and in keeping the Welsh away from Randall for another 3 years, but I'm not convinced that either of them will be in the England team in a couple of years' time.

Out of that:
Baxter
Blamire
Iosefa-Scott
Isiekwe
Tuima
Pearson
Pepper
Barbeary

Englefield
Shillcock/Atkinson
OHC
Hartley
Maasi-White
Murley
Hodge

Which will be fun, but hardly enthralling. I was expecting more.

Puja

Seb Blake will play for England. Ask any Glaws fan how highly rated he is.

Gobsmacked at no Seb Atkinson though, that’s very weird.

Great to see Englefield in there.

He's something a little different. Can do the box kicking England want, but also has a superb pass on him. He clears the ruck quickly and accurately if the ball is clean. Nice to have these days when athletic, less traditionally skilled 9s are more prevalent.

Radwan?

One name which everyone's missed - no Zach Mercer and his tiny arms.

Puja

Puja wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:53 pm One name which everyone's missed - no Zach Mercer and his tiny arms.

Puja

Never cross Eddie Jones Severely Belligerent!