jngf wrote:If one wanted to be ruthless, in World Cup terms, one can say Eddy has had the same level of success as Brian Ashton but with twice the time and a more talented group of players than the largely SWC 2nd XV that Ashton inherited (via the crazy Robbo period).
That would be ruthless, but it'd also be highly fatuous, given Eddie's team didn't get humped in the pool stages, nor receive gratuitous amounts of luck in the knock-outs.
Puja
Though Ashton’s team didn’t get to avoid playing the best team in their group
jngf wrote:If one wanted to be ruthless, in World Cup terms, one can say Eddy has had the same level of success as Brian Ashton but with twice the time and a more talented group of players than the largely SWC 2nd XV that Ashton inherited (via the crazy Robbo period).
That would be ruthless, but it'd also be highly fatuous, given Eddie's team didn't get humped in the pool stages, nor receive gratuitous amounts of luck in the knock-outs.
Puja
Though Ashton’s team didn’t get to avoid playing the best team in their group
One could also say that it wasn’t a vintage NZ squad compared to other World Cups ( though England beating them was the best one off performance since 2003 final)
Scrumhead wrote:Yeah - I feel the same. Just when I thought we’d learned that locks at 6 doesn’t work, there goes Eddie Jones AGAIN ... just infuriating when I actually like all of the other selection calls.
You like Ewels at lock, Curry at 8, Youngs/Heinz, and Faz at 12, with two centres on the bench?
I’m not happy with Youngs and Heinz, but as the only other 9 in the squad is Mitchell who was always very unlikely to play as an ‘apprentice’, they were always going to play so not really a ‘selection call’ at this stage.
I rate Ewels and he’s generally done well for England when called upon. Kruis hasn’t been in imperious form, so I’m fine with Ewels starting.
I’m also still of the opinion that the Ford/Farrell pairing is the best option we have at 10/12 so until a better alternative emerges, it’s what I’d have picked. Maybe Devoto on the bench is a nod to the future, so again I’m OK with that. Without Watson, Thorley was the only other realistic option in the squad and Joseph’s greater experience (and ability to adequately cover he wing if needed), makes him the better selection IMO.
I don’t know if exactly ‘like’ Curry at 8, but we knew it was going to be a flanker playing out of position so while I’d have preferred Earl at 8 or (with Curry on the flank) or Hill at blindside instead of Lawes, I was ready for it.
Not quite ‘liking all the other selection calls’ then, though the nuance of ‘from the selected squad’ helps
To others comments, it’s not so much a lack of optimism, more a sense of frustration at a fair number of odd calls and a continuation of long standing problematic selections. It’s interesting that we are praising evolving some of the less problematic areas eg lock, yet conspicuously failing to evolve at 9 and 12.
I’m quite pleased with that selection. Ewels has a shot. Have a look at Curry at 8, albeit I’d have preferred Earl, but hey ho. Stuart will get a run out. No Slade narrows the options at 12, so he’s gone with experience which is fair enough considering Devoto only has one cap. He’s moved Daly from fullback and is having a look at Furbank. No winger on the bench is a bit odd and probably my biggest complaint.
What's good with this selection: A fullback at fullback; Daly on the wing; Ewels in the 2nd row; Ford at 10.
What's not so good: no change at scrum half; a 2nd row at 6 when there's a good'un (Hill) who's not even on the bench; a wing forward at eight; is Farrell that indespensable to continue to be picked at centre? Suppose we should be used to it by now but for the life of me, I still can't see why.
Part of me is hoping for an embarassing defeat in the hope that Eddie will see the shortcomings with his selection, but the bigger part wants to crush the frogs, the downside being that the same side's likely to be selected for the trip to Murrayfield where a defeat is quite simply out of the question!
No doubt that Tuilagi and Ford'll be hauled off to give Devoto and JJ some game time leaving Mr irreplaceable on the pitch.
Epaminondas Pules wrote:I’m quite pleased with that selection. Ewels has a shot. Have a look at Curry at 8, albeit I’d have preferred Earl, but hey ho. Stuart will get a run out. No Slade narrows the options at 12, so he’s gone with experience which is fair enough considering Devoto only has one cap. He’s moved Daly from fullback and is having a look at Furbank. No winger on the bench is a bit odd and probably my biggest complaint.
So, happy with Lawes at 6 and the scrum half selection? Why not Devoto at 12, be surrounded with masses of experience?
Back bench is an opportunity missed.
Last edited by Banquo on Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Epaminondas Pules wrote:I’m quite pleased with that selection. Ewels has a shot. Have a look at Curry at 8, albeit I’d have preferred Earl, but hey ho. Stuart will get a run out. No Slade narrows the options at 12, so he’s gone with experience which is fair enough considering Devoto only has one cap. He’s moved Daly from fullback and is having a look at Furbank. No winger on the bench is a bit odd and probably my biggest complaint.
So, happy with Lawes at 6 and the scrum half selection? Why not Devoto at 12, be surrounded with masses of experience?
Back bench is an opportunity missed.
I’m ok with Lawes yeah. Ideally we’d play Earl at 8 and curry at 6, but it is what it is and gives us better lineout options. Of those available in the squad I’m good with it. Be interesting to see how Curry gets on. Quite excited to see.
SH is a choice of Heinz and Youngs or Youngs and Heinz so yeah I’m good with that.
Hardly likely to drop his captain and it means Ford is playing, so yeah happy with that.
Be different with Billy and Slade fit, but they’re not sadly.
Epaminondas Pules wrote:I’m quite pleased with that selection. Ewels has a shot. Have a look at Curry at 8, albeit I’d have preferred Earl, but hey ho. Stuart will get a run out. No Slade narrows the options at 12, so he’s gone with experience which is fair enough considering Devoto only has one cap. He’s moved Daly from fullback and is having a look at Furbank. No winger on the bench is a bit odd and probably my biggest complaint.
So, happy with Lawes at 6 and the scrum half selection? Why not Devoto at 12, be surrounded with masses of experience?
Back bench is an opportunity missed.
I’m ok with Lawes yeah. Ideally we’d play Earl at 8 and curry at 6, but it is what it is and gives us better lineout options. Of those available in the squad I’m good with it. Be interesting to see how Curry gets on. Quite excited to see.
SH is a choice of Heinz and Youngs or Youngs and Heinz so yeah I’m good with that.
Hardly likely to drop his captain and it means Ford is playing, so yeah happy with that.
Be different with Billy and Slade fit, but they’re not sadly.
Definition of madness with Lawes imo. Curry is a viable lineout option.
So you think Youngs and Heinz are the two best options we have at 9?
Your happiness seems to be an odd consequence of the corner painted into by Eddie.....or, put another way, could have been worse?
How would Slade's fitness have made a difference to your happiness at 12?
Banquo wrote:
So, happy with Lawes at 6 and the scrum half selection? Why not Devoto at 12, be surrounded with masses of experience?
Back bench is an opportunity missed.
I’m ok with Lawes yeah. Ideally we’d play Earl at 8 and curry at 6, but it is what it is and gives us better lineout options. Of those available in the squad I’m good with it. Be interesting to see how Curry gets on. Quite excited to see.
SH is a choice of Heinz and Youngs or Youngs and Heinz so yeah I’m good with that.
Hardly likely to drop his captain and it means Ford is playing, so yeah happy with that.
Be different with Billy and Slade fit, but they’re not sadly.
Definition of madness with Lawes imo. Curry is a viable lineout option.
So you think Youngs and Heinz are the two best options we have at 9?
Your happiness seems to be an odd consequence of the corner painted into by Eddie.....or, put another way, could have been worse?
How would Slade's fitness have made a difference to your happiness at 12?
Well indeed. It’sa poor selection, trying to nullify the opponents strengths rather than trying to exploit their weaknesses. It’s just so conservative a pick.
Epaminondas Pules wrote:
I’m ok with Lawes yeah. Ideally we’d play Earl at 8 and curry at 6, but it is what it is and gives us better lineout options. Of those available in the squad I’m good with it. Be interesting to see how Curry gets on. Quite excited to see.
SH is a choice of Heinz and Youngs or Youngs and Heinz so yeah I’m good with that.
Hardly likely to drop his captain and it means Ford is playing, so yeah happy with that.
Be different with Billy and Slade fit, but they’re not sadly.
Definition of madness with Lawes imo. Curry is a viable lineout option.
So you think Youngs and Heinz are the two best options we have at 9?
Your happiness seems to be an odd consequence of the corner painted into by Eddie.....or, put another way, could have been worse?
How would Slade's fitness have made a difference to your happiness at 12?
Well indeed. It’sa poor selection, trying to nullify the opponents strengths rather than trying to exploit their weaknesses. It’s just so conservative a pick.
francoisfou wrote:Prediction time, men! (or are a few of the gentler sex among us?) France for me by 6.
Truly no idea, which is great. Also nice at this point is I've some hope for how France will try to play, less enjoyable is I do have some sense how England will try to play
francoisfou wrote:Prediction time, men! (or are a few of the gentler sex among us?) France for me by 6.
Truly no idea, which is great. Also nice at this point is I've some hope for how France will try to play, less enjoyable is I do have some sense how England will try to play
I’m hoping that during this 6N that France will play in the way of French teams of old, and I believe they have the players-at least in the backs, to do just that.
francoisfou wrote:Prediction time, men! (or are a few of the gentler sex among us?) France for me by 6.
Truly no idea, which is great. Also nice at this point is I've some hope for how France will try to play, less enjoyable is I do have some sense how England will try to play
I’m hoping that during this 6N that France will play in the way of French teams of old, and I believe they have the players-at least in the backs, to do just that.
