6 Nations 2013

[paul_e]

Well according to the trusty source that is Chris Foy on Twitter there are three likely changes to the starting XV for Saturday.  Looks like I got that wrong then :-)

He believes Hartley will come in for Youngs, which we kind of anticipated maybe the case and I like the idea of Youngs coming on to add some zest to it all after about 50 mins. 

The other two changes I didn't forsee as much if i am truthful.  He believes Manu is coming for Twelvetrees and restoring partnership with Barritt.  I can understand that but not sure why you would then have both 36 and Flood on the same bench?

Finally and intriguingly and almost fitting in with what Paul e said above, Lawes will be starting.  However he will be playing 6 and Wood will continue at 8 with Haskell and Waldrom on the bench. 

Looks like we are going for the power game up front to nullify the French pack.  Gives us a load of lineout options and good ball carriers and also forwards with good hands.

As I said above though, I think he could have been a little more creative with the bench as I see Haskell and Waldrom as being a little similar and certainly 36 and Flood.  Would have been nice to see for example someone like Wade/May covering outside backs and Kvesic as back row cover in the absence of Billy V?

That all said, who am I to argue with what Lancaster has done?.  England by 10 on Saturday

Lawes coming in really is no surprise, this french team look very reliant on performances at 9 and 10.  I'm fine with Haskell dropping out as well, he could quite easily have cost us the game last time by being stupid in an area where we were under no pressure.  However what is the point of having Haskell and Waldrom in the squad if you're going to play people out of position in their spots?  1 of them as a bit of experience I can understand but 1 should make way for Vunipola or Kvesic who both, like Launchbury, just need to be given a chance to show if they can step up.

[PaulWinch again]

French side looks a lot stronger at half back now.

[Dave Summers]

Team as suggested in post above.  I have read that Vunipola was a certainty for the bench until he got injured in practice on Tuesday.  That is a shame.

Agree the French team is far better balanced than it was against either Italy or Wales and indeed if they had picked this team to start with, then I believe both teams would be going into this match unbeaten.

I still think England will win, particularly if it stays dry when I believe we will play at a pace that the French will struggle to live with.  Our bench also looks very strong for later in the game.

England by 7-10 pts for me

[paul_e]

It is a better French side but I think we can get at Parra.  Our pack should have enough about it to boss the scrum and we'll be strong at the lineout so I agree with Dave, fairly comfy England win by around 10 for me.

[PaulWinch again]

It looks a well balanced England side and shows we have great options. I like Lawes in the side.

[Dave Summers]

Our strength in the back row positions is incredible. My current first choice if all fit would be Wood, Morgan and Robshaw.  Next in line Croft, Vunipola, Kvesic.  After that Johnson, Waldrom, Fraser.  And I haven't even mentioned the likes of Armitage and not included Lawes who is there this weekend !!.  So many options

We are also extremely well blessed at half back with Youngs, Care, Simpson, Dickson, Robson even Wigglesworth at a push for the Number 9 spot and Farrell, Flood, Burns, Ford and Cipriani all capable of playing at 10.

We need to bring some of the other areas up to this type of stength in depth.

[nordenvillain]

I can understand Manu coming back so that Barritt and he can extend a suitable Twickenham welcome to Bastareaud and Fofana. Billy 36 can come on later on to take advantage of tiring French legs. Think that the very mobile English pack will wear the French pack down. Happy to see Trinh-Duc at 10, think that the English back row can really get to him as I have found his game very predictable. Parra is a good choice at 9 for the French - Rate him. Looking forward to seeing England win by 12 when I'm at the game on Saturday.

[paul_e]

Our strength in the back row positions is incredible. My current first choice if all fit would be Wood, Morgan and Robshaw.  Next in line Croft, Vunipola, Kvesic.  After that Johnson, Waldrom, Fraser.  And I haven't even mentioned the likes of Armitage and not included Lawes who is there this weekend !!.  So many options

We are also extremely well blessed at half back with Youngs, Care, Simpson, Dickson, Robson even Wigglesworth at a push for the Number 9 spot and Farrell, Flood, Burns, Ford and Cipriani all capable of playing at 10.

We need to bring some of the other areas up to this type of stength in depth.

Back row - add in Launchbury who is just as good a 6 as a 2nd row, Gaskill at Sale, Haskill who you've missed out, and that's still ignoring the U20 squad who have 3-4 exceptional back rows as well.  If we progress as well as I expect you could easily field 4th and 5th choices from 6 to 10 and still have international class players.  We've also got a really good set of loosehead props and give it a year or 2 and we'll have just as much depth on the wings/fullback (Christian Wade, Johnny May, Marland Yarde, Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson (the best of the bunch by quite a margin), Miles Benjamin, Guy Armitage (prefers centre), Rob Miller (prefers flyhalf) have all looked capable either in the premiership or at england youth level).

[PaulWinch again]

Ashton for fucks sake, shocking tackle.

[PaulWinch again]

Tuilagi is a beast, I don't understand anyone who doesn't rate him.

[PaulWinch again]

Substitutions have killed France.

[paul_e]

Tuilagi is a beast, I don't understand anyone who doesn't rate him.

he's not good enough YET at some aspects of the game; he gets caught out of position, he tackles high too often and he doesn't look for help enough.  It's made up for by the fact that he's phenomenal at other parts of the game, he's probably the best crash centre in world rugby.

Back to the game, today was a perfect example of why having impact players on the bench is so important, we never lost quality when we made changes, they did.  I'd prefer a creative option in the backs though, we had no one who could do to them what Fofana did to us for their try.

[PaulWinch again]

That's why I want Foden back in asap.

[taylorsworkrate]

We didn't play well, but still beat a much improved France by 10 points. Mark of a very good side.

[taylorsworkrate]

Robshaw is a leader in the truest sense of the word. The art of captaincy is often forgotten in modern sport, but Robshaw shows how to lead by example