Team for Wales

[JellyHead]

He’s also an expert at playing away from home.

It took a moment. Take a bow sir.

[WaspInWales]

He’s also an expert at playing away from home.

Nice

[WaspInWales]

If England win, what are the odds of Terry being there in his old Chelsea kit for the celebrations?

[Scrumhead]

[Puja]

Wow, a leak...

Has John Mitchell given the game away?

England's defense coach was seen holding a clipboard with 23 names on it at England training today amid speculation of England's 23 to face Wales.

Would not surprise me in the slightest if this was deliberate trolling from Eddie. It'll put caution into the newspapers over future "leaks" and will muddy the waters if anything does happen to come out about a crucial selection later on in the year.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

He’s also an expert at playing away from home.

It took a moment. Take a bow sir.

Seconded.

[Stom]

Wow, a leak...

Has John Mitchell given the game away?

England's defense coach was seen holding a clipboard with 23 names on it at England training today amid speculation of England's 23 to face Wales.

Would not surprise me in the slightest if this was deliberate trolling from Eddie. It'll put caution into the newspapers over future "leaks" and will muddy the waters if anything does happen to come out about a crucial selection later on in the year.

Puja

Lol.

I thought my evening fishing had been ruined by the official announcement, but I caught 1!

[Mikey Brown]

Wow, a leak...

Has John Mitchell given the game away?

England's defense coach was seen holding a clipboard with 23 names on it at England training today amid speculation of England's 23 to face Wales.

Would not surprise me in the slightest if this was deliberate trolling from Eddie. It'll put caution into the newspapers over future "leaks" and will muddy the waters if anything does happen to come out about a crucial selection later on in the year.

Puja

I could understand that if they were going to make some change in preparation/tactics in response, but is there much outside of Hughes/Clifford and Nowell/Cokanisiga that would be different?

[Puja]

Wow, a leak...

Would not surprise me in the slightest if this was deliberate trolling from Eddie. It'll put caution into the newspapers over future "leaks" and will muddy the waters if anything does happen to come out about a crucial selection later on in the year.

Puja

Lol.

I thought my evening fishing had been ruined by the official announcement, but I caught 1!

You are an awful human being and I hate you. Also, well done.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

We really are beyond the age of fact-checking.

What even is a fact anyway?

[Mellsblue]

Anything that both Kelly Conway and Eddie Jones agree on.

[Oakboy]

Bloody Shields on the bench.

[Stom]

E Daly
J Nowell
H Slade
M Tuilagi
J May
O Farrell (capt)
B Youngs
B Moon
J George
K Sinckler
C Lawes
G Kruis
M Wilson
T Curry
B Vunipola

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), Ellis Genge (Leicester), Harry Williams (Exeter), Joe Launchbury, Brad Shields, Dan Robson (all Wasps), George Ford (Leicester), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath).

[Mikey Brown]

England team to face Wales: Daly; Nowell, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell, Youngs;

Moon, George, Sinckler, Lawes, Kruis, Wilson, Curry, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Williams, Launchbury, Shields, Robson, Ford, Cokanasiga.

[Stom]

I know, Shields is crap. But so is Hughes. So if we're going to have to choose between them...I couldn't really care.

Just wish it was Clifford.

[Mellsblue]

I know, Shields is crap. But so is Hughes. So if we're going to have to choose between them...I couldn't really care.

Just wish it was Clifford.

This.

[Timbo]

Shields is far from crap. You guys really need to bin this nonsense off.

[Mikey Brown]

It's a good team I suppose, I really shouldn't be that dismayed. A fullback would be nice, but we need to fit in Jack Nowell and all those things that he does.

I'm certain Shields has some real quality, for all we joke about it his status in NZ must mean something, but I'd love for him to have to actually show it. He still doesn't seem the right call if there's an injury to Curry/Vunipola.

[Stom]

Shields is far from crap. You guys really need to bin this nonsense off.

OK, let's put it this way...

Since Shields arrived in England, his form has been utter balls, suggesting he may actually be crap. Let's wait and see, but there is no reason for him to be in the England squad on the form he has been showing, which has, at best, been OK. Not enough to get selected for England.

A flanker who has been performing well is, for example, Jack Clifford. Who not only provides the same lineout option as Shields, but offers form over a longer period of time, international captaincy experience (at the u20s, mind), and pace to burn. Plus the breakdown and link skills to play across the backrow.

[Puja]

What Stom said.

I don't mind Shields on the bench so much - rather him than Hughes, as at least his reputation suggests that he will at some point get better. I can also understand Nowell over Cokanasiga, as Nowell does bring a lot, even if Cokanasiga's got the talent to really worry Wales. I'm mostly annoyed about Moon over Genge - they're about on the same level, but Moon is operating at pretty much his peak, whereas Genge has more to come. I'd far rather we be getting game time into Genge to be ready to be Mako's understudy for the RWC, rather than Moon who will just do a job.

Puja

[Oakboy]

If Shields was an emperor he'd get arrested for indecency.

[Oakboy]

What Stom said.

I don't mind Shields on the bench so much - rather him than Hughes, as at least his reputation suggests that he will at some point get better. I can also understand Nowell over Cokanasiga, as Nowell does bring a lot, even if Cokanasiga's got the talent to really worry Wales. I'm mostly annoyed about Moon over Genge - they're about on the same level, but Moon is operating at pretty much his peak, whereas Genge has more to come. I'd far rather we be getting game time into Genge to be ready to be Mako's understudy for the RWC, rather than Moon who will just do a job.

Puja

Jones has picked a team for this one game, Puja. For the single purpose of winning in Cardiff, Moon is adjudged a better bet to start, presumably based on reliability and recent international form. Genge will get the chance to come on and stake a claim for the starting slot against Scotland. Fair enough, IMO.

[Mikey Brown]

I think I've actually changed my mind. Since Hartley has been out of the side, we have lacked any real comedic relief among our ball carriers. Since we'd started winning again I'd been able to enjoy Hughes's incredible inability to learn how to carry/hold/protect the ball while skipping into contact, whereas watching Shields just bores me to tears. It's a tough one.

[Mellsblue]

I think I've actually changed my mind. Since Hartley has been out of the side, we have lacked any real comedic relief among our ball carriers. Since we'd started winning again I'd been able to enjoy Hughes's incredible inability to learn how to carry/hold/protect the ball while skipping into contact, whereas watching Shields just bores me to tears. It's a tough one.

Ha. True. There is something entertaining about Hughes wandering upright into contact, looking surprised when stopped dead in his tracks and then trying to hand off his assailants like a overgrown child trying to wave away a wasp.

[Digby]

All rather rinse and repeat, to be expected given two very good wins, does feel like we've bottled starting Genge