[2020 Six Nations] France vs England (02/02/20)

[Scotty]

Cant say im sold.

So say Furbank feels the pressure and is having a shocker...who goes to wing? Guessing daly to FB but still no wing cover.

Good to see Furbank getting a shot though.

Lawes at 6....sigh

Marler should be phased to third choice IMO maybe because of the french pack.

Its a good squad but im a little worried.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Cant say im sold.

So say Furbank feels the pressure and is having a shocker...who goes to wing? Guessing daly to FB but still no wing cover.

Good to see Furbank getting a shot though.

Lawes at 6....sigh

Marler should be phased to third choice IMO maybe because of the french pack.

Its a good squad but im a little worried.

Push comes to shove prob Devoto.

 

[Which Tyler]

Cant say im sold.

So say Furbank feels the pressure and is having a shocker...who goes to wing? Guessing daly to FB but still no wing cover.

Good to see Furbank getting a shot though.

Lawes at 6....sigh

Marler should be phased to third choice IMO maybe because of the french pack.

Its a good squad but im a little worried.

Either Devoto to FB, or (more likely IMO) JJ to wing - he's played there at international level before, after all (though I think he's lost a yard of pace post-injury)

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I like it a lot. Furbank at 15 is a major step in the right direction. Very surprised but not disappointed by the lack of Mako; it seemed uncharacteristic of EJ to name drop him as the guy he regretted selecting for the final so maybe this is his shepherd's hook (Burrell and Isiekwe style). As I've said before, I'm interested and excited to see Curry at 8; it's a new dynamic and if there's a time to try that out then it's now. Would rather have seen Hill at 6 than Lawes but I'm hoping that it's because EJ sees them as similar players so is letting Curry settle at 8 before bringing Hill's inexperience into the dynamic. Also happy to see the continuation of the Ford-Farrell-Tuilagi midfield; Tuilagi is so much more effective at 13 than at 12.

My 2 biggest concerns are 1) Itoje-Ewels is a very lightweight lock pairing, and personally I think that lock is where weight matters the most in the scrum, so we may struggle against a large French pack and 2) the lack of a new 9 is still grating, but the nail's been in that coffin for over a week now.

 

[Which Tyler]

I like it a lot. Furbank at 15 is a major step in the right direction. Very surprised but not disappointed by the lack of Mako;

Eye injury, apparently

 

[TommiG88]

Nothing will take away my excitement for this weekend.

Questionable back row, but I understand the lack of changes in the 9 department. I expect that to be a transition over the next 12 months.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Usual mix of the bizarre, the exciting and the misplaced loyalty.

I understand the lack of changes in the 9 department.

Do share....

 

[TommiG88]

Usual mix of the bizarre, the exciting and the misplaced loyalty.

Do share....

He's not going to overhaul the squad instantly after a World Cup. Like mentioned above, Robshaw and Haskell were kept in for a time after 2015.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is it really overhauling the squad to drop a 33yr old journeyman, with 4 caps, from the bench?

 

[duncanb]

Well bar Marler we've got a fast pack bar Marler.
Backs look quick too.
So why have we got the slowest scrum half this side of Faty Arbuckle linking it all together?
Cue MOM from youngs.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Cue MOM from youngs.

It's inevitable, now.

He definitely has it in him, he just only turns it a few times per RWC cycle.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

My best guess with 9 is that with so many new combinations and new players around the squad, EJ wants both of his 9s to already know and be comfortable with the systems in place so that they can organise the inexperienced guys around them. The last thing you want if you've got guys who aren't 100% sure of what they're doing is for the player who's supposed to be organising those players to not be 100% sure of what he's doing either. Once the new guys are bedded in, he'll look to bring in a new 9 (probably in the Autumn or the Japan tour).

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

I'm loving all the doom and gloom on here. We haven't even kicked a ball yet and already it's a disaster and Eddie's lost the plot!

Actually really happy with that team. Given that injury has robbed us of the Vunipola brothers, Launchbury, Nowell, Watson and Big Joe, all of whom could make a case for starting, the team looks strong with some new faces to refresh it and some good options on the bench. I have no problem with Lawes at 6, nor Curry at 8. When the ball's in play Lawes will play like Lawes and Curry will play like Curry, regardless of the numbers on their backs. Also it gives us more options in the lineout. The only time their positions will matter is in the scrum, and that's where Proudfoot has to earn his corn. Be interesting to see.

Also interesting to see what effect a sevens coach has on our attack. Sooner or later, one of these 6Ns is gonna come down to bonus points.

On a related note, apparently (well, according to WOL), more pundits have picked France to win the tournament than any other side. Have I missed something? Since coming second in 2011, France have finished no higher than third (and they only managed that once). They haven't won more than 3 games in a tournament since winning the Grand Slam in 2010. Last year they were poor again, winning only two games in the 6N (against Scotland and Italy), scraping past Argentina and Tonga at the World Cup (each by 2 points), then blowing it against Wales in the quarters. I know they've got talent, but that's never really been a problem for France. I don't doubt they can beat us on Sunday, but then go on to win the tournament? That seems a bit of a stretch. What are these pundits seeing that I'm not?

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Interestingly, only 2 of France's XV started against us last year (Penaud and Fickou). Dupont, Ntamack, Willemse and Alldrit were on the bench. France really are going all out for that youth movement, aren't they.

 

[MikeTheNative]

On a related note, apparently (well, according to WOL), more pundits have picked France to win the tournament than any other side. Have I missed something? Since coming second in 2011, France have finished no higher than third (and they only managed that once). They haven't won more than 3 games in a tournament since winning the Grand Slam in 2010. Last year they were poor again, winning only two games in the 6N (against Scotland and Italy), scraping past Argentina and Tonga at the World Cup (each by 2 points), then blowing it against Wales in the quarters. I know they've got talent, but that's never really been a problem for France. I don't doubt they can beat us on Sunday, but then go on to win the tournament? That seems a bit of a stretch. What are these pundits seeing that I'm not?

I agree with this. On paper the team is good but it's been a while since they have ever looked like threatening for 1st place in the 6 nations. Until France can show they can string a number of performances in a row together I don't think they should be considered as ***le contenders.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

I'm loving all the doom and gloom on here. We haven't even kicked a ball yet and already it's a disaster and Eddie's lost the plot!

Actually really happy with that team. Given that injury has robbed us of the Vunipola brothers, Launchbury, Nowell, Watson and Big Joe, all of whom could make a case for starting, the team looks strong with some new faces to refresh it and some good options on the bench. I have no problem with Lawes at 6, nor Curry at 8. When the ball's in play Lawes will play like Lawes and Curry will play like Curry, regardless of the numbers on their backs. Also it gives us more options in the lineout. The only time their positions will matter is in the scrum, and that's where Proudfoot has to earn his corn. Be interesting to see.

Also interesting to see what effect a sevens coach has on our attack. Sooner or later, one of these 6Ns is gonna come down to bonus points.

On a related note, apparently (well, according to WOL), more pundits have picked France to win the tournament than any other side. Have I missed something? Since coming second in 2011, France have finished no higher than third (and they only managed that once). They haven't won more than 3 games in a tournament since winning the Grand Slam in 2010. Last year they were poor again, winning only two games in the 6N (against Scotland and Italy), scraping past Argentina and Tonga at the World Cup (each by 2 points), then blowing it against Wales in the quarters. I know they've got talent, but that's never really been a problem for France. I don't doubt they can beat us on Sunday, but then go on to win the tournament? That seems a bit of a stretch. What are these pundits seeing that I'm not?

Username does not check out

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Interestingly, only 2 of France's XV started against us last year (Penaud and Fickou). Dupont, Ntamack, Willemse and Alldrit were on the bench. France really are going all out for that youth movement, aren't they.

They're a bit prone to revolutions.

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

My main thoughts:

- Every member of that pack hits like a freight train in defense. I think England have taken dominant tackling to a new standard in international rugby and this pack will be brutal for a young inexperienced french side to face.

- I think Ewels is actually grossly underrated by most - remember he is younger than Itoje at only 24, which is about 12 in Lock years and has been around the set up for a long while. I expect him to outperform public expectations.

- Furbank has looked classy from what I've seen and more than anything I'm pleased to see Daly out of the 15 shirt - despite acknowledging his obvious danger in attack and as a ball-player, I just can't get past his turnstile cover defense.

- I don't think the whole "lock-at-flanker" issue will be as significant with UnderCurry getting through their usual workload at the breakdown and Marler's improvement over Mako in that area.

- The one question mark for me is whether we adapt our game enough in acknowledgement that without Vunipolae we need to attack defenses slightly differently and hit-up slightly wider than usual. I'd expect Sinckler's silky hands close to the line coming in to play a lot here (would be my dark horse for MOM). I'd also expect UnderCurry's underrated carrying to come into play more than usual.

My main gripe:

- For a nation that currently has stockpiles of great talent at almost every position, it irks me that a 9 hasn't emerged from somewhere to make a compelling case to move things forward! What I think a lot of people fail to realise in their complaints is that EJs gameplan places significant emphasis on two attributes of a potential 9:

1) Landing competitive box kicks close to the touchline.
2) Consistent long passes (~20m+) from Lineouts to hit our big carriers.

These are pre-requisites for getting picked and none of the younger 9s in the premiership have done them both consistently at Prem level, let alone international. Even aside from those traits, Heinz has been the form 9 in the premiership and Youngs has 95 caps, is unlikely to lose us a game (his speed of ball frustrates me too, but he has his good moments) and executes EJs tactics effectively. I know this might be contentious, but when I think of truly class performances from a 9 in the Premiership, they always seem to come attached to a South African accent. Unless that changes, I don't see why EJ should pick someone else.

P.S. Do you think we could trade Cipriani with the Welsh or the French or even the Irish for one of their back-up 9s?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Also interesting to see what effect a sevens coach has on our attack.

Very good point. I'd have thought it's an entirely different skill set and mindset.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

1) Landing competitive box kicks close to the touchline.
2) Consistent long passes (~20m+) from Lineouts to hit our big carriers.

These are pre-requisites for getting picked and none of the younger 9s in the premiership have done them both consistently at Prem level

Imagine being a Sarries fan but never having heard of Ben Spencer!
Hell, if those were the prerequisites then Wigglesworth should have that shirt nailed down until he retires