Team v France

[Which Tyler]

I want to secure Tue grand slam, whilst keeping an eye on the future, so

Itoje, Itoje, Itoje
Itoje, Itoje
Itoge, BVunipola, Itoje

Slade, Slade
Slade, Slade
Nowell, Slade, Slade

Unbeatable now, and just think how good that lot will be for 2019

[Mellsblue]

Tommy Taylor called up as a replacement for George.

Interesting choice… I imagine won't replace LCD in the match day 23 though

What has Tom Youngs done to Jones?!?!?! Yeandle has every right to feel hard done by.

[Oakboy]

Tommy Taylor called up as a replacement for George.

Interesting choice… I imagine won't replace LCD in the match day 23 though

What has Tom Youngs done to Jones?!?!?! Yeandle has every right to feel hard done by.

Youngs is injured, isn't he?

[p/d]

Bench one of the 10's, bring in a 12 and if he doesn't want to bring Robson in then start Youngs. I cannot stand this bollocks of one game starting next game benched

[Rich]

Team for France:

The same 23 that started against Wales....with one exception. Care for the useless Ben Youngs and his idiotic box kicks.

AND - no pre-meditated substitutions

Note to ther pack: On French scrum put ins...let them have the damn ball !!!

[Banquo]

Vunipola
LCD
Cole
Launchbury
Kruis
Itoje
Kvesic
Vunipola
Robson
Ford
Watson
Tuilagi
Joseph
Rokoduguni
Brown

Youngs
Mullan
Brookes
Launchbury
Clifford
Youngs
Cipriani
Pennell

I'm assuming no Marler, but for the forearm business, I couldn't care less if he may have offended gypsies.

why do you pick players outside the EPS? and I'm reasonably sure Launchbury can't both play and bench.

[Digby]

why do you pick players outside the EPS? and I'm reasonably sure Launchbury can't both play and bench.

Picking a team I'd pick, so much so I'm now cloning players

[Rich]

Vunipola
LCD
Cole
Launchbury
Kruis
Itoje
Kvesic
Vunipola
Robson
Ford
Watson
Tuilagi
Joseph
Rokoduguni
Brown

Youngs
Mullan
Brookes
Launchbury
Clifford
Youngs
Cipriani
Pennell

I'm assuming no Marler, but for the forearm business, I couldn't care less if he may have offended gypsies.

So you'd replace England's best hooker with England's third best hooker - makes sense to you in your mind I'm sure

But to no-one else

[Digby]

Vunipola
LCD
Cole
Launchbury
Kruis
Itoje
Kvesic
Vunipola
Robson
Ford
Watson
Tuilagi
Joseph
Rokoduguni
Brown

Youngs
Mullan
Brookes
Launchbury
Clifford
Youngs
Cipriani
Pennell

I'm assuming no Marler, but for the forearm business, I couldn't care less if he may have offended gypsies.

So you'd replace England's best hooker with England's third best hooker - makes sense to you in your mind I'm sure

But to no-one else

Tricky one with George out if one considers Hartley beyond the pale. I can't just opt for Hartley now because it's convenient and might even be needed to win a game

[Epaminondas Pules]

I think we'll see the same 23.

If it were me I'd bring in Launchbury, move Itoje to 6 and drop Robshaw.

Tempted to bring in Manu, but he's not match fit.

Otherwise as you were,

[Rich]

I think we'll see the same 23.

If it were me I'd bring in Launchbury, move Itoje to 6 and drop Robshaw.

Tempted to bring in Manu, but he's not match fit.

Otherwise as you were,

I think you're right

Really tempted to put Manu in at 12 and put Ford to the bench (not to be used unless Farrell is injured)

Have to say that Haskell has outshone Robshaw in the 6N so far.

[WaspInWales]

Aye, no changes except to cover for Marler.

I'd like to see Youngs dropped. Not overly sure what Eddie and some others see in him??

Tempted to start Farrell at 10 or keep Ford with Manu at 12....see how he goes for an hour then bring Faz on to wreak havoc on a tiring defence!

Boom.

[Peat]

Aye, no changes except to cover for Marler.

I'd like to see Youngs dropped. Not overly sure what Eddie and some others see in him??

Tempted to start Farrell at 10 or keep Ford with Manu at 12....see how he goes for an hour then bring Faz on to wreck havoc on a tiring defence!

Boom.

I and others reckon Youngs' sniping game and use of the forwards has been pretty bloody good. Granted, I think only Jones think it's good enough to cover up not being able to pass to the fly-half. But there we go.

Don't think anyone has every talked about Faz wrecking havoc before.

[Digby]

People talking about Farrell wrecking things seems a fairly common thing.

[Joz]

Who cares about racial slurs? Uhm...

Is Pikey a RACIAL slur?

What RACE is it derogative of?

Also This about the concept of race, http://bigthink.com/words-of-wisdom/bil ... ng-as-race

[fivepointer]

No surprise inclusions for France but i'm very pleased Tommy Taylor has been brought in for the unlucky George.

The squad -

32 players assembled at Pennyhill Park on Sunday to train for the game at Stade de France.

Forwards (19)

Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
Tommy Taylor (Sale Sharks)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs (13)

Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

[alx]

Tommy Taylor called up as a replacement for George.

Interesting choice… I imagine won't replace LCD in the match day 23 though

What has Tom Youngs done to Jones?!?!?! Yeandle has every right to feel hard done by.

Youngs is injured, isn't he?

He wasn't in the Leicester squad vs Wasps at the weekend so would assume so.

[Mellsblue]

What has Tom Youngs done to Jones?!?!?! Yeandle has every right to feel hard done by.

Youngs is injured, isn't he?

He wasn't in the Leicester squad vs Wasps at the weekend so would assume so.

Of course he is. Even though I think his clone is playing very well for Leicester it completely slipped my mind!

[Mr Mwenda]

I didn't notice it at the time, but if it's true, he should be rightfully banned. He could have just called him a Welsh c**t if he must be so pleasant during games. He could try to be a bit smarter instead, mind.

One does hear some pretty horrible things at the lower levels of the game, unfortunately. I do think that playing for England should require one to behave in a sort of respectable manner and simply because it occurred with a huge audience it's important that it's made clear that bigoted comments are not acceptable.

Good on the Welsh prop for not apparently reacting and being proud of his heritage.

[Puja]

I didn't notice it at the time, but if it's true, he should be rightfully banned. He could have just called him a Welsh c**t if he must be so pleasant during games. He could try to be a bit smarter instead, mind.

One does hear some pretty horrible things at the lower levels of the game, unfortunately. I do think that playing for England should require one to behave in a sort of respectable manner and simply because it occurred with a huge audience it's important that it's made clear that bigoted comments are not acceptable.

Good on the Welsh prop for not apparently reacting and being proud of his heritage.

Haskell.jpg

Puja

[Pie Man]

Did he use the word Gypsy/Gipsy or Pikey? Maybe I'm ignorant but are they racial slurs? If they are, then in reference to the former we need to start changing a whole bunch of road names as well as a train station.

[Puja]

Did he use the word Gypsy/Gipsy or Pikey? Maybe I'm ignorant but are they racial slurs? If they are, then in reference to the former we need to start changing a whole bunch of road names as well as a train station.

It's a context thing - the way it was said was clearly using his heritage as an insult. It's the same as if it was at Maro Itoje - he's probably quite happy to be described as black and it's not an inherently insulting word (there's probably a Black Road and Black Lane out there somewhere), but if an opposition player came up to him and said "How do you like that one, black boy?" then we'd probably be justifiably upset.

Puja

[Banquo]

Did he use the word Gypsy/Gipsy or Pikey? Maybe I'm ignorant but are they racial slurs? If they are, then in reference to the former we need to start changing a whole bunch of road names as well as a train station.

It's a context thing - the way it was said was clearly using his heritage as an insult. It's the same as if it was at Maro Itoje - he's probably quite happy to be described as black and it's not an inherently insulting word (there's probably a Black Road and Black Lane out there somewhere), but if an opposition player came up to him and said "How do you like that one, black boy?" then we'd probably be justifiably upset.

Puja

Devil's advocate- what punishment should an oppo player get if he calls Marler an 'English/saes C*nt'? or even, take that 'Saes boy'?
Marler is clearly being a tool, for the avoidance of doubt.

[Oakboy]

I guess we can make some sort of defence of Marler for the words used but not for his stupidity in using them!

[baldilocks]

Did he use the word Gypsy/Gipsy or Pikey? Maybe I'm ignorant but are they racial slurs? If they are, then in reference to the former we need to start changing a whole bunch of road names as well as a train station.

I did some work on a new site for travellers several years ago, and was told specifically by our liaison officer that I wasn't to refer to them as travellers as they were gypsys. It was a right pain in the arse to change all the paperwork. So my view is that calling him a Gypsy is no worse than calling him Welsh or fat.