International Rugby

[PaulWinch again]

Same again, no fucking intensity.

[PaulWinch again]

Jones need to acknowledge the selection is not working.

[paul_e]

It so frustrating that he came in and saw the mistakes Lancaster had made and now 2 1/2 years later he's making them himself.

[paul_e]

After al lthe complaints, that's brilliant from Daly to put May away.  We got a bit of quicker ball and suddenly looked a different team.

[paul_e]

Given their form that's a fucking disgusting performance, completely played into their hands by letting them slow the game down so easily.

Robshaw at 7 doesn't work, 3 2nd rows in the team isn't working (but i understand why he's tried it).  The back row is killing us.

[Proposition Joe]

It so frustrating that he came in and saw the mistakes Lancaster had made and now 2 1/2 years later he's making them himself.

Isn't that every England coach since SCW?  In fact, the way we are playing at the moment is as turgid as we usually play in World Cup years, so Jones has seemingly hit the wall one year early.  What's that plan apart from crash ball and box kicks?

[paul_e]

The difference is none of the other had 2 years of getting it right (in the main) before they hit the wall, they were indifferent all along.

[PaulWinch again]

The only positive for me is that it’s happened early enough to correct before the World Cup. Also Jones comments post game at least show an awareness of the failings. Robshaw either plays 6 or he doesn’t play, Lawes either plays second row or he doesn’t play. The hard decisions need to be made now, no more square pegs in round holes. Also I like Te’o off the bench, but not from the start.

[nigel]

Think it's got to be Lawes and Launchbuy at 4 & 5 vrs Ireland. Give Itoje a break.

baring injuries I think you'd have to look along the lines of:

1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Sincler
4. Lawes
5. Launchbury
6. Robshaw
7. Underhill
8. Simmonds

Backs I'd go with:

9. Care
10. Farrell
11. Daly
12. T'eo
13. Slade
14. May
15. Watson

[paul_e]

Think it's got to be Lawes and Launchbuy at 4 & 5 vrs Ireland. Give Itoje a break.

baring injuries I think you'd have to look along the lines of:

1. Vunipola
2. Hartley
3. Sincler
4. Lawes
5. Launchbury
6. Robshaw
7. Underhill
8. Simmonds

Backs I'd go with:

9. Care
10. Farrell
11. Daly
12. T'eo
13. Slade
14. May
15. Watson

Looking at the training squad:

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Nathan Earle (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins)*, Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks), Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens).
 
Forwards
Don Armand (Exeter Chiefs), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens).

I've blocked out all the ones I'd send home but I've left myself with a problem.

Mako, Hartley, Cole
Itoje, Launchbury
Robshaw, Simmonds, Armand

Care, Farrell
May, Te'o, Slade, Daly
Watson


That's the best starting line-up from that set, then:

Marler, George, Sinckler, Kruis, Haskell, Wigglesworth, XXXXXXX, Solomona

The issue is do you trust Slade and/or Daly as cover at 10?  If you do then JJ gives you another strong carrier from the bench, if not then you have to put Ford on there.

Of that lot I'd prefer a running 9 on the bench (you may all be aware of this) and I don't think Haskell is suitable cover for the back row, I'd have kept Mercer in and started him, with Simmonds at 7 and Armand on the bench.

[PaulWinch again]

Saturday is a huge game in the reign of Eddie Jones. If we fall flat again it's an indication of a major problem.

[paul_e]

Saturday is a huge game in the reign of Eddie Jones. If we fall flat again it's an indication of a major problem.

I think it depends a little, if he makes the same mistakes then I agree, if we lose but there's a clear sign that we're trying to do something different then it's not the end of the world.  Losing a few games that force them to refocus on what worked well in 2018 is ok, if it happened in 2019 it would be a disaster, at least now we have time on our side to rebalance things before the World Cup.

[Proposition Joe]

Saturday is a huge game in the reign of Eddie Jones. If we fall flat again it's an indication of a major problem.

I think it depends a little, if he makes the same mistakes then I agree, if we lose but there's a clear sign that we're trying to do something different then it's not the end of the world.  Losing a few games that force them to refocus on what worked well in 2018 is ok, if it happened in 2019 it would be a disaster, at least now we have time on our side to rebalance things before the World Cup.

As if always seeming to play them around St Patrick's day wasn't enough for their motivation, we now have this video of EJ basically doing their team talk for them with his "scummy Irish" comments.  They're going to be far more up for it than England that's for sure.

[Jon Crofts]

Saturday is a huge game in the reign of Eddie Jones. If we fall flat again it's an indication of a major problem.

I think it depends a little, if he makes the same mistakes then I agree, if we lose but there's a clear sign that we're trying to do something different then it's not the end of the world.  Losing a few games that force them to refocus on what worked well in 2018 is ok, if it happened in 2019 it would be a disaster, at least now we have time on our side to rebalance things before the World Cup.

As if always seeming to play them around St Patrick's day wasn't enough for their motivation, we now have this video of EJ basically doing their team talk for them with his "scummy Irish" comments.  They're going to be far more up for it than England that's for sure.

The video is over 12 months old, it's hardly going to be new news to the Irish and if they need that to motivate themselves then England are going to win.

[paul_e]

Starting XV

15 Anthony Watson
14 Jonny May  13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ben Te’o  11 Elliot Daly
10 Owen Farrell  9 Richard Wigglesworth

1 Mako Vunipola 2 Dylan Hartley  3 Kyle Sinckler
4 Maro Itoje  5 George Kruis
6 Chris Robshaw  7 James Haskell  8 Sam Simmonds
 
Finishers
16 Jamie George 17 Joe Marler 18 Dan Cole  19 Joe Launchbury  20 Don Armand  21 Danny Care  22 George Ford  23 Mike Brown

The Good
Robshaw at 6
T'eo at 12
Watson staying at 15

The Bad
Sinckler starting - he's not a great scrummager and will be targeted now
Launchbury dropped - shocking decision
Haskell in ahead of Armand - that decision is entirely based on number of caps not, suitability, form or ability
Wigglesworth goes from 3 years out of the squad to being first choice in 3 games despite doing nothing of note in the previous 2 and actually slowing us down when we needed to become expansive.  This seems to be based on him being completely wrong off the bench so he has to start instead
Solomona not in the 23