Squad for AIs

[Scrumhead]

Given the $hitty news on Billy and Launchbury, likely to be followed by yet more $hitty news on Mako, who would you go for in the AIs?

I’d go with:

1. Rapava-Ruskin* / Hepburn (Moon)
2. Hartley / George
3. H. Williams / H. Thomas* (Sinckler)
4. Itoje / Lawes
5. Kruis / Attwood* (Ewels)
6. Robshaw / M. Wilson / Shields (Rhodes)
7. T. Curry / Underhill
8. Morgan* / Mercer (Shields)
9. B. Youngs / Care
10. Ford / Cipriani
11. Daly / Cokanasiga
12. Farrell
13. Slade / Lozowski / Marchant* (Tuilagi)
14. May / Nowell
15. Brown

I’m well aware that Eddie’s unlikely to pick a good chunk of the asterisked players, so I’ve put the ones I expect him to pick instead.

Lozowski and Slade can cover 12.

[Timbo]

So this is purely what I would go for, so sort of imagining if I was a brand new coach taking over and picking the players I want. Going to assume Mako and Isiekwe are out.

Looseheads: Moon, Hepburn, VRR
Tightheads: Williams, Sinckler, Stuart
Hooker: George, LCD
Locks: Itoje, Kruis, Lawes, Skinner
Backrow: Morgan, Mercer, Armand, Rhodes, TCurry, Underhill

Scrumhalf: Youngs, Care, Maunder
Flyhalf: Ford, Farrell, Cipriani
Centre: Slade, Lozowski, JWilliams, Tuilagi
Back3: Daly, May, Nowell, Cokanasiga, Brown

Was a close call between Underhill and Kvesic.

[Peej]

Isn't Loz potentially injured too?

Honestly don't get the hype around Underhill

[Timbo]

Isn't Loz potentially injured too?

He took a blow towards the end of the game, but looked fine afterwards and post match.

[Stom]

Hepburn, VRR, Boyce
Hartley, George, Singleton
Sinckler, Williams, Thomas
Itoje, Lawes
Kruis, Skinner
Robshaw, Armand, Curry, Mercer, Chisholm
Care, Youngs, Vellacott
Ford, Farrell
Daly, May, Cokanasiga
Williams, Tuilagi, Slade, Marchant
Nowell, Earle
Brown

[Puja]

Hepburn, VRR, Boyce
Hartley, George, Singleton
Sinckler, Williams, Thomas
Itoje, Lawes
Kruis, Skinner
Robshaw, Armand, Curry, Mercer, Chisholm
Care, Youngs, Vellacott
Ford, Farrell
Daly, May, Cokanasiga
Williams, Tuilagi, Slade, Marchant
Nowell, Earle
Brown

Is that what you want or what you think Eddie will want? Cause, either way, why Earle?

Puja

[twitchy]

Aren't both itoje and lawes out?

[Stom]

Hepburn, VRR, Boyce
Hartley, George, Singleton
Sinckler, Williams, Thomas
Itoje, Lawes
Kruis, Skinner
Robshaw, Armand, Curry, Mercer, Chisholm
Care, Youngs, Vellacott
Ford, Farrell
Daly, May, Cokanasiga
Williams, Tuilagi, Slade, Marchant
Nowell, Earle
Brown

Is that what you want or what you think Eddie will want? Cause, either way, why Earle?

Puja

It's a kind of Combination team... So mainly mine, but a few Eddie picks where I don't care as they won't play

[Puja]

Aren't both itoje and lawes out?

Only temporarily. Should both be back by the AIs.

Puja

[Stom]

Do we have any idea when the real squad announcement is?

Wales have announced theirs with another average wing from the Prem making his bow.

[Mellsblue]

Thursday.

[Oakboy]

Robshaw out now - knee surgery.

[Oakboy]

I see it's already posted on the 'form' thread. It gets confusing when we are covering the same subjects on both.

[I R Geech]

Isn’t Lozowski under a citing as well?

[Raggs]

Hughes to be found innocent of all charges?

[Oakboy]

Hughes to be found innocent of all charges?

No, this is all a conspiracy to finally get Armand in the squad.

[Stom]

Bugger. Get Wilson in then.

[TheDasher]

Forwards (20): Tom Curry, Charlie Ewels, Jamie George, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Alec Hepburn, Ted Hill, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Zach Mercer, Ben Moon, Ben Morgan, Michael Rhodes, Nick Schonert, Brad Shields, Kyle Sinckler, Elliott Stooke, Sam Underhill, Harry Williams, Mark Wilson.

Backs (16): Chris Ashton, Mike Brown, Danny Care, Joe Cokanasiga, Elliot Daly, Nathan Earle, Owen Farrell (co-captain), George Ford, Alex Lozowski, Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Manu Tuilagi, Richard Wigglesworth, Ben Youngs.

[TheDasher]

Ted Hill should be made Captain, just for his name. Wonderful.

In other news, EJ is a prick for not picking Kvesic or Armand. I just find it too painful.

[francoisfou]

So where will the undroppable co-captain play? Surely not centre?
And Wigglesworth! How the hell is he still featuring?

[Stom]

Fuck.

Hepburn, Moon
Hartley, George
Sinckler, Williams, Schonert
Kruis, Itoje, Lawes, Ewels, Stooke
Wilson, Rhodes, Hill, Sheilds
Curry, Underhill
Mercer, Morgan
Care, Youngs, Wigglesworthless
Ford, Farrell
Slade, Loz, Tuilagi, Te'o
May, Nowell, Earle, Cokanasiga, Ashton
Brown, Daly

[Stom]

I just...

I mean, there's some good. But then there's Rhodes. Wigglesworthless, Ashton, Schonert...

[Mellsblue]

Mixed bag but I’ll take it.

[Tigersman]

So maybe a team of
1. Hepburn
2. Hartley (would start George)
3. Sinckler
4. Itoje
5. Lawes
6. Shields (would have Wilson)
7. Curry
8. Morgan
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Tuilagi
14. Daly (would have Nowell)
15. Brown (would have Daly)

16. George
17. Moon
18. Williams
19. Kuris
20. Wilson (would have Mercer)
21. Care
22. Lozowski
23. Nowell (would have Cokansiga)

Honestly wouldn’t be upset with that team. (Would be pretty with the brackets team though).

[Stom]

Mixed bag but I’ll take it.

I won't. I'm pissed. Rhodes should be nowhere near an England squad. Schonert, too.