Team for Australia

[Oakboy]

I supose it is going to be:

1. Moon
2. Hartley
3. Sinckler
4. Lawes
5. Itoje
6. Shields
7. Underhill
8. Wilson
9. Wigglesworth
10. Farrell
11. May
12. T'eo
13. Slade
14. Nowell
15. Daly


I don't like quite a few of those selections but they are the ones I expect.

[twitchy]

Is youngs out?

[Oakboy]

Is youngs out?

Out of form.

[Galfon]

The eight has sort of picked itself,
Still would prefer Youngs/Ford/Teo/Daly
Coka/Nowell wings,
..Faz at fb because he can do anything well, and long term this may be his best shout for Eng.
(EJ can move him to fh or ic to save the day if it goes t!ts-up)

[WaspInWales]

I think Eddie will start Youngs if he's fit.

[Puja]

The eight has sort of picked itself,
Still would prefer Youngs/Ford/Teo/Daly
Coka/Nowell wings,
..Faz at fb because he can do anything well, and long term this may be his best shout for Eng.
(EJ can move him to fh or ic to save the day if it goes t!ts-up)

Faz hasn't got huge amounts of pace, is okay without being spectacular under the high ball, and has never played full-back in his life (to my knowledge) and so has no idea of the positioning involved. What makes him a good bet to play there?

I'd have Youngs, Ford, Daly, Farrell, Manu/Te'o, May, Brown myself. For all the handwringing about Ford/Farrell, they've been pretty effective for England over the past few years and with Slade still continuing to disappoint, we're better off reverting to what's worked and giving up on trying to fit him in at 13.

Daly at 15's been an utter failure and I want to see him back where he's looked good for England. He's now had 6 games there and if he was going to adapt, he would've done so by now. Bring Brown back as a safe pair of hands. I've never been convinced by Daly as a 13 and I don't know he'd suit being outside Ford and Farrell so put him back at 11 and see if he recovers.

Puja

[Oakboy]

I certainly agree about Daly to the wing but will Jones? I hate the thought of Farrell and T'eo as the centre pairing. It's like giving up all attacking pretensions. I'd be surprised if Tuilagi is ever fit. Youngs may start but I reckon Wigglesworth has overtaken Care.

Most of all, I really don't want Shields in the 23 but Jones will pick him. Armand must have shafted Jones's mother, auntie, wife and daughter.

[Timbo]

Is youngs out?

Out of form.

Apart from outplaying whoever the Saffa 9 was and Aaron Smith on consecutive weeks

[Oakboy]

Is youngs out?

Out of form.

Apart from outplaying whoever the Saffa 9 was and Aaron Smith on consecutive weeks

Now who is dreaming?

[fivepointer]

i suspect we'll get the same starting XV as the NZ game apart from Lawes in at lock. Youngs will start and i'm sure Daly will have another go at FB, though he really needs to put in a credible performance.
Wing might throw up a surprise with Cokanasiga coming in. That would make a nice balance with May on the other side.
Manu on the bench, assuming he's fit which cannot be guaranteed.

[Which Tyler]

Moon Hartley Sinkler
Itoje Lawes
Wilson Underhill Mercer(8)

Youngs Ford
Farrell Te'o
Nowell Cokanasiga Daly (15)

George Hepburn Williams Ewels Hill
Wigglesworth Slade May


Best starting front row at the moment - George should be better, but he isn't at the moment; Williams should be a better starter, but shat the bed against Japan
Best available locks; I've a pretence for Stooke's power, but if it's decided that Ewels is ahead of him, then so be it.
A balanced backflow; and Mercer definitely deserve more than 1 chance.

YBY did do well against the big boys, Care needs to be dropped. Ford and Farrell work best together, even though they shouldn't.
Adding Te'o give them more balance than adding Slade - Manu would be better.
Nowell and Coka are fighting for one RWC slot, May would be first choice, obviously.
Daly has enough credit in the bank at wing, and at FB from years ago. Besides, we really need to move past Brown.

[Oakboy]

i suspect we'll get the same starting XV as the NZ game apart from Lawes in at lock. Youngs will start and i'm sure Daly will have another go at FB, though he really needs to put in a credible performance.
Wing might throw up a surprise with Cokanasiga coming in. That would make a nice balance with May on the other side.
Manu on the bench, assuming he's fit which cannot be guaranteed.

If everybody was fit Launchbury would still be the first name on my team-sheet but Lawes would be the second.

[Timbo]

Out of form.

Apart from outplaying whoever the Saffa 9 was and Aaron Smith on consecutive weeks

Now who is dreaming?

Nope, just that reality doesn’t fit the narrative of this echo chamber/forum.

[Timbo]

Same 8 that started against NZ, but Lawes in for Kruis.

Same backline that started against NZ, but Cokanasiga in for Ashton (assuming he’s injured). Farrell-Te’o-Slade need more time together, and Daly needs more minutes at fb.

Bring Hughes on to the bench, and hopefullly Manu.

[francoisfou]

Moon Hartley Sinkler
Itoje Lawes
Wilson Underhill Mercer(8)

Youngs Ford
Farrell Te'o
Nowell Cokanasiga Daly (15)

Sounds a reasonable starting XV to me, although there ain't much creativity at centre - except of course the chosen one, but Eddie'll no doubt disappoint us.

[Renniks]

I'd probably go for:
Moon, Hartley (c), Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Wilson, Underhill, Mercer
Youngs, Ford, Daly, Farrell, Manu, May, Brown

George, Hepburn, Williams, Ewels, Hill, Hughes, Wigglesworth, Big Joe

Yes, I know it's a 6/2 split
Yes, I know it's full of combinations (and players) I don't want near the starting 23
But I'm really struggling to see what else we can do with this current squad

It might not have solved things, but I really wish Jones wasn't set on the ~35 or so players he has decided on

I'd love to see what Armand, Kvesic, Morgan, Cipriani and Williams can all do currently in an England shirt

[Oakboy]

Incidentally, Jones has talked about his 31 for the RWC. Is it 31 or 32 now match day squads are up from 22 to 23?

[Oakboy]

Is Hughes confirmed as available? If so, I'd start him.

[Puja]

I certainly agree about Daly to the wing but will Jones? I hate the thought of Farrell and T'eo as the centre pairing. It's like giving up all attacking pretensions. I'd be surprised if Tuilagi is ever fit.

I'm not that thrilled about Farrell/Te'o either, but Ford and Farrell need a runner outside them, which would rule out Slade even if he hasn't been crap. Lozowski is more of a runner, but was crapper than Slade, Marchant's not favoured, Tuilagi's a glass cannon, Nowell at 13 didn't exactly work last week, Daly needs to go back to where he was successful rather than being buggered about with again - basically we're down to Te'o or nobody.

Frankly, if I wasn't such a round peg for round hole sort of person, I'd suggest Cokanasiga at 13.

Puja

[Puja]

Is Hughes confirmed as available? If so, I'd start him.

Ugh. Whatever question he's the answer to, I don't want asked. Wilson's looked very good at 8 and I'd rather stick with him or Morgan than parachute Hughes in from outside the squad.

Puja

[Oakboy]

Is Hughes confirmed as available? If so, I'd start him.

Ugh. Whatever question he's the answer to, I don't want asked. Wilson's looked very good at 8 and I'd rather stick with him or Morgan than parachute Hughes in from outside the squad.

Puja

Anybody is better than Shields.

[Stom]

Is Tuilagi fit?

If do, I'd have Ford, Farrell, Tuilagi in midfield.

Moon
Hartley
Sinckler
Itoje
Lawes
Shields
Underhill
Wilson
Youngs
Ford
Cokanasiga
Farrell
Tuilagi
May
Daly

George, Hepburn, Williams, Mercer, Care, Slade, Te'o.

My phone has learned all the names though, so this is what it would pick...

Moon
Hartley
Williams
Itoje
Underhill errr...
Shields
Curry
Hughes
Care
Ford
May
Te'o
Joseph
Nowell
Watson

LCD, Hepburn, Williams, Itoje, Shields, Care, Farrell, Tuilagi

We need to clone Williams, Itoje and Care

[Puja]

Is Hughes confirmed as available? If so, I'd start him.

Ugh. Whatever question he's the answer to, I don't want asked. Wilson's looked very good at 8 and I'd rather stick with him or Morgan than parachute Hughes in from outside the squad.

Puja

Anybody is better than Shields.

Good point, well made.

Puja

[Rich]

I supose it is going to be:

1. Moon
2. Hartley
3. Sinckler
4. Lawes
5. Itoje
6. Shields
7. Underhill
8. Wilson
9. Wigglesworth
10. Farrell
11. May
12. T'eo
13. Slade
14. Nowell
15. Daly


I don't like quite a few of those selections but they are the ones I expect.

I like that team - I'd only make two changes: Cokanasiga on the right wing and (if fit) Manu at OC.

[Rich]

...Daly at 15's been an utter failure...

Puja

"Utter failure" ?

He's had three games there.