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

[Bada-Bing!]

To be fair if JJ is going to miss a game, glad it's v Italy where England can test a Farrell- Te'o- Daly combination. England are going to beat Italy very handily anyway, so might as well be with a new 10-12-13 combo.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'd most definitely go with Ford, Teo, Daly in the midfield.
We don't need Farrell's boot for this, and Ford needs a last chance to show that he can actually do it with the boot.
Quite apart from that, we already know what Faz and Teo can do together, but not what Ford can do with different options outside him.

I'm also hoping that JJ gets a full rest, and maybe let Bath have him next week to knock the rust off.

 

[Maverick1987]

I'd most definitely go with Ford, Teo, Daly in the midfield.
We don't need Farrell's boot for this, and Ford needs a last chance to show that he can actually do it with the boot.
Quite apart from that, we already know what Faz and Teo can do together, but not what Ford can do with different options outside him.

I'm also hoping that JJ gets a full rest, and maybe let Bath have him next week to knock the rust off.

No way does Farrell leave this team right now . He's the leader on the field . Hartley for me is the leader off it . Farrell is very literally our most important player right now imo

I'm with Rats on the JJ dropping I'd say its more likely because he's nailed on than he's being dropped for poor performance . He's been good in the first 2 games

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Agreed on Farrell, Maverick. This might even turn out to be a captaincy audition for him.

Not quite sure what to make of JJ. He's been good, especially in defence, but not great. The attacking elan which made his name has dimmed a little. That's not wholly down to him and I'd be gobsmacked if he doesn't play the last 2 games. I suspect this is a little bit of Eddie mind games to keep him on his toes. JJ will know that there's the oportunity for Daly to look very very good against these Italians.

 

[Scotty]

Care Faz nowell teo slade watson daly. Subs youngs ford brown. Another potential starting sqaud possibly switch Watson and daly. Then daly moves to 13 when brown comes on. Prob wont happen just a thought looking at the 24 men kept. No jj is good for this one as we dont need him ti win and see a team as if he wernt available.

 

[BPM]

It's not my preference, but I'm expecting Daly to stay on the wing and Te'o to come in at 13.

Either way, I think we should retain the Ford/Farrell axis at 10/12. The more they play together, the better IMO.

 

[Goodey]

It's not my preference, but I'm expecting Daly to stay on the wing and Te'o to come in at 13.

Either way, I think we should retain the Ford/Farrell axis at 10/12. The more they play together, the better IMO.

If Daly stays on the wing then that means one of Brown/Watson/Nowell/May has to miss out on the 23, hence Slade is on the bench, and I don't think Slade will play as having three 10/12s in the 23 is something that we just haven't done. I'm pretty sure that JJ being released is to get Daly to play at 13.

Agree with the latter point, so I'd rather see Te'o stay on the bench.

 

[Peat]

No way does Farrell leave this team right now . He's the leader on the field . Hartley for me is the leader off it . Farrell is very literally our most important player right now imo

I'm with Rats on the JJ dropping I'd say its more likely because he's nailed on than he's being dropped for poor performance . He's been good in the first 2 games

But what better time than Italy to see how things go without him and force the others to step up?



I'm a little nonplussed. Jones talked about the aim being to win the tournament and experiment later in the year. Yet here we are experimenting. Was Jones fibbing, or is he thinking of a mid-tournament shake-up that he doesn't change back from?

I'm mostly happy to trust him until proven otherwise but I want that Grand Slam and I'm a bit worried that a dither over which horse to back means missing out. The experiment is a worthy one but time and place? Guess we'll see.

 

[ALJ]

Can't see anyone other than Daly at 13 no that JJ has been released back to Bath. Jones seems to be of the view that Daly is so good they have to find a place for him.

Personally, I wouldn't start with Farrell/Te'o at 10/12 but I'd probably give it a go fairly early in the second half.
To start with them means changing virtually the whole 3/4 line (assuming they'd bring Watson on the wing), which doesn't seem sensible to me as I think wholesale changes don't teach you as much as seeing how one of two individuals fit into an established line up.

Has Te'o ever played O/C?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

He spent quite a bit of time there with Leinster and didn't he play there when he came on vs Wales?

 

[FLOBALOB]

If Daly stays on the wing then that means one of Brown/Watson/Nowell/May has to miss out on the 23, hence Slade is on the bench, and I don't think Slade will play as having three 10/12s in the 23 is something that we just haven't done. I'm pretty sure that JJ being released is to get Daly to play at 13.

Agree with the latter point, so I'd rather see Te'o stay on the bench.

I would seriously consider leaving Ford out altogether and have Slade on the bench instead. He could cover for Farrell if needs be, and offers more options.(considering it is only Italy mind you).

 

[ncurd]

Lets leave Ford out lets leave JJ out.....does anyone here actually remember what happened the last time we started doing that mid-tournament?

 

[MarkyH]

The difference this time tho is we aren't replacing him with Burgess and Barritt...

 

[ALJ]

He spent quite a bit of time there with Leinster and didn't he play there when he came on vs Wales?

Fair enough (forgot the Wales game too!) - can't see him ever being 1st choice there though so not sure why would we try it.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I don't see Teo as anything but a bench player in the foreseeable unless there's a radical change of style (or possibly an occasional horses for courses selection). Farrell is rapidly making himself undroppable (I am very pleased to say, as someone who was wrong about him) and IF (big if) JJ is ever going to be dropped it looks like it'll be for a like for like replacement in Daly.

 

[die_mole]

I think Teo could be a serviceable starting center but his value in the last 15-20 minutes off the bench is greater than a full 80.

 

[brokenoses]

Every week Slade has been retained as part of a 24 man squad and then dropped at the last minute. This could have affected his form but he played out of his skin (at 12 and then 10 getting the Exe backline moving as well as I've seen it) after being drafted into the Exe team against Wuss last weekend with little or no training with them. He is certainly considered a 10 by Baxter but is played at 12 because Steeno is regarded as undroppable and Slade is too good to be left out. Being able to slot in at 10/12 any time, perhaps Eddie keeps him in the squad until last minute to really keep Ford and Faz on their toes. If either one has a run of bad form, I think Slade will be the next in line to continue the 10/12 axis. I would be very happy with any 2 of the 3 players to be honest. It leaves spaces on the bench for a crash ball centre and a back 3 player to shake things up towards the end of the match.

My backline for Italy as it stands would be

9. Care
10. Farrell
11. May
12. Slade
13. Daly
14. Nowell
15. Brown/Watson

But I fully expect Slade to be dropped and Teo played at 12.

 

[NickBD]

Telegraph reported team Marler, Hartley, Cole; Launchbury, Lawes; Itoje, Haskell, Hughes, Care, Farrell, May, Te'o, Daly, Nowell, Brown.

If true shocked Jones has done this, very much unlike him.

 

[Peat]

If he has done that...

On the one hand, I get experimenting in the backs because there's really not a lot of scope for change in the pack.

On the other, the backs aren't the problem if he's eyeing a change (maybe the lack of physicality thing).

On the third hand, the case for starting Sinckler to spare Cole's minutes or George to get our best hooker more used to test rugby, they're pretty strong ones. You could also make a case for starting Clifford at 6 and putting a lock on the bench, again sparing their minutes and giving Clifford another go in easier circs.

I don't really get his motives here.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Immediately after the last game he said he wanted to try playing in a "different way" against Italy.

My first thought was Te'o at 12 - that's what he's trying out, playing without a second five type player.