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Author Topic: International Rugby  (Read 381601 times)

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #690 on: December 31, 2015, 09:23:42 PM »
Jonny May looks like he's out for the 6N, with Brookes and Slade already missing that's 3 of my 22 missing already, hope we have a bit more luck over the next few weeks.

Offline Dante Lavelli

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #691 on: January 02, 2016, 12:21:48 PM »
Elliot Daly has stepped up a bit so there's a potential replacement for Slade.

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #692 on: January 12, 2016, 02:27:18 PM »
Sounds like Gatland is going to be the Lions coach again, that's our chances gone.

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #693 on: January 13, 2016, 02:06:29 PM »
Squad:

Forwards
Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (Wasps)
Paul Hill (Northampton Saints) 
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby) *injury replacement for Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs) 
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Matt Mullan (Wasps)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs

Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby) *injury replacement for Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs) *injury replacement for Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby)
Marland Yarde (Harlequins)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
« Last Edit: January 13, 2016, 02:09:25 PM by paul_e »

Offline peter w

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #694 on: January 13, 2016, 02:11:24 PM »
What's happened to Wade? Whose the captain?

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #695 on: January 13, 2016, 02:14:55 PM »
Goode being there makes me sad. I'm glad to see Ashton back involved though he's earned it. Tom Wood completely being dropped is a surprise, I reckon is Itoje against Robshaw for number 6 then.

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #696 on: January 13, 2016, 02:20:56 PM »
To avoid making it a mess I'm posting my thoughts seperately so...

The disclaimer here is that he could only make 11 replacements so this was always likely to be a bit of a muddle.

The Good:
Clifford, Hill, Itoje, Kvesic, Daly, Devoto - All good additions

The Bad:
No Cips, no Waller, Goode, Haskell and Care all retained

I'm ok with that squad, it's a touch harsh on Wood and Morgan who weren't the problem in the back row and I'm surprised that Tom Youngs has been dropped out completely.

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #697 on: January 13, 2016, 02:21:46 PM »
What's happened to Wade? Whose the captain?

Wade is out until near the end of the tournament so no shock he's not involved, captain isn't named yet but the safe money is on Hartley.

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #698 on: January 13, 2016, 02:28:25 PM »
Goode being there makes me sad. I'm glad to see Ashton back involved though he's earned it. Tom Wood completely being dropped is a surprise, I reckon is Itoje against Robshaw for number 6 then.

I'd go with Clifford, Kvesic, Billy with Beaumont on the bench for the first game, pace and power and a bit of mongrel.  I'd have Itoje on the bench behind Lawes and Launchbury. With Mako and Hill the likely prop replacements and George to come on at Hooker that's a lot of pace and power off the bench.  I'd have liked Simpson and Cips as well to carry that injection of pace right out into the backs (I'd go with Devoto and Daly in the centre and JJ as the final sub) but Care and Farrell are ok as impact options.

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #699 on: January 13, 2016, 02:57:25 PM »
The squad announcement comes with a short interview with Jones here - http://www.englandrugby.com/news/jones-openside-centres-and-captaincy/

The key bit for me is:

Quote
Jones also addressed the issue of what he saw as the role of an openside in international rugby. “Their primary job at first phase in attack is to ensure we win quick ball.

“So, they need very good clean out skills. Then conversely on the opposition ball they need to ensure they slow that ball down.”

It's good to see the England coach raising the same concerns I have and for that is a clear message that Robshaw (as he was) is not the 7 he wants.  I've always felt like I'm being a bit cruel to him to constantly complain about the openside as the key issue in the pack but it really is a specialist job and it's weird that the RFU, collectively, seemed to forget that for a long time.

It's also nice to hear him talk about what he wants at 12, which is basically the final nail in the coffin for Barritt's international career.  He name dropped Slade as what he sees as a proper 12 which again fits nicely with my view on how we need to play, I think this time next year we'll be looking at a very different England team and I pretty excited by the whole thing.

Offline cheltenhamlion

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #700 on: January 13, 2016, 05:16:04 PM »
Bit pissed off that Kvesic only gets in due to injury to others. He has been a credible starter for England at 7 for three years now.

Offline lovejoy

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #701 on: January 15, 2016, 07:29:04 AM »
Bit pissed off that Kvesic only gets in due to injury to others. He has been a credible starter for England at 7 for three years now.
Exactly, it's ridiculous. Also May wouldn't have been in the squad either. And no Morgan.
Why is Gloucester forever a graveyard for international careers?

Offline paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #702 on: January 15, 2016, 07:51:35 AM »
I can sort of understand the change with Morgan, him and Billy and too similar so they wanted someone a bit different, whoever got that 2nd '8' berth is only keeping it warm for a year anyway, Nathan Hughes will be in the squad as soon as he can be added, unless his game completely abandons him.

May is a tough one to know what they intended, the injury cover call ups are all, except Slade, covering people who may be back in during the 6N whereas May definitely won't be so it might well mean nothing that he's been 'dropped'.

Kvesic I agree, I find it very strange that his spot is only as cover when the others are 6s.  Maybe he sees Clifford as a viable 7, he's certainly the only 1 I'd trust to cover the entire back row.

Offline Proposition Joe

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #703 on: January 15, 2016, 09:49:21 PM »
Must admit to not being quite keyed in with what's going on, but if Jones doesn't see May in his plans then, to borrow from Dr House, he's an idiot.

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #704 on: January 15, 2016, 10:15:49 PM »
I'm quite glad to see Ashton back.

 


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