International Rugby

[Dante Lavelli]

Robshaw was man of the match in one of his most recent games for England, plus Itoje has had some anonymous periods whilst playing there.  I'd guess that Robshaw and Haskell will fight it out for one spot (the 'old head' and some grunt in the scrum) whilst we develop some more natural sevens on the other side, although I'd struggle to identify them.

It's incredible that a player of Robshaw's importance (if not ability) can be quickly forgotten due to the current crop of players.

[paul_e]

Robshaw was man of the match in one of his most recent games for England, plus Itoje has had some anonymous periods whilst playing there.  I'd guess that Robshaw and Haskell will fight it out for one spot (the 'old head' and some grunt in the scrum) whilst we develop some more natural sevens on the other side, although I'd struggle to identify them.

It's incredible that a player of Robshaw's importance (if not ability) can be quickly forgotten due to the current crop of players.

We have 3-4 very good 7s coming through, I suspect 1-2 of them will make the squad this summer.  Will Evans at Tigers is probably at the font of the queue but Joel Conlon at Sarries (but developed at Exeter) looked like a star in the making a few years back, he seems to be just breaking through now so he's worth watching out for.  On top of that the Curry twins who are with the U20s right now both look very good and I'd say both are 6.5s right now and could go either way.

Also Kvesic is still only 24 (despite having been around for ages having broken into the warriors team at 18) and his upcoming move to Exeter looks like a perfect chance for him to get himself back in the mix.  Harrison is also only 24 and his game has been improving massively for a couple of years, if he can keep that improvement going he'll never be too far away.

I suspect 7 will be like 8 and the centres were a few years back, we'll go from nothing to too many good options in the blink of an eye.

[Dave Summers]

Robshaw was man of the match in one of his most recent games for England, plus Itoje has had some anonymous periods whilst playing there.  I'd guess that Robshaw and Haskell will fight it out for one spot (the 'old head' and some grunt in the scrum) whilst we develop some more natural sevens on the other side, although I'd struggle to identify them.

It's incredible that a player of Robshaw's importance (if not ability) can be quickly forgotten due to the current crop of players.

We have 3-4 very good 7s coming through, I suspect 1-2 of them will make the squad this summer.  Will Evans at Tigers is probably at the font of the queue but Joel Conlon at Sarries (but developed at Exeter) looked like a star in the making a few years back, he seems to be just breaking through now so he's worth watching out for.  On top of that the Curry twins who are with the U20s right now both look very good and I'd say both are 6.5s right now and could go either way.

Also Kvesic is still only 24 (despite having been around for ages having broken into the warriors team at 18) and his upcoming move to Exeter looks like a perfect chance for him to get himself back in the mix.  Harrison is also only 24 and his game has been improving massively for a couple of years, if he can keep that improvement going he'll never be too far away.

I suspect 7 will be like 8 and the centres were a few years back, we'll go from nothing to too many good options in the blink of an eye.

You've missed the most obvious one, who will be on the tour to Argentina without question, Sam Underhill. I believe he'll be in the 23 whoever we play first up, Argentina or NZ, in November. Can't wait to see him develop under Louw at Bath

[paul_e]

Robshaw was man of the match in one of his most recent games for England, plus Itoje has had some anonymous periods whilst playing there.  I'd guess that Robshaw and Haskell will fight it out for one spot (the 'old head' and some grunt in the scrum) whilst we develop some more natural sevens on the other side, although I'd struggle to identify them.

It's incredible that a player of Robshaw's importance (if not ability) can be quickly forgotten due to the current crop of players.

We have 3-4 very good 7s coming through, I suspect 1-2 of them will make the squad this summer.  Will Evans at Tigers is probably at the font of the queue but Joel Conlon at Sarries (but developed at Exeter) looked like a star in the making a few years back, he seems to be just breaking through now so he's worth watching out for.  On top of that the Curry twins who are with the U20s right now both look very good and I'd say both are 6.5s right now and could go either way.

Also Kvesic is still only 24 (despite having been around for ages having broken into the warriors team at 18) and his upcoming move to Exeter looks like a perfect chance for him to get himself back in the mix.  Harrison is also only 24 and his game has been improving massively for a couple of years, if he can keep that improvement going he'll never be too far away.

I suspect 7 will be like 8 and the centres were a few years back, we'll go from nothing to too many good options in the blink of an eye.

You've missed the most obvious one, who will be on the tour to Argentina without question, Sam Underhill. I believe he'll be in the 23 whoever we play first up, Argentina or NZ, in November. Can't wait to see him develop under Louw at Bath

I did indeed, I knew there was another one but the name just wouldn't come to me so I went through all the teams in the league (in my head) and just couldn't work out who I was missing. 

[Jon Crofts]

Irish air traffic control have diversion plans in place for the afternoon.

Tight first 20 I would have thought and then expect England to steadily pull away, we have far too much all over the park for Ireland.

[UK Redsox]

France v Wales U20

The one French winger is tipped for greatness. He has some serious gas

[nigel]

Great read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39306051

[Dante Lavelli]

Great read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39306051

Indeed.  I knew there were connections between the two but I didn't realise that their lives were quite so intertwined.  It could easily be a new chapter in one of the 10,000 hour books.

[PaulWinch again]

Nervous about today, we need to be at our best.

[Dante Lavelli]

a taster:

[luke:lamf]

Great read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39306051

Very interesting, but spoilt by the author's clear absence of basic rugby knowledge in one point of his argument...

"English Grand Slams have always been built on the essential understanding between fly-half and inside centre: Wilkinson and Will Greenwood, Rob Andrew and Will Carling. Never before have they had the ability to switch roles so naturally and to such attacking effect."

If I were Mike Tindall and Jeremy Guscott reading that, I think I'd be pretty pissed off...

[paul_e]

First game, scotland won comfortably in the end and defended well but italy butchered 2-3 tries and missed a few simple penalties.

[dave shelley]

This France Wales game is crazy.  99 minutes and still playing.

[PaulWinch again]

We have been terrible so far.

[Proposition Joe]

It's deja vu all over again in Dublin.