RugbyRebels

p/d wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 6:57 pm If 'Big Joe' made half the impact that Van Der Merwe makes for Scotland then, yes, I would view him as unlucky. The thing is he doesn't.

Freeman must be retained Nowell/Porter and Coles to drop out.

Spiffy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 8:03 pm

p/d wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 6:57 pm If 'Big Joe' made half the impact that Van Der Merwe makes for Scotland then, yes, I would view him as unlucky. The thing is he doesn't.

Freeman must be retained Nowell/Porter and Coles to drop out.

Agree. Big Joe is overall a bit disappointing given his physical attributes. I suppose he is a good bet to score if he gets the ball at close range to the goal line, but he's not all that fast and maybe a bit short of footballing skills.

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 6:08 pm I dunno …

I’d expect one of Coles or Ribbans to drop out. Porter or Freeman in the backs, but I think Freeman is the better bench option.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 9:49 pm Is Freeman good in the air? I know he plays fullback too but I just haven’t seen him tested much.

FKAS wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 9:46 pm I'm hoping for something like this from Eddie;

Genge, George, Sinckler
Hill, Itoje
Willis, Vunipola, Curry
JVP, Smith
Farrell, Manu
May, Steward, Freeman

LCD, Mako, Stuart, Coles, Simmonds, Youngs, Slade, Porter

That would of course require Eddie to acknowledge we don't need a lock sized blindside for every game. Coles offers good lines in attack, ditto Simmonds. I don't think this will be a game decided before the final quarter and having that impact will help and obviously Two Try Guy is there as well. Some pace on both wings with both good under the high ball is going to be key for this one as well.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:35 pm Well yeah but I’ve seen Cokanasiga (huge, athletic, great handling) under a high ball. I’ve seen Tim Visser etc.

I’m not disputing he is, it just feels like as a skill it gets oddly attributed to being tall sometimes, when it seems to not have that much to do with it.

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 11:46 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 9:46 pm I'm hoping for something like this from Eddie;

Genge, George, Sinckler
Hill, Itoje
Willis, Vunipola, Curry
JVP, Smith
Farrell, Manu
May, Steward, Freeman

LCD, Mako, Stuart, Coles, Simmonds, Youngs, Slade, Porter

That would of course require Eddie to acknowledge we don't need a lock sized blindside for every game. Coles offers good lines in attack, ditto Simmonds. I don't think this will be a game decided before the final quarter and having that impact will help and obviously Two Try Guy is there as well. Some pace on both wings with both good under the high ball is going to be key for this one as well.

Guardian reckons Itoje will go back to lock, but only to make room for Simmonds and BillyV to play in the same back row. Not entirely sure how Eddie looks at JWillis and doesn't see him as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Puja

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:24 am

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:35 pm Well yeah but I’ve seen Cokanasiga (huge, athletic, great handling) under a high ball. I’ve seen Tim Visser etc.

I’m not disputing he is, it just feels like as a skill it gets oddly attributed to being tall sometimes, when it seems to not have that much to do with it.

Freeman is primarily a fullback who Saints are playing on the wing to have Furbank as a second playmaker at 15.

He’s good under the high ball and is a better all round player than Cokanasiga IMO. Had he been fit sooner, I think he probably would have started vs. Argentina after a good summer down under.

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:27 am

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 11:46 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 9:46 pm I'm hoping for something like this from Eddie;

Genge, George, Sinckler
Hill, Itoje
Willis, Vunipola, Curry
JVP, Smith
Farrell, Manu
May, Steward, Freeman

LCD, Mako, Stuart, Coles, Simmonds, Youngs, Slade, Porter

That would of course require Eddie to acknowledge we don't need a lock sized blindside for every game. Coles offers good lines in attack, ditto Simmonds. I don't think this will be a game decided before the final quarter and having that impact will help and obviously Two Try Guy is there as well. Some pace on both wings with both good under the high ball is going to be key for this one as well.

Guardian reckons Itoje will go back to lock, but only to make room for Simmonds and BillyV to play in the same back row. Not entirely sure how Eddie looks at JWillis and doesn't see him as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Puja

Me neither. If Lawes was fit, I could understand him being in at 6 and captain. Since he’s not, the obvious option was to play Curry and Willis in tandem (doesn’t matter who wears 6 or 7).

With NZ struggling at the breakdown vs. Scotland, I’d like to think Willis is at least in contention to start. I doubt he will though.

It would be harsh to drop Simmonds after last weekend, but if we’re looking at ‘horses for courses’, I’m really not sure playing him as a flanker is the way to go.

Banquo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:29 am

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:24 am

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:35 pm Well yeah but I’ve seen Cokanasiga (huge, athletic, great handling) under a high ball. I’ve seen Tim Visser etc.

I’m not disputing he is, it just feels like as a skill it gets oddly attributed to being tall sometimes, when it seems to not have that much to do with it.

Freeman is primarily a fullback who Saints are playing on the wing to have Furbank as a second playmaker at 15.

He’s good under the high ball and is a better all round player than Cokanasiga IMO. Had he been fit sooner, I think he probably would have started vs. Argentina after a good summer down under.

Yes, he's been good under the high ball at both 14 and 15 when he has played there for Saints. Not sure Furbank does much as a second playmaker though, he mostly is used orthodoxly in the wider channels on back play- he does step in to play 10 a fair bit when there are injuries; they use him at 14 and Furbank at 15 just so they can get their best backs out.

He's a very different player to Coka- and I'm not sire why coka is getting so much flak a- playing outside a much criticised midfield (10/12 and oft 13), b- big contribution v Argentina, 100+yards, good try, solid defence, and a decent game v Japan (good kick chase, mainly, as we did a lot of kicking). He's had a good AI series imo.

FKAS wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 9:10 am

Banquo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:29 am

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:24 am

Freeman is primarily a fullback who Saints are playing on the wing to have Furbank as a second playmaker at 15.

He’s good under the high ball and is a better all round player than Cokanasiga IMO. Had he been fit sooner, I think he probably would have started vs. Argentina after a good summer down under.

Yes, he's been good under the high ball at both 14 and 15 when he has played there for Saints. Not sure Furbank does much as a second playmaker though, he mostly is used orthodoxly in the wider channels on back play- he does step in to play 10 a fair bit when there are injuries; they use him at 14 and Furbank at 15 just so they can get their best backs out.

He's a very different player to Coka- and I'm not sire why coka is getting so much flak a- playing outside a much criticised midfield (10/12 and oft 13), b- big contribution v Argentina, 100+yards, good try, solid defence, and a decent game v Japan (good kick chase, mainly, as we did a lot of kicking). He's had a good AI series imo.

14 tries in 21 appearances last season as well (all competitions). Knows his way to the try line.