[2021 Six Nations] England Squad

[will311293]

Well the squad's OK, but fret not we'll still have plenty to moan about when Lawes gets picked at 6, Binny and Youngs play the full 80 every game, Farrell does nothing but average kicks and Daly plays at FB. It would just be nice to have something new to moan about....which I guess will have to be Randall and Odogwu getting no game time.

Don't forget that an 18 year old who has played under 10 games was picked in shadow squad ahead of Premiership & European winning captain (Mr MBE) Joe Simmonds? Has a nice ring to it.

 

[Which Tyler]

Well the squad's OK, but fret not we'll still have plenty to moan about when Lawes gets picked at 6, Binny and Youngs play the full 80 every game, Farrell does nothing but average kicks and Daly plays at FB. It would just be nice to have something new to moan about....which I guess will have to be Randall and Odogwu getting no game time.

Be fair - I'd expect them to get a good 15 minutes... between them... over the entire 6N

 

[FLOBALOB]

Don't forget that an 18 year old who has played under 10 games was picked in shadow squad ahead of Premiership & European winning captain (Mr MBE) Joe Simmonds? Has a nice ring to it.

At least it gives Joe a bit of time to polish all his silverware. Apparently the Premiership winners medal takes a bit of polishing.

 

[will311293]

At least it gives Joe a bit of time to polish all his silverware. Apparently the Premiership winners medal takes a bit of polishing.

oooohhh... dont' you start.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Launchbury and Marler both out,
Launch injured, Marler withdrew for personal reasons (I imagine due to the several month bubble - Minozzi has done the same, turning down a spot in the Italy squad)

Ewels and Tom West called up

 

[will311293]

Launchbury and Marler both out,
Launch injured, Marler withdrew for personal reasons (I imagine due to the several month bubble - Minozzi has done the same, turning down a spot in the Italy squad)

Ewels and Tom West called up

TOMMMM WESSSTTTT .... He's taken on the Mako contact break succession plan

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

TOMMMM WESSSTTTT .... He's taken on the Mako contact break succession plan

Had to google him. Apparently nearly 25 with less than 10 GP starts to his name.

Wouldn't have minded seeing VR-R instead TBH.

Assuming it's bubble duration with Marler you'd have thought they'd have bottomed that out with everyone, especially him, before announcing the squad. But still, better to come to that conclusion now and not in a few weeks time.

Feel for Launch, he'd been playing some v good stuff.

 

[EdBirch]

Launchbury and Marler both out,
Launch injured, Marler withdrew for personal reasons (I imagine due to the several month bubble - Minozzi has done the same, turning down a spot in the Italy squad)

Ewels and Tom West called up

So that's Genge and Obano for the LH slot.
Hill in for Launch with Lawes/Ewels on bench?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

VR-R has never really lived up to the hype tbh (though considering how hyped he was as a lad that's not surprising)

For a Wasps loosehead I think McIntyre is the better option - much better scrummager, and that's the most important aspect

Hill in for Launch with Lawes/Ewels on bench?

I reckon Lawes will start, he's always been one of EJ's favourites

 

[EdBirch]

VR-R has never really lived up to the hype tbh (though considering how hyped he was as a lad that's not surprising)

For a Wasps loosehead I think McIntyre is the better option - much better scrummager, and that's the most important aspect


I reckon Lawes will start, he's always been one of EJ's favourites

Fair point

 

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Happy for Beno that he'll finally get a cap. Has been consistently picked in squads for 3(?) years without managing to pick one up.

 

[Reiser99]

We have this shadow squad to provide replacements. First set of replacements, let's use someone not in the shadow squad.

I know it hasn't started so it's not too big an issue, but I do find it interesting.

 

[Greeno]

Surprised Hepburn or even moon wasn't picked in front of west.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

We have this shadow squad to provide replacements. First set of replacements, let's use someone not in the shadow squad.

I know it hasn't started so it's not too big an issue, but I do find it interesting.

Well there wasn't a loosehead in the shadow squad so couldn't call one up from there. Guessing Mako was going to be the next cab off the rank and EJ didn't expect a loosehead to pull out this early; before Mako's rehab was complete.

 

[will311293]

VR-R has never really lived up to the hype tbh (though considering how hyped he was as a lad that's not surprising)

For a Wasps loosehead I think McIntyre is the better option - much better scrummager, and that's the most important aspect


I reckon Lawes will start, he's always been one of EJ's favourites

Had to google him. Apparently nearly 25 with less than 10 GP starts to his name.

Wouldn't have minded seeing VR-R instead TBH.

Assuming it's bubble duration with Marler you'd have thought they'd have bottomed that out with everyone, especially him, before announcing the squad. But still, better to come to that conclusion now and not in a few weeks time.

Feel for Launch, he'd been playing some v good stuff.

TBF he's probably established himself as our starting loosehead. He's a good scrummager and useful in the loose. Playing well atm too.

Suppose there aren't a huge amount of young looseheads out there. Mad to think VR-R is 28. Who else is there? Hepbun? Moon? Waller? struggling to think of anyone else.

 

[EdBirch]

We have this shadow squad to provide replacements. First set of replacements, let's use someone not in the shadow squad.

I know it hasn't started so it's not too big an issue, but I do find it interesting.

Ewels is in the shadow squad?

 

[Reiser99]

Well there wasn't a loosehead in the shadow squad so couldn't call one up from there. Guessing Mako was going to be the next cab off the rank and EJ didn't expect a loosehead to pull out this early; before Mako's rehab was complete.

Yeah I know. Surely though you should have every position covered then.

Ewels is in the shadow squad?

Ewels was, West wasn't

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Suppose there aren't a huge amount of young looseheads out there. Mad to think VR-R is 28. Who else is there? Hepbun? Moon? Waller? struggling to think of anyone else.

Yeah it's not obvious that there are many good looseheads coming through. I really liked the look of Ollie Adkins for the U20s a couple of years ago; was lean, mobile and looked to be a very handy ball carrier (think he got shifted to 8 in the latter stages of 1 game?). Potentially a bit undersized but didn't look at all weak in the scrums. Hasn't really kicked on for Gloucester since though.

Besides him, there was some hype last season for Manny Iyogun when he put in a few performances for Northampton after having only been a front rower for a few months. Didn't fair too well against Harry Williams in the Europe Quarter Finals but remember him getting a couple of scrum pens out of Tomas Francis (who's scrummaging ability I think is quite largely overstated).

Only other fairly young one I can think of is Lewis Boyce whose been pretty hot and cold for Bath but could definitely still come good.

 

[will311293]

Yeah it's not obvious that there are many good looseheads coming through. I really liked the look of Ollie Adkins for the U20s a couple of years ago; was lean, mobile and looked to be a very handy ball carrier (think he got shifted to 8 in the latter stages of 1 game?). Potentially a bit undersized but didn't look at all weak in the scrums. Hasn't really kicked on for Gloucester since though.

Besides him, there was some hype last season for Manny Iyogun when he put in a few performances for Northampton after having only been a front rower for a few months. Didn't fair too well against Harry Williams in the Europe Quarter Finals but remember him getting a couple of scrum pens out of Tomas Francis (who's scrummaging ability I think is quite largely overstated).

Only other fairly young one I can think of is Lewis Boyce whose been pretty hot and cold for Bath but could definitely still come good.

Yes i'd say its the one area of the England squad/national pool we are weak. Something to think about.