Brian Ashton? Who Do You Think He Will Pick In January?

[SecondRow04]

Who you think he will keep and change when he names his first squad in January? personally i think Dan Ward-Smith will be given a chance and also James Forrester.
i think he will keep simalr choices in th backs,
Perry,Goode,Cohen Allen,Tait,Sackey,Lewsey?
i would like to think there could be some returns of maybe the likes of Tindall,Barkley and Robinson
ollie morgan would be good choice at fullback?
Wilkinson possible at fly half if hes fit enough!

Hopefully good choices!

 

[Bullitt]

Knbowing ashton and the way he likes the ball to be thrown about, I'd expect the Leicester players to be dropped (being as their uninspiring form of anti-rugby is a plague on entertainment). Likely lineup will possibly be along the lines of (not accounting for injuries);

1. Sheridan
2. Thompson
3. Vickary
4. Need to think
5. About both locks
6. Sanderson
7. Lund
8. Ward Smith
9. Richards
10. Hodgson
11. Cohen
12. Tindall
13. Allen
14. Cueto
15. Lewsey

For the rest of the squad and replacements, I'd expect to see Tait, Flood, Forrester, Barnard, the youngster at Bath, Sackey and Clarke making big noises up until the world cup.

On the otherside of the coin, Correy, Moody and White may never get a look in an England shirt again, which is the best news ever.

 

[Prestwick]

While that 15 looks good, I don't think Aston would persist with Hodgeson. Mainly because he's injured until the end of the season but also because, after two and a half years of being England's first choice fly-half, he hasn't produced a decent performance.

I would say, even if Hodgeson were availible, Ashton would go for Barkley, Flood or maybe even (gulp) Goode.

 

[Bullitt]

Barkley had his chance after the 99 Worlc Cup and blew it, hense Grayson keeping the shirt until JW came along. Flood is becoming an amazing star in a Newcastle shirt at 10 (although he doesn't get any credit being as it's "borrowed" from Wilkinson), but I still think it'll be a year or 2 until he'll be full ready for the top level of the game.

With the right players around him playing the right sort of game, which Ashton is sure to deliver, I think Hodgson will finally start to shine on the international stage as he has at Sale.

 

[chesh]

Given all the doom and gloom, we still managed to score 3 tries against the all blacks...

Sackey has gotta get another chance...tindall to come back in...vickery...we need a new back row!!
Thats where we where second best all autumn

(This is more of a who i think rather than what brian will do?!)

1. Sheridan (if he's fit?)
2. Thompson
3. Vickery
4. Kay
5. Borthwick
6. Worsley/Moody
7. Lund
8. Dallaglio/An improved Corry

9. Paul Hodgson
10. Barkley/fit Jonny Wilkinson
11. Cueto
12. Tindall
13. Tait
14. Sackey/Varndell
15. Lewsey

Although i wouldnt ind seeing if Ashton can talk Robinson (jason) out of his retitrement...

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

Tom Palmer has to be given a consistent run of games at lock. Would also like to see Ben Skirving given a go at 8 personally, with James Forrester also presented with opportunity at either 8 or 6.

 

[Bullitt]

1. Sheridan (if he's fit?)
2. Thompson
3. Vickery
4. Kay
5. Borthwick
6. Worsley/Moody
7. Lund
8. Dallaglio/An improved Corry

9. Paul Hodgson
10. Barkley/fit Jonny Wilkinson
11. Cueto
12. Tindall
13. Tait
14. Sackey/Varndell
15. Lewsey[/b]

Looks very close to one of Andy Robinsons squads...

 

[SecondRow04]

i would like to say Ashton would pick....

1. Sheridan or Julian White
2. Thompson
3. Vickery (Capt.)
4. Simon Shaw back in lineup
5. T. Palmer/ Ben Kay
6. Sanderson
7. Worsley/ Dialligo
8. Ward- Smaith
9. Perry/Richards
10. Wilkinson/Flood/Goode(gulp also)
11. Cohen
12. Tindall
12. Allen
14. Sackey/Jason Robinson i would like to see
15. Lewsey

the bench will have... corry,lund, tait and wich ever of the desicions not 1st choice

 

[Bullitt]

Well, he said he'd come back if needed. While it'd be to a boost to the side (and I do miss cheering his runs), most players have defensively figured him out now. Plus, having Cohen and Cueto on each touchline means we have some of the worlds biggest wingers who can get around anyone in a one on one situation.

Tricky thought... Maybe JR moving to 15 and push Lewsey into the 13 shirt with Allen at 12.

 

[Prestwick]

I think Hodgson will finally start to shine on the international stage as he has at Sale.[/b]

They've been saying that for years though! This will be the year that Hodgson will deliver, this year he'll finally shine, this will be the year where he'll bring home the bacon, this year he'll have the same form as he has at Sale, this year, this year, this year.....they've been saying that since 2004 and has he delivered? No. I'm sorry, he's an awesome guy and he is a gold nugget for Sale, but he just can't hack it on the international stage.

He's had his chance and maybe like Barkley, he's blown it. Its time to think about having Goode in a holding role and gradually easing young guys like Lamb and Flood in.

One thing England really need in the next five years are international first XV fixtures against minnows like Romania, the Pacific Islands, Georgia, Canada, etc so we can actually blood our young uns instead of throwing them to the lions of New Zealand or the OAPs of Australia to be torn apart limb from limb.

As it is now, look at the last thirteen games England have played:

South Africa
South Africa
Argentina
New Zealand
Australia
Australia
Ireland
France
Scotland
Italy
Wales
New Zealand
Australia

Look at it. There is only one side who could probabbly be described as "whipping boys" there. The other 12 are hard edged, gritty, experienced, top flight nations. Where are the minnows? Where are the nations who we can beat by 50 points and experiment against?!

Anyway, after that rant, my first XV:

1. Sheridan
2. Thompson
3. Vickery (Capt without a doubt. The best captain sets the example for everyone to follow and Vickery does just that.)
4. Jones (shows enourmous enterprise every time he rolls onto the pitch with the england shirt on)
5. T. Palmer (shows enormous promise)
6. Sanderson (needs more time to bed in)
7. Lund (hasn't really been given much of a chance at all. Needs to change)
8. Ward - Smith
9. Perry
10. Flood
11. Cohen
12. Tindall
13. Allen (that pairing works very well at Gloucester I hear!)
14. Sackey
15. Lewsey

Would have Richards, Goode, White, Worsley as my principle subs.

 

[O'Rothlain]

I think he, like everyone else in England, will lay his hopes on one Mr. Johnny Wilkinson.

 

[Bullitt]

I think he, like everyone else in England, will lay his hopes on one Mr. Johnny Wilkinson.

[/b]

Ahston isn't as dumb as Robinson. He'll already understand Wilkinson will never get back into an England shirt and will make plans to instead of solving the problem of not having JW fit, he'll ignore the problem completely and look elsewhere for the correct man for the job. As to be expected from one of the worlds best and most knowledgeable backs coaches.

 

[Prestwick]

Agreed. The man ain't no foo' hanibal!

 

[lettsylegend]

i think simpson-daniel and tindall is a likely pairing in the centres... and after recent performances ward-smith may get a go at no.8-

the problem is that if jw isn't fit in time there really isn't another fly-half in all of england who is good enough to play international rugby...

 

[Prestwick]

Another Sarries fan! I'm no longer alone! Yay!

That is why we needed more matches against whipping boys. So we could carefully blood in the younger guys in first XV International rugby and get them used to working with the established senior players.

Teams like New Zealand give everyone a go, no matter how average the opposition so that all the players in their squad have had a taste of top flight international action and know what to do when the real test comes along.

England Saxons just dosen't cut it, especially if you get plucked out of the England Saxons XV and then get dumped with the big lads in the first XV against New Zealand like with Anthony Allen!!!

 

[Canadian_Rugby_Guy]

I object to the use of the term whipping boys, true we're not great, but I'd appreciate not too much writing off of my national side or I may get nasty. that aside, I really hope tindall is gonna go because I was never impressed by him. Anthony Allen had a rough time gainst New Zealand, and I don't follow Gloucester enough to know him better. Does anyone when Jon Clarke is getting back? He's in my mind definitely worth considering. I think Jamie Noon is pretty solid and I would hesitate to bring in Lewsey at 13 instead. I hear he's been suffering from not having any kind of consistency in the positions he plays, and further more I've heard much better things said of him when he's played in the back three. I think it's pretty safe to say that peter richards and shaun (or is it shawn or sean?) perry are going to be the first choice 9s for a while. As for 10s I really don't know. There seems to be a wealth of fly halves all playing in the shawdow of the old Wilkinson. That's my thought on the backs, I don't really know forward play enough to say anything about the pack.

 

[Prestwick]

Allen really did suffer from being dropped right in the deep end. The whole lack of preparation and lack of blooding in new talent really showed and I just winced most of the time. Jamie Noon made it a little easier on him but the pressure still showed.