[2022 Six Nations] Italy vs England (13/02/22)

[Scotty]

Genge definitely isn't playing consistently well enough to make me not worried. He's too hot and cold to ne a solid starter.

I think Genge is best from the bench but also i think he should be starting to gain experience as first choice internationally, we know what Marler can do. And maybe not consistant but i cant think of anyone who i would say could push him out.

Same with Sinks he is first choice because there isnt anyone else really putting their hands up. Scrummaging and the basics come first obv but he then i really hope EJ uses his distributing skills and really works on them so he can link up with Smith/the backs more. Its a shame Mako wasnt so good in the scrum or id have loved to see 2 distributing front rowers with a 10 like Smith.

 

[Geordie]

Odogwu scored 2 again this weekend....hes a player that can give you go forward.

Time to get him in!

 

[LIONSxv]

Odogwu scored 2 again this weekend....hes a player that can give you go forward.

Time to get him in!

Not only go forward but a running option. Not many 16stone outside centres who have pace too !!

 

[Geordie]

I'm very worried about tighthead tbh,
Stuart showed he's not upto standard - realistically we've known it for a while, but he rarely starts so there's that "maybe he's just crap off the bench" question mark, and Sinckler, while good at what he does, is iffy in the scrum - some days great, other days penalty magnet

Loosehead and hooker are good, though

He's my biggest issue....im struggling to see what he actually brings. And what he did have...he certainly lost in his move to Bristol.
He's not a strong scrummaging Tight head....he's not a "playmaking" prop (for want of a better description) like Mako was...

Hes not like Genge who is showing up like a good alround LH now...

We need Hayes or someone to really step up come the Summer tour of Australia.

 

[Which Tyler]

Odogwu scored 2 again this weekend....hes a player that can give you go forward.

Time to get him in!

Helps that his opponents were 2 players down in the back 3 at the time.

Not that i disagree with having a look at him, but any winger should be scoring tries in that situation

 

[Geordie]

Helps that his opponents were 2 players down in the back 3 at the time.

Not that i disagree with having a look at him, but any winger should be scoring tries in that situation

Im think of him moving in to 13....

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Hear me out but with us struggling to find a decent International 10 what about Freddie Burns?

 

[Geordie]

Hear me out but with us struggling to find a decent International 10 what about Freddie Burns?

Yes i hear the Tigers fans dont like Smith....i wonder why?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Hear me out but with us struggling to find a decent International 10 what about Freddie Burns?

Then who will Ireland pick for the RWC?

 

[Which Tyler]

Im think of him moving in to 13....

How much does he play 13 these days?
I don't watch a lot of wasps, so don't know.

I'm still far from opposed to having a look - 13 or wing. Seems realistic as well, give that Eddies likes his Swiss-army knife players.
So he'd probably play him at 12

 

[TRF_Olyy]

How much does he play 13 these days?

Last two seasons he's started 9 games at centre and 8 at wing, and there's a few sub appearances thrown in there that I'm too lazy to look where he came on
Think Wasps view him more as a 13 these days

He's definitely not the kind of wing that EJ likes (i.e. he's not a fullback) but I'd be very interested in seeing him at 13, though I can't see it happening, especially with Manu fit (for now) so first in line for a callup

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

If Ojomoh were to come in at 12 and Odogwu at 13, that could be a reasonably powerful carrying midfield.

 

[Geordie]

The summer tour squad will be fascinating....and the tours to Australia aswell....

 

[Which Tyler]

He's definitely not the kind of wing that EJ likes (i.e. he's not a fullback)

Surely Eddie's picked more OCs on the wing than he has FBs, so he'd be perfect
Daly, Joseph, Tuilagi, Marchant, Laurence
versus
Brown.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Surely Eddie's picked more OCs on the wing than he has FBs, so he'd be perfect
Daly, Joseph, Tuilagi, Marchant, Laurence
versus
Brown.

You can chuck Malins in there as well, I think Daly is 50/50 too (was playing 15 almost exclusively at club level when he got capped on the wing, but was a 13 before that, and now after too)

I didn't realise how many centres we'd put on the wing

I'd rant again but I'll sound like a broken record re: positions being an actual thing

 

[Which Tyler]

Not sure how to classify Malins - but Daly was a 15 when he broke into Wasps, but well established as an OC before being capped on the wing - where he's always looked at his best.

I remember lots of compplaints when Daly was picked at FB that he hadn't played there for several years - not to mention complaints when he was picked n the wing that he was a specialist OC and not even a FB, let alone winger

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Surely Eddie's picked more OCs on the wing than he has FBs, so he'd be perfect
Daly, Joseph, Tuilagi, Marchant, Laurence
versus
Brown.

Don't think Lawrence was ever picked on the wing was he? Was just forced to move there after an injury (albeit because Eddie chose a 6:2 bench).

I'm sure some would argue that Watson was a fullback being picked on the wing too, although I'm not one of them.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

.

The summer tour squad will be fascinating....and the tours to Australia aswell....

Won't they?

Obviously we've blooded some new players which is good, but we're also without, for various reasons, May, Watson, Farrell, Kruis, Launch, Lawes, J Willis, Manu, Underhill and the Vunipolae. There were huge hopes for Coka too. That is a lot of experience / talent missing. Some of those might be back in this championship, others may never be but you can make a good case for at least 5 of those starting with others on the bench.

Right now I really have no idea what our strongest team is, what combinations are likely to work best or really what we're trying to achieve. Hope Jones has…..

 

[Geordie]

.

Won't they?

Obviously we've blooded some new players which is good, but we're also without, for various reasons, May, Watson, Farrell, Kruis, Launch, Lawes, J Willis, Manu, Underhill and the Vunipolae. There were huge hopes for Coka too. That is a lot of experience / talent missing. Some of those might be back in this championship, others may never be but you can make a good case for at least 5 of those starting with others on the bench.

Right now I really have no idea what our strongest team is, what combinations are likely to work best or really what we're trying to achieve. Hope Jones has…..

Whilst i dont think this will be an experimental tour (as it often is) with the world cup just a year away...you may see the likes of Dan Kelly and Ojomoh on it...as theres still one or two areas that a youngster could make his own with a big tour...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not sure how many left field choices we'd take, tbh

It's three tests, no mid weeks - 12 months out from the RWC, EJ should be nailing down his starting side, not still chopping and changing....but then it's EJ, so who knows
I imagine we'll need to take a few extra as (without looking) I'm guessing the first test is very close to the Prem final, as they usually are, so we'd need cover for the finalists