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[2019 Six Nations] Ireland vs England (02/02/2019)

3. So Farrell will be picked to choke off the rest of our attacking potential from 10 instead.

A. I assume you haven't watched Farrell play if you say that, it's not 2010 anymore get a grip

B. When was the last time you saw Farrell paired with a decent 12 for England???? Oh never that's right.
 
Never really sure what the definition of World Class is. If it means, would they be in a world 23 super side then many of England would not, but we still have some mighty fine players. Faz may not be a world 23 but I'd say he'd be a third maybe 4th choice. He's one of the worlds best kicking 10s and, tackle technique aside, one of the best in D, and he certainly makes a difference to England when he's on the field. Room for improvement certainly but to my eye he is improving year on year.

Back line for this game is suspect will be:

9. Youngs
10. Faz
11. Daly (for that cannon of a boot and there's no where else for him)
12. Slade
13. Manu
14. May
15. Brown

Bench. Nowell, Robson, Ford

I'd like to say Nowell to 15 be can't see EJ risking that in this game, and as we all know Daly ain't a 15, so has to be Brown. Daly has got to be on the pitch though as England's chance of crossing the whitewash are statistically almost none so we need as many options to score points from the boot as possible. He won't get a centre berth so it's the wing for him. That decision is made easier due to no Big Joe or Watson.
With no Teo and Ford useless behind a struggling pack, 12 has to go to Slade as Faz will be 10. It also makes sense to have a second playmaker and kicker and someone who could put Manu into space.
Manu and May start for obvious reasons.
Nowell benches as he covers several positions.
Robson and Ford for obvious reasons.

That's my prediction for EJs line up. As always no idea about forwards. Assume Curry, Etoje, Billy, Kruis, George will start?
 
He's one of the worlds best kicking 10s and, tackle technique aside, one of the best in D, and he certainly makes a difference to England when he's on the field. Room for improvement certainly but to my eye he is improving year on year.
This simply isn't true though (the bolded - his positive attitude certainly does seem to make a difference to England; and yes, he IS improving year on year - he's currently "competent but prosiac with occassional good days" as an international, at either FH or IC).
He was a solid 80% kicker, so decent, international quality, but not close to world class; currently though, his kicking stats have dropped (or they had last time I looked). It's just a run of bad form there, but even before, his kicking was no better than Ford, Cipriani, Smith etc. His kicking from hand however, has always been inferior.

As for his defence - aside from his tackle technique (that's a hell of an "aside") is undisciplined. He's finally improving, but he still has difficulty holding his place in the line. As an individual tackler, he's fine (aside from going high and not using his arms); but as part of a team he still too often runs out of the line leaving a dog-leg behind him. Sarries make a virtue out of it by throwing him at the FH's outside shoulder, pressuring the pass/kick or turning him back into the big guys. This simply doesn't work at international level, or from the IC position - but he keeps doing it anyway. As said, he's getting better here as well, but he's far from being a good defender - people just think he is because he's rarely loses ground in head-on collisions. Compared to Ford (for example) he has terrible technique, a poor tackle success rate and is often in completely the wrong place to make a tackle in the first place, leaving a hole in the defensive line.

It's part of the myth of Farrell that so annoys so many people, and encourages OTT criticisms of him in response the the OTT praise he usually receives.

Sorry - I feel the need to expand; I generally try not to.

I think it's to do with England's hang-ups and inability to see the present not the past. Farrel bases his game on kicking, and defence; St Jonny based his game on kicking and defence => Therefore Farrel in the second coming of St Jonny (who was the second coming of Squeaky Rob) => All Hail St Owen.
Ford bases his game on bakk-in-hand play, gives up ground in the tackle and has had 1-2 matches where he got the yips from the kicking tee - therefore he must be the second coming of Charlie Hodgson (who in turn was the second coming of Mike Catt the FH) - the enemies of Twickenham => All Condemn the Demonspawn.

They are absolutely terrible comparisons, but they seem to be the ones made, and the only reason I can find for the lauding of Faz and the distrust of Ford.
 
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Describing Farrell as "competent" is so hyperbolic haha

He's a very very good 10. Not the best in the world, but merely "competent" is laughable.

Him and Ford are probably on a level but have different strengths and weaknesses.
My preference is Ford/Farrell 10/12 but if we had a decent 12 then Farrell wins in a Ford vs Farrell shootout for 10
 
Errr... you are aware that "Competent at international level" puts him in the top 8-12 or so FHs in the world yeah? part of the chasing pack just the one, single tier behind "World Class"
 
Honestly if it was for the massive circle jerk over Farrell that the pundits and wider general population (Most who just follow the pundits) I wouldn't feel so strongly against Farrell.
 
Errr... you are aware that "Competent at international level" puts him in the top 8-12 or so FHs in the world yeah? part of the chasing pack just the one, single tier behind "World Class"
That's a weird definition of competent.
Competent means average, not almost world class
 
Competent means perfectly good, decent, occassionally but rarely outclassed.
Average means 50th out of 100
 
More reporting in the Irish Times today that Henshaw is expected to line out at 15 this weekend
 
This simply isn't true though (the bolded - his positive attitude certainly does seem to make a difference to England; and yes, he IS improving year on year - he's currently "competent but prosiac with occassional good days" as an international, at either FH or IC).
He was a solid 80% kicker, so decent, international quality, but not close to world class; currently though, his kicking stats have dropped (or they had last time I looked). It's just a run of bad form there, but even before, his kicking was no better than Ford, Cipriani, Smith etc. His kicking from hand however, has always been inferior.

As for his defence - aside from his tackle technique (that's a hell of an "aside") is undisciplined. He's finally improving, but he still has difficulty holding his place in the line. As an individual tackler, he's fine (aside from going high and not using his arms); but as part of a team he still too often runs out of the line leaving a dog-leg behind him. Sarries make a virtue out of it by throwing him at the FH's outside shoulder, pressuring the pass/kick or turning him back into the big guys. This simply doesn't work at international level, or from the IC position - but he keeps doing it anyway. As said, he's getting better here as well, but he's far from being a good defender - people just think he is because he's rarely loses ground in head-on collisions. Compared to Ford (for example) he has terrible technique, a poor tackle success rate and is often in completely the wrong place to make a tackle in the first place, leaving a hole in the defensive line.

It's part of the myth of Farrell that so annoys so many people, and encourages OTT criticisms of him in response the the OTT praise he usually receives.

Sorry - I feel the need to expand; I generally try not to.

I think it's to do with England's hang-ups and inability to see the present not the past. Farrel bases his game on kicking, and defence; St Jonny based his game on kicking and defence => Therefore Farrel in the second coming of St Jonny (who was the second coming of Squeaky Rob) => All Hail St Owen.
Ford bases his game on bakk-in-hand play, gives up ground in the tackle and has had 1-2 matches where he got the yips from the kicking tee - therefore he must be the second coming of Charlie Hodgson (who in turn was the second coming of Mike Catt the FH) - the enemies of Twickenham => All Condemn the Demonspawn.

They are absolutely terrible comparisons, but they seem to be the ones made, and the only reason I can find for the lauding of Faz and the distrust of Ford.

And Itoje's got average hands, is a penalty machine and isn't particularly big.

It's very easy to deconstruct players. But for me you have to look at the whole package and Faz is one of the very few players we have who are indispensable.

Others will weave prettier patterns on their day and may be more disciplined etc. But who else in a white shirt consistently exerts such a positive influence on the team?

No idea on his kicking stats, but they can mislead at the best of times. What my eyes tell me is that he misses very few crunch kicks when the pressure's on. And even when he does miss a couple he sorts it out and doesn't implode.

He's a kind of a midfield PO'M. Not necessarily the silkiest or most subtle, but the kind of right pain in the backside you always want on your side.
 
So you buy Haley and Addison out of their contracts and then play a centre there instead?

Is EJ giving Schmidt some selection pointers?
As well as having spent last Autumn blooding Larmour there, Conway has got minutes at 15 too. I'd honestly be amazed if it happens, Kearney and Henshaw at 12 are the perfect players for defending how Farrell and Joe want.
 
As well as having spent last Autumn blooding Larmour there, Conway has got minutes at 15 too. I'd honestly be amazed if it happens, Kearney and Henshaw at 12 are the perfect players for defending how Farrell and Joe want.
Seems very likely. Murray Kinsella reported that he ran plays yesterday at 15 with Aki and Ringrose. Add it in to Kearney has been on the "B" team training this week. And it was saud Henshaw would've played there on November if fit.
Personally think he moulded in to a centre and lines of running etc are different worlds. Unsure of his kicking game too.

Rumours are:
Healy
Best
Furlong
Ryan
Toner
POM
VDF
Stander
Murray
Sexton
Stockdale
Aki
Ringrose
Earls
Henshaw

Cronin
Kilcoyne
Porter
Dillane
SOB
Cooney
Carbery
Addison
 
Seems very likely. Murray Kinsella reported that he ran plays yesterday at 15 with Aki and Ringrose. Add it in to Kearney has been on the "B" team training this week. And it was saud Henshaw would've played there on November if fit.
Personally think he moulded in to a centre and lines of running etc are different worlds. Unsure of his kicking game too.

Rumours are:
Healy
Best
Furlong
Ryan
Toner
POM
VDF
Stander
Murray
Sexton
Stockdale
Aki
Ringrose
Earls
Henshaw

Cronin
Kilcoyne
Porter
Dillane
SOB
Cooney
Carbery
Addison
Fitness too, how many 15s are as bulky as Henshaw? He won't have the tank to sprint as much as a 15 needs to. I think/hope it'll mean Aki is on the bench ahead of Addison and Henshaw will be there to cover 15 from the pitch, although that leaves us with no wing cover either. Schmidt gave Henshaw his break at 12 when he was a 15, it'd be plain weird if he played him at 15 having made him a 12.
 
Fitness too, how many 15s are as bulky as Henshaw? He won't have the tank to sprint as much as a 15 needs to. I think/hope it'll mean Aki is on the bench ahead of Addison and Henshaw will be there to cover 15 from the pitch, although that leaves us with no wing cover either. Schmidt gave Henshaw his break at 12 when he was a 15, it'd be plain weird if he played him at 15 having made him a 12.
Om wing cover Ringrose will be the wing cover in your scenario but that is a worry as at this level it is Henshaw or Aki. Both don't work together as a unit at this level.
Conway or Addison should be the cover. Also Rob is just a 15 so for me he starts or isn't in 23.

But as I said I believe Schmidt wants to win 6N obviously but RWC is much bigger.
 
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