RugbyRebels

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

Certain starters??:

Hartley
Launchbury
Robshaw
Hughes
Care
Brown
May

Would any of them be there otherwise?

Banquo wrote:

Oakboy wrote: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.

Agree with doing that? Arguably, none will get any better perhaps.

Oakboy wrote:

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

Certain starters??:

Hartley
Launchbury
Robshaw
Hughes
Care
Brown
May

Would any of them be there otherwise?

Haskell, ditto, you'd think. Ford too.

Oakboy wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Oakboy wrote: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.

Agree with doing that? Arguably, none will get any better perhaps.

In some cases, yes. I'd have given Wade a proper shot, and Robson a go.

Not sure how he can pick this squad and stick to his no Lions in the AI's pledge.
I'm hoping they've done some sort of development tour deal with the ARFU. It could get ugly if they send out their first choice XV.
It didn't take long for Evans to be usurped.

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

I'd hope for:

Genge
Hartley (reluctantly)
Hill
Launchbury
Ewels
Robshaw
Underhill
Hughes

Care
Ford

May
Slade
Marchant
Cokanasiga
Brown

Mullan
LCD
Collier
Iziekwe
BCurry
Maunder
Lozowski
Earle


Puja

Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Puja wrote:

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

I'd hope for:

Genge
Hartley (reluctantly)
Hill
Launchbury
Ewels
Robshaw
Underhill
Hughes

Care
Ford

May
Slade
Marchant
Cokanasiga
Brown

Mullan
LCD
Collier
Iziekwe
BCurry
Maunder
Lozowski
Earle


Puja

I guess that's about right. Exciting team but not entirely set on the balance. We certainly need to make sure the pack is mobile enough because those backs are not running straight through the middle. Time for Hughes to get to do his midfield carrying thing I guess.

Mellsblue wrote:Not sure how he can pick this squad and stick to his no Lions in the AI's pledge.
I'm hoping they've done some sort of development tour deal with the ARFU. It could get ugly if they send out their first choice XV.
It didn't take long for Evans to be usurped.

Mind, Evans was mostly due to him being utterly forgotten about by Leicester. I think we lost him down the back of the settee.

Puja

Oakboy wrote:Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Ella was mentioned as joining up again.

Oakboy wrote:Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Nope, but Glenn Ella is back for this tour, which can only be good for the youngsters.

Puja

Oakboy wrote:Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Don't think so. Who would you take?
Baxter, Sanderson, Booth, Blaze?

Puja wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:Not sure how he can pick this squad and stick to his no Lions in the AI's pledge.
I'm hoping they've done some sort of development tour deal with the ARFU. It could get ugly if they send out their first choice XV.
It didn't take long for Evans to be usurped.

Mind, Evans was mostly due to him being utterly forgotten about by Leicester. I think we lost him down the back of the settee.

Puja

True but he wasn't getting a look-in at Tigers when he was picked, albeit he had the JWC performances.
Seems that Jones is making the point that first team games are important.

Interesting squad although Wood clinging on baffles me!

Big slaps in the face for Robson and Taylor and where are all the locks?? 3 is very light considering Ewels has about 40mins of test experience and Isiekwe has none and very little first team experience full stop.

Hughes is the only 8 too which seems risky too? I assume Haskell will cover, but definitely less than ideal.

My starting XV would be:

1. Genge
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Ewels
5. Launchbury
6. Robshaw
7. B. Curry
8. Hughes
9. Care
10. Ford
11. May
12. Slade
13. James
14. Solomona
15. Brown

Mellsblue wrote:

Oakboy wrote:Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Don't think so. Who would you take?
Baxter, Sanderson, Booth, Blaze?

Maybe Sanderson to continue the Saracens link? Unless Eddie wants to coach the forwards himself?

Oakboy wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:

Oakboy wrote:Has there been an announcement about a replacement coach for Borthwick?

Don't think so. Who would you take?
Baxter, Sanderson, Booth, Blaze?

Maybe Sanderson to continue the Saracens link? Unless Eddie wants to coach the forwards himself?

If Eddie's serious about wanting to develop options for his successor, then would Baxter not be the obvious choice?

Puja

Scrumhead wrote:Interesting squad although Wood clinging on baffles me!

Big slaps in the face for Robson and Taylor and where are all the locks?? 3 is very light considering Ewels has about 40mins of test experience and Isiekwe has none and very little first team experience full stop.

Hughes is the only 8 too which seems risky too? I assume Haskell will cover, but definitely less than ideal.

My starting XV would be:

1. Genge
2. Hartley
3. Williams
4. Ewels
5. Launchbury
6. Robshaw
7. B. Curry
8. Hughes
9. Care
10. Ford
11. May
12. Slade
13. James
14. Solomona
15. Brown

That could be close to Eddie's choice except that I'd expect him to play Haskell at 7. I can also see him starting Slade at 13, possibly with Lozowski at 12.

How can Isiekwe get picked with such limited rugby experience in a squad with so few locks?

I have a Wasps bias, but quite how Taylor or one of Robson and Simpson haven't been picked is just weird to me. Wade should have been, but I understand why (well, I don't actually, but acknowledge that there's an obsessions with the idea that he can't defend). Still, it must be gutting for him to not even be in the top 7 wingers in the league despite being the leading try scorer in the Prem and outplaying several of these guys in head to heads.

I've watched Piers Francis a couple times in Super Rugby - he is shite.

Puja wrote:

Oakboy wrote:

Mellsblue wrote: Don't think so. Who would you take?
Baxter, Sanderson, Booth, Blaze?

Maybe Sanderson to continue the Saracens link? Unless Eddie wants to coach the forwards himself?

If Eddie's serious about wanting to develop options for his successor, then would Baxter not be the obvious choice?

Puja

Twas my first thought.

Puja wrote:

Oakboy wrote:

Mellsblue wrote: Don't think so. Who would you take?
Baxter, Sanderson, Booth, Blaze?

Maybe Sanderson to continue the Saracens link? Unless Eddie wants to coach the forwards himself?

If Eddie's serious about wanting to develop options for his successor, then would Baxter not be the obvious choice?

Puja

Yes, but I got the impression from Baxter's interview (the one after Jones was appointed) that he was only interested in the head coach job in the future.

Peej wrote:How can Isiekwe get picked with such limited rugby experience in a squad with so few locks?

I have a Wasps bias, but quite how Taylor or one of Robson and Simpson haven't been picked is just weird to me. Wade should have been, but I understand why (well, I don't actually, but acknowledge that there's an obsessions with the idea that he can't defend). Still, it must be gutting for him to not even be in the top 7 wingers in the league despite being the leading try scorer in the Prem and outplaying several of these guys in head to heads.

I've watched Piers Francis a couple times in Super Rugby - he is shite.

I rate Taylor highly - about on a par with George as Hartley's successor. Eddie obviously disagrees. That's a bit odd because Taylor could well improve a lot by 2019. Maybe, the argument could be made that the other Wasps players you mention will not?

Peej wrote:How can Isiekwe get picked with such limited rugby experience in a squad with so few locks?

I have a Wasps bias, but quite how Taylor or one of Robson and Simpson haven't been picked is just weird to me. Wade should have been, but I understand why (well, I don't actually, but acknowledge that there's an obsessions with the idea that he can't defend). Still, it must be gutting for him to not even be in the top 7 wingers in the league despite being the leading try scorer in the Prem and outplaying several of these guys in head to heads.

I've watched Piers Francis a couple times in Super Rugby - he is shite.

I don't have a Wasps bias, but I agree on Robson, Taylor and Wade and I also would have picked Symons.

Francis isn't shite? Whenever I've watched him he's been decent. I wouldn't have picked him, but I wouldn't have said he's 'shite'. If Eddie wanted another 10/12, he ought to have given Ryan Mills a shot.

Puja wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:Not sure how he can pick this squad and stick to his no Lions in the AI's pledge.
I'm hoping they've done some sort of development tour deal with the ARFU. It could get ugly if they send out their first choice XV.
It didn't take long for Evans to be usurped.

Mind, Evans was mostly due to him being utterly forgotten about by Leicester. I think we lost him down the back of the settee.

Puja

Evans has been out for a few months with ankle ligament damage.

Timbo wrote:

Puja wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:Not sure how he can pick this squad and stick to his no Lions in the AI's pledge.
I'm hoping they've done some sort of development tour deal with the ARFU. It could get ugly if they send out their first choice XV.
It didn't take long for Evans to be usurped.

Mind, Evans was mostly due to him being utterly forgotten about by Leicester. I think we lost him down the back of the settee.

Puja

Evans has been out for a few months with ankle ligament damage.

That'll explain that, then. As you were.

Peej wrote:How can Isiekwe get picked with such limited rugby experience in a squad with so few locks?

I agree with it. We have Lawes, Launch, Kruis and Itoje already at a high level and nailed on for the foreseeable. Will Attwood or Symons really ever break into that? I'd say better to take a punt on a rising superstar and pour your resources into him rather than giving England caps to players who are unlikely ever to trouble the selectors again.

Puja