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2024 Guinness Six Nations
[2020 Six Nations] England vs Ireland (23/02/20)
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<blockquote data-quote="Yoshimitsu" data-source="post: 989022" data-attributes="member: 71899"><p>The thing is "playing a different way without Billy" doesn't necessarily equate to being a complete mentalist and playing people out of their specialist positions. Even with a fit Tuilagi this selection would be madness. Joseph isn't a wing. Centre and wing aren't that comparable and top level wingers don't often transition to centre or vice versa. There's probably a reason for that. JJ is a fine player but at best we'll get away with it. At worst it'll look idiotic.</p><p></p><p>Curry is a 7. He could probably play centre too if we wanted him to. But he's a 7. Putting him at 8 to prove a point which imo Eddie is doing is bordering on negligent. There are plenty of English qualified 8's who would give as equally a good account of themselves at 8 as Curry will even if he maximises his performance there. Some of those players are even in the squad ffs.... It also means we'll be weaker in the key position of 7. Why Eddie? Why? Even if Curry plays well, it proves nothing. I'd bet decent money he won't play 8 at the next World Cup.....</p><p></p><p>Similarly Lawes isn't a 6. He's an athletic lock. Yes he can play 6 capably but that's not his strongest position and he's not better than Underhill in that position. He's probably direct back-up for Itoje. That's fine but shoehorning him in again is just stupid. I reckon Eddie is gambling on Lawes getting one good clean hit on Sexton and putting him out of the match....</p><p></p><p>Elliot Daly. Ffs he's just not cut it at FB yet we'll carry on against the prime exponents of the kick and chase. Stockdale will make him look like a muppet at least once and probably more.</p><p></p><p>Slade is another player who's good but appears to be made of glass. Him and Tuilagi in the same team? One as cover for other is like picking James Simpson Daniel to cover for Ian Balshaw. Chances are both may not last 20 minutes.</p><p></p><p>I've only ever resignedly wanted England to lose once before and that was in the nadir of Andy Robinson's reign when he was doing equally stupid things. I'm getting there with Eddie. It seems clear to me that he revels in trying to prove people wrong, loves conflict and is willing to lose games because of it. I imagine he also brooks no dissent. These are his picks and he lives or dies by them.</p><p></p><p>I've always said when the wheels come off no one will come to his aid. Even the catastrophic end of Lancaster's career was met with almost sorrowful knife plunging. With Eddie? You'll struggle to find room to get any more knives in....................</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Yoshimitsu, post: 989022, member: 71899"] The thing is "playing a different way without Billy" doesn't necessarily equate to being a complete mentalist and playing people out of their specialist positions. Even with a fit Tuilagi this selection would be madness. Joseph isn't a wing. Centre and wing aren't that comparable and top level wingers don't often transition to centre or vice versa. There's probably a reason for that. JJ is a fine player but at best we'll get away with it. At worst it'll look idiotic. Curry is a 7. He could probably play centre too if we wanted him to. But he's a 7. Putting him at 8 to prove a point which imo Eddie is doing is bordering on negligent. There are plenty of English qualified 8's who would give as equally a good account of themselves at 8 as Curry will even if he maximises his performance there. Some of those players are even in the squad ffs.... It also means we'll be weaker in the key position of 7. Why Eddie? Why? Even if Curry plays well, it proves nothing. I'd bet decent money he won't play 8 at the next World Cup..... Similarly Lawes isn't a 6. He's an athletic lock. Yes he can play 6 capably but that's not his strongest position and he's not better than Underhill in that position. He's probably direct back-up for Itoje. That's fine but shoehorning him in again is just stupid. I reckon Eddie is gambling on Lawes getting one good clean hit on Sexton and putting him out of the match.... Elliot Daly. Ffs he's just not cut it at FB yet we'll carry on against the prime exponents of the kick and chase. Stockdale will make him look like a muppet at least once and probably more. Slade is another player who's good but appears to be made of glass. Him and Tuilagi in the same team? One as cover for other is like picking James Simpson Daniel to cover for Ian Balshaw. Chances are both may not last 20 minutes. I've only ever resignedly wanted England to lose once before and that was in the nadir of Andy Robinson's reign when he was doing equally stupid things. I'm getting there with Eddie. It seems clear to me that he revels in trying to prove people wrong, loves conflict and is willing to lose games because of it. I imagine he also brooks no dissent. These are his picks and he lives or dies by them. I've always said when the wheels come off no one will come to his aid. Even the catastrophic end of Lancaster's career was met with almost sorrowful knife plunging. With Eddie? You'll struggle to find room to get any more knives in.................... [/QUOTE]
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2024 Guinness Six Nations
[2020 Six Nations] England vs Ireland (23/02/20)
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