[2021 Six Nations] England vs Italy (13/02/21)

[duncanb]

A fair win lots to work on , Binny needs to go, Youngs look good for 15 mins then shite .
Farrell better at 12 but still looking not match fit.
Daly cannot tackle so needs to go.
Sad for Willis hope SS. gets the call up.
Not much else I would change.
Adamson made it a good game by being a tad clueless neither side can feel hard done by his decisions or lack of them.

 

[Grizwald]

It will be the same starting XV in a fortnight against Wales I'm afraid.

Who's in the shadow squad in terms of backrow? Wilson I'd expect to come back in. Billy wants dropped there's a good specialist 8 at Exeter called Sam something.........

The Daly at 15 experiment should be over he looked amateurish today. He's a very good winger and 13 he'd be a useful ultility bench player.

Youngs should go IMO. I think Jones kept too many players who had an age profile that would put them in doubt for being in the last WC denying extra caps and experience to the lads breaking into the squad.

Farrell is a problem, he's captain but out of form and won't get dropped.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Absolute highlight:

"YOU'RE BORING ME, KICK IT!"
Iceman ******* shanks it

 

[Scotty]

Watson to 8??

May was like so super jealous

 

[Scotty]

Feel so bad for Willis, he came on scored a try and looked good and got injured which looks bad.

Curry was everywhere and hitting hard, Willis will be as good if not better IMO. Its brutal for him with another bad injury when he is breaking into the squad.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Curry was everywhere and hitting hard, Willis will be as good if not better IMO. Its brutal for him with another bad injury when he is breaking into the squad.

I would've agreed with this but two pretty horrific looking knee injuries in the space of two years... I'll be amazed if he comes back from this and I'd say getting back to the standard he's been playing at is pretty much impossible. Never say never though.

Absolutely gutted for the lad, seems like a properly top bloke in every interview of seen of him.

 

[BPM]

I think it was the other knee last time. I hope it's not as bad as it looked ...

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I think it was the other knee last time. I hope it's not as bad as it looked ...

That's put my mind at rest quite a lot actually - if it was the same knee then I wouldn't be surprised if that was it for him...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah I just checked and it was his right knee last time,
Eerily similar injury/reaction - hopefully not as serious this time as the last one put him out for about 10months

 

[TW27BA]

Feel really sorry for Willis. Looks a bad injury too. Hope he can recover fully from it.
Watson and May our saviours today. Curry and LCD both had good games along with Robson. Hill is growing into that #5 shirt too. I fancy Lawrence would have enjoyed today had the poor bugger been given a chance.
As for Youngs, Billy, Faz and Daly, its all been said.
EJ will again take no notice of the press, commentators, critics, and do his own thing much to the anger and frustration of everyone.
It will be difficult as always in Wales and Ireland and I expect France to turn us over at HQ. Interested to see how they travel in Dublin tomorrow.

 

[higgik]

Watson needs to stay on the wing though, he has far better work rate there.

Issue is FB and OC if Farrell plays 12.
Maybe as suggested, moving Slade to 15 and pitting Lawrence in at 13 would work.

Billy needs firing up, by dropping him to the bench you are saying price you are worthy and I think he will respond with a 20-30 minute cameo.
Team for Wales
1. Mako
2. LCD
3. Sinckler
4. Itoje
5.Hill
6. Lawes
7. Curry
8. Earl
9. Robson
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Lawrence
14. Watson
15. Slade

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Watson needs to stay on the wing though, he has far better work rate there.

Issue is FB and OC if Farrell plays 12.
Maybe as suggested, moving Slade to 15 and pitting Lawrence in at 13 would work.

Billy needs firing up, by dropping him to the bench you are saying price you are worthy and I think he will respond with a 20-30 minute cameo.
Team for Wales
1. Mako
2. LCD
3. Sinckler
4. Itoje
5.Hill
6. Lawes
7. Curry
8. Earl
9. Robson
10. Ford
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Lawrence
14. Watson
15. Slade

Why does Watson need to stay on the wing? We have one real 15 in the squad... Play him there.

If not then Malins but no reason to put Slade there

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Where else has he played in a white shirt?

Agree re Slade. Since we can't drop the yerrhbot he has to get the chop instead. Totally stymied but **** it, the messiah must play (pleyhh)

Why does Watson need to stay on the wing? We have one real 15 in the squad... Play him there.

If not then Malins but no reason to put Slade there

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah I definitely wouldn't be moving Slade to 15,

Drop Daly and either give Malins the start there or put Odogwu on the wing and put Watson at 15

Big test for Odogwu but I'm not sure he can do worse on the wing than Daly did at 15 today

I'd be more inclined for the latter as Malins was...shaky today

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Agree Malins was shaky but I think it's understandable that he doesn't look settled when all he's been getting are 10 minute (if he's lucky) cameos. I'd like to see what he can do with a starting shirt or at the very least see what he can do with ~30 minutes off the bench.

Also not sure how Odogwu would fair on the wing at international level. Think his pace could be found to be seriously lacking against Adams or LRZ.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's fair, but it's not really pace that's Odogwu's calling card - it's his burst of speed/power/agility to break the gainline

I'm not against Malins getting a start at all, and would be happy to see him do so, but I've long been of the opinion that Watson should be given a shot at the 15 shirt so it's more of a way to have that happen than anything

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Yeah that's fair. Either way would be an improvement over Daly. Would add though that when I said Odogwu's pace could be found to be lacking I meant more defensively than offensively. I'd bet that Hogg and DVDM are both significantly faster men than Odogwu but LRZ turned and burnt them both today.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah that's fair. Either way would be an improvement over Daly. Would add though that when I said Odogwu's pace could be found to be lacking I meant more defensively than offensively. I'd bet that Hogg and DVDM are both significantly faster men than Odogwu but LRZ turned and burnt them both today.

True enough - but then I'd say Odogwu's defence on the wing > Malins at the back tbh

Point's moot anyway, Daly will definitely start next game - I think the only change will be Wilson onto the bench for Willis (or maybe Lawrence onto the bench and go back to a 5-3)

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Watson is what, 27? His international career at FB has ******* sailed if EJ sees out his contract

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Watson is what, 27? His international career at FB has ******* sailed if EJ sees out his contract

27 is nowhere near old enough to say that a career fullback's opportunity to play 15 internationally has passed him by. Ben Smith was 29 at the 2015 RWC (the same age Watson will be in 2023) after having played most of his international career on the wing and he was still comfortably the best 15 in the world at the time.

I don't actually think that EJ is as averse to putting Watson at 15 as some say. People forget that when Brown was first dropped from the 15 shirt after the Scotland loss in 2018 that it was Watson who went to 15 while Daly stayed on the wing. It was soon after that happened that Watson picked up his injuries and by the time he returned Daly had made the shirt his own. I'm not saying that it will definitely happen, but I think that it's more likely than people say.