[2017 RBS Six Nations] Round 3: England vs Italy (26/02/2017)

[TommiG88]

God, your arrogance is unbelievable.

I can't help it

Nonetheless, this is the worst Italian side in some time.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Surprised there is no talk of England's winning streak being in jeopardy...

Very relieved by England's stuttering start to the tournament. I think Italy can hold them to under a 60 point deficit as their pack isn't completely shambolic and we should be able to kick for territory competently enough.

I expect McLean to start and Campagnaro to be on the bench.
I expect to be shouting expletives on reading the team selection.
I expect wired-to-the-moon O'Shea to talk more about Italy being world beaters any time now.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

Teo picking his spot down the canna/McLean channel. Quick ball out to ford/Farrell and jj/Daly. Think it's going to be a mighty long afternoon for the Azzuri. I might have to wear my Italian rugby shirt in the second half in sympathy.

 

[Goodey]

Teo picking his spot down the canna/McLean channel. Quick ball out to ford/Farrell and jj/Daly. Think it's going to be a mighty long afternoon for the Azzuri. I might have to wear my Italian rugby shirt in the second half in sympathy.

It's hard not to think like this but I can't shake the idea you're rather tempting fate

 

[martinspoonboy1]

It's hard not to think like this but I can't shake the idea you're rather tempting fate

Italy have been woeful. They may be slightly better this weekend after a break and a kick up the backside but they simply can't play for 80 minutes. There's only one result.

 

[TheSaffycen]

England by 30ish...

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Italy have been woeful. They may be slightly better this weekend after a break and a kick up the backside but they simply can't play for 80 minutes. There's only one result.

I can't see their defeat to Ireland making them better. It will have shredded the confidence of the players, I can only see them going downhill from here. Expecting England to beat them by ~50.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

From an English point of view the priority has to be gaining momentum going into the Scotland game and avoiding injuries. Also making sure we get the bonus point where Wales failed.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Italy selection. Surprising to see my avatar start and Canna dropped (although Canna's confidence appears to have left him). I'd say this means here'll be an effort for more running rugby. Benvenuti unlucky to be dropped given that he can actually play centre.

This is not a bad Italian side on paper except perhaps for 5, 6, 12 & 15. Even the bench is half decent. They should lose every game this year but they should not be getting thrashed like last week.

Italy: 15 Edoardo Padovani, 14 Giulio Bisegni, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Luke McLean, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Simone Favaro, 6 Abraham Steyn, 5 Andries Van Schalkwyk, 4 Marco Fuser, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Andrea Lovotti

Replacements: 16 Ornel Gega, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 George Biagi, 20 Maxime Mata Mbanda', 21 Giorgio Bronzini, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Tommaso Benvenuti

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

England 24 players retained.
No JJ!!

Vunipola, Marler, Hartley, George, Cole, Sinckler, Launchbury, Lawes, Itoje, Haskell, Hughes, Clifford, Wood

Youngs, Care, Ford, Farrell, Te'o, Slade, Daly, May, Nowell, Watson, Brown

 

[TommiG88]

England 24 players retained.
No JJ!!

Vunipola, Marler, Hartley, George, Cole, Sinckler, Launchbury, Lawes, Itoje, Haskell, Hughes, Clifford, Wood

Youngs, Care, Ford, Farrell, Te'o, Slade, Daly, May, Nowell, Watson, Brown

A bit disappointed with that. Brown can be sub standard and keep his place no matter what. Think we will miss JJ, not against this rabble though.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

What the ****ing ****?!

Looks like Slade will be the third wheel again

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Rizzo has been so good for Tigers recently.

England wise I assume May will be dropped maybe.

1) Marler, 2) Hartley, 3) Cole
4) Launchbury, 5) Lawes
6) Itoje, 7) Haskell, 8) Hughes
9) Youngs, 10) Ford
12) Farrell, 13) T'eo
11) Daly, 14) Nowell, 15) Brown

16) George, 17) Vunipola, 18) Sink
19) Clifford, 20) Harrison
21) Care, 22) Slade, 23) Watson

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think this is the beginning of Brown being phased out.

I think we'll see Watson either start, or be given significant time from the bench.

 

[BPM]

A bit disappointed with that. Brown can be sub standard and keep his place no matter what. Think we will miss JJ, not against this rabble though.

Agreed on both points.

Given how average we've been so far, I'm in favour of keeping the core of the side together (certainly in the backs) and I would have thought this game would have been an ideal opportunity to try to improve our attacking play.

Looking at the 24, I'm assuming that we'll see Te'o starting at 13 as we did in the latter stages of the Wales game.

I don't altogether hate that idea, but personally I wouldn't have dropped JJ. Campagnaro might cause Te'o problems in defence too.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'd have thought this means Daly 13 rather than Te'o? As Brown and Watson been retained along with a further 2 wingers I can't see Daly being in the back 3. Looks to me like:
9. Youngs/Care
10. Farrell
11. May
12. Te'o
13. Daly
14. Nowell
15. Brown/Watson

21. Care/Youngs
22. Ford
23. Watson/Brown

 

[NickBD]

Do we know why JJ has been dropped or is he injured? I know JJ hasn't been great this season but unlike Jones to drop him.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Could be just as much about Jones thinking he's nailed on as it is about questioning his position.

 

[Goodey]

Jones admitted in an interview that Daly's best position is not wing so I'm reasonably sure that this means he'll be playing 13.

I can't see dropping JJ as close to justified long-term so I'm not happy.

 

[johnmac99]

This means that JJ will go 4 weeks without a game, unless he has been released back to his club which I assume he will have been.

We've still got 1 more to drop and that won't be named until Friday morning for some reason, waiting for a ****le to clear?