Team for Italy

[Oakboy]

DT reckons Robson will start, ironically.

[Raggs]

It's not as though we particularly rely on quick ball, even though we're getting better at generating it. A non-specialist 9, who can still kick, wouldn't be that surprising...

[Mikey Brown]

DT reckons Robson will start, ironically.

Well that was the drill with Care, then you get dropped even though "there hasn't even been a game of rugby played today".

Not that I've got a chip on my shoulder or anything.

[Beasties]

lol.

I can just see it now. We can go from the bench of "game-changers" to...

Hartley, Moon, Cole, Ewels, Shields, Hughes, Ford, Nowell

lol.

The horror.....

[Shiny]

Daily Fail reckon it will be a Teo and Tuilagi midfield with big Joe on the wing as well.

[Raggs]

Robson and Ford picking runners each time?

There may not be that much grace, but Genge, lcd, Sinckler, launch, curry, Vunipola, Robson, Ford, may, teo, tuilagi, Coka, Daly would surely have to try hard not to score at least a couple.

[Stom]

Robson and Ford picking runners each time?

There may not be that much grace, but Genge, lcd, Sinckler, launch, curry, Vunipola, Robson, Ford, may, teo, tuilagi, Coka, Daly would surely have to try hard not to score at least a couple.

Yeah. But that's the problem, you see...

Robson gets the ball away quickly, Ford picks out his runners, and the power midfield boshes its way to the try line time and again...and it's a roaring success.

So we then pick the same midfield pair with Youngs and Farrell...and wonder why we get taken to the cleaners...

[Mellsblue]

Robson and Ford picking runners each time?

There may not be that much grace, but Genge, lcd, Sinckler, launch, curry, Vunipola, Robson, Ford, may, teo, tuilagi, Coka, Daly would surely have to try hard not to score at least a couple.

Yeah. But that's the problem, you see...

Robson gets the ball away quickly, Ford picks out his runners, and the power midfield boshes its way to the try line time and again...and it's a roaring success.

So we then pick the same midfield pair with Youngs and Farrell...and wonder why we get taken to the cleaners...

Does anybody really believe that Farrell will be rested?!?!?

[Raggs]

Robson and Ford picking runners each time?

There may not be that much grace, but Genge, lcd, Sinckler, launch, curry, Vunipola, Robson, Ford, may, teo, tuilagi, Coka, Daly would surely have to try hard not to score at least a couple.

Yeah. But that's the problem, you see...

Robson gets the ball away quickly, Ford picks out his runners, and the power midfield boshes its way to the try line time and again...and it's a roaring success.

So we then pick the same midfield pair with Youngs and Farrell...and wonder why we get taken to the cleaners...

Does anybody really believe that Farrell will be rested?!?!?

Not really, we don't have anyone else to captain us...

[Digby]

Why not some homeopathic drills?

I'd laugh but I've seen coaching on running lines, support and timings therein at senior level. And England apparently resolve the problems of coaching in this area by simply not doing it

[Gloskarlos]

15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 28 caps)
14 Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 3 caps)
13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 30 caps)
12 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 16 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 43 caps)
10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 68 caps) (captain)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps)

1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 35 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 20 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 56 caps)
5 George Kruis (Saracens, 30 caps)
6 Brad Shields (Wasps, 6 caps)
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 8 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 39 caps)

Finishers (203 caps)
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps)
17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps)
18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 83 caps)
19 Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 20 caps)
20 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 11 caps)
21 Dan Robson (Wasps, 1 cap)
22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 53 caps)
23 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 20 caps)

[Gloskarlos]

FFS

Shields, Teo, Youngs and arguably Farrell should be nowhere near that team, No lock on the bench, powderpuff Hughes presumably covering that.

We really are stuck with Youngs ad infinitum

[Banquo]

F
F
S
Doubling down much....

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus. I would held back from all of that together in my wind-up team announcement. Just not believable.

[Stom]

Well that is beyond my wildest nightmares...

I sincerely hope Italy win. Fuck this shit. I'm not even going to watch, that's not rugby.

[Mikey Brown]

So this Tuilagi at 12 thing was just totally pointless?

[Oakboy]

So, is Slade a possible FB replacement? Why else is he on the bench, poor sod? If Ford comes on, Farrell moves to 12 because he never gets removed. So, Slade then gets to play outside Farrell if he is brought on with both starting centres coming off? It is absolute bollix.

As for Shields displacing Wilson, my blood boils.

What have Robson and Ford got to do to get a start?

If I'd bought a ticket I'd want my money back. It is a horrendous team.

[Stom]

I mean... I had to go check because I was certain that was a windup.

Awful team. Just awful. Poor Curry. Poor Genge. Poor Robson, ffs! It's just an affront to rugby.

[Greebo]

If I'd bought a ticket I'd want my money back. It is a horrendous team.

I have paid £100 each for 2 tickets!

Not at all happy. I might comment on the team when I've calmed down.

[Mellsblue]

I mean... I had to go check because I was certain that was a windup.

Ha. Me too.

I’m off to watch Doncaster v Bedford on Saturday and was undecided about whether to watch at Castle Park or just watch it when I get home. It’ll definitely be the second....if I can be arsed.

I take no pleasure in predicting (I know I wasn’t alone) we would end up with this 9-10-12-13.

I was discussing rugby with someone at work yesterday. I was saying that after the last World Cup and Jones’s last 12 months I was struggling to find my passion for the England team.....this hasn’t helped.

[fivepointer]

Lets look at the positives.....Genge and Joe C get starts, Curry is retained...and,er, at least Robson is in the 23.

[Oakboy]

I mean... I had to go check because I was certain that was a windup.

Ha. Me too.

I’m off to watch Doncaster v Bedford on Saturday and was undecided about whether to watch at Castle Park or just watch it when I get home. It’ll definitely be the second....if I can be arsed.

I take no pleasure in predicting (I know I wasn’t alone) we would end up with this 9-10-12-13.

I was discussing rugby with someone at work yesterday. I was saying that after the last World Cup and Jones’s last 12 months I was struggling to find my passion for the England team.....this hasn’t helped.

It's lumpsville. Just bludgeon and kick. Pick a team not to lose badly and to trample over weaker teams. I simply cannot imagine a worse 9-10-12-13 line-up with creativity in mind. Against Italy, FFS?

At a time when the RFU has money worries, Jones has supplied the maximum non-entertainment selection possible. Even a high-scoring win proves nothing. It is absolutely bizarre.

[Oakboy]

Lets look at the positives.....Genge and Joe C get starts, Curry is retained...and,er, at least Robson is in the 23.

Bloody hell, you struggled to find any.

[fivepointer]

Lets look at the positives.....Genge and Joe C get starts, Curry is retained...and,er, at least Robson is in the 23.

Bloody hell, you struggled to find any.

Oh I forgot, Te'o and Shields brings their outstanding club form to the national si ........ah, maybe not.

Its mostly shit, i think we're all agreed.

[Mellsblue]

Lets look at the positives.....Genge and Joe C get starts, Curry is retained...and,er, at least Robson is in the 23.

Bloody hell, you struggled to find any.

Oh I forgot, Te'o and Shields brings their outstanding club form to the national si ........ah, maybe not.

Its mostly shit, i think we're all agreed.

I admire you looking for hope in adversity and I hate to dampen that hope, but Robson has been in the last three match day squads and has an approximate playing time of minus 12mins and 30secs.