England 2021/22

[Scotty]

Redpath can’t have wanted to play for England that much. It’s not like he was playing brilliantly and continually overlooked. At the point he wasn’t selected he was only just starting to get a run in the Bath side.

He should have been picked, but equally, I’d have like to have seen a bit more patience given the interest was clearly there.

Less fussed on Williams TBH.

Ultimately, Eddie can’t pick what we don’t have.

How old was Redpath? Its like players are getting picked younger and younger these days and when they dont they feel like they are owed something and move on(given his dad played for Scotland then maybe it was abit different). If he wanted to play for England then he had the talent, he just had to be patient... if players move on from England after not getting picked early 20's then as you cannot have wanted to play for England that badly.

 

[BPM]

He was 21 when he got picked for Scotland and still only made about 30 senior appearances including his one test. It’s hardly like he’d been waiting around hoping to be picked.

Also worth noting Eddie picked him for the SA tour but he dropped ou through injury.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Think the sticking point was the conversation between EJ and Redpath re: him not making the squad, rather than being dropped in and of itself
Played like crap: repeatedly in the EPS and as an apprentice
Starts playing very well at Bath: dropped and EJ tells him **whatever** and he turns coat
EJ does have a reputation of taking the **** in his workons, though

Kelly has more potential than all of them tbh.

*Sale's own Dan Kelly

Don't be disrespectful, use his full name

 

[Wasps92]

Daly.

 

[Old Hooker]

Ideally I would give him a similar set up, but doing so with a significantly inferior player (Atkinson is a long way off Esterhuizen IMO) is arguably counter-productive. Aside from being big, I’m just not convinced Atkinson is good enough to be a starter for England.

I diagnose advanced Barrie-Jon Mather syndrome. If ever there was a case of picking big for big’s sake….

Atkinson may not have the individual skills of Slade or Marchant, but he’s a round peg for a round hole. If he’s found wanting then fine but he should at least be tried.

He’s a 12, he understands the position, he’ll be in the right place at the right time. He will probably run decent support lines, make his tackles, in contact he’ll probably retain possession, maybe make the odd metre or two and the odd offload. Correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t he got a bit of a kicking game too? Not aware that he’s particularly prone to brain farts either.

Hallmarks of a potential superstar? No. But possibly a good nuts and bolts player who will enable those around him to strut their stuff.

 

[Crash Hamster]

I diagnose advanced Barrie-Jon Mather syndrome. If ever there was a case of picking big for big’s sake….

Atkinson may not have the individual skills of Slade or Marchant, but he’s a round peg for a round hole. If he’s found wanting then fine but he should at least be tried.

He’s a 12, he understands the position, he’ll be in the right place at the right time. He will probably run decent support lines, make his tackles, in contact he’ll probably retain possession, maybe make the odd metre or two and the odd offload. Correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t he got a bit of a kicking game too? Not aware that he’s particularly prone to brain farts either.

Hallmarks of a potential superstar? No. But possibly a good nuts and bolts player who will enable those around him to strut their stuff.

Picking the best available player in his position for his position? It'll never catch on

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t he got a bit of a kicking game too? Not aware that he’s particularly prone to brain farts either.

He's started at both 10 and 15 in the Prem before. I think because he's a big unit people discredit his skillset and think that all he can do is carry but he's a perfectly capable playmaker and kicker.

I prefer Marchant as a player to Atkinson but as a centre combo I like Atkinson-Slade more than Slade-Marchant. It's a tough one but I won't be upset to see either given a try.

 

[BPM]

It’s not that I don’t rate Atkinson as a player. I just don’t rate him sufficiently highly to regard him as the ‘answer’ at 12.

I’d rather see us put time in to developing the Slade/Marchant combination at 12 and 13 as it looked to have promise vs. SA.

If Atkinson does play, I hope he proves me wrong. My gut feel is that he’d be fine, but Slade and Marchant together has much more of a potential upside to it.

 

[Old Hooker]

It’s not that I don’t rate Atkinson as a player. I just don’t rate him sufficiently highly to regard him as the ‘answer’ at 12.

I’d rather see us put time in to developing the Slade/Marchant combination at 12 and 13 as it looked to have promise vs. SA.

If Atkinson does play, I hope he proves me wrong. My gut feel is that he’d be fine, but Slade and Marchant together has much more of a potential upside to it.

No, but possibly ‘the answer at the moment’.

There’s obviously truth in that. But I think that combination would need 4 things to flower: Slade to get comfortable in the 12 shirt, a game plan to play to their strengths (we’re on planet Eddie), a pack that can get them on the front foot and quick service from 9.

None of those are guaranteed.

It’s over simplistic to say that Atkinson’s a big unit who can bosh a bit while Slade and Marchant are wider space artistes. But it’s also kind of the nub of it.

Obvs Farrell was first choice, but Atkinson must be a pretty serious Plan B otherwise what’s the point in picking him? He’s not apprentice age with the 27 or 31 World Cup in mind.

 

[BPM]

No, but possibly ‘the answer at the moment’.

There’s obviously truth in that. But I think that combination would need 4 things to flower: Slade to get comfortable in the 12 shirt, a game plan to play to their strengths (we’re on planet Eddie), a pack that can get them on the front foot and quick service from 9.

None of those are guaranteed.

It’s over simplistic to say that Atkinson’s a big unit who can bosh a bit while Slade and Marchant are wider space artistes. But it’s also kind of the nub of it.

Obvs Farrell was first choice, but Atkinson must be a pretty serious Plan B otherwise what’s the point in picking him? He’s not apprentice age with the 27 or 31 World Cup in mind.

I don’t really think he is though TBH. He can do a bit of that but he’s actually a pretty deft distributor. He played his best rugby in tandem with Cipriani, often stepping in a first receiver. At that point in time, I thought he was unlucky not to be in the England mix.

If he can rewind the clock a little bit and deliver some of that, it could work quite nicely, but then that would also require 3 of your 4 things.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Marler out with Covid. Mako in I guess?

 

[Teddington Logic]

Marler out with Covid. Mako in I guess?

Don't think he will be calling French front rowers "garlic breath" anymore

 

[higgik]

Id actually prefer Sam Simmonds at 12 over Atkinson. i think he'd be more dynamic in that 12 role. Not sure his handling etc are up for the job though.

Agree, Dombrandt has better ball skills, but not the pace.
I thought that Mercer might be one for this role as there are no big guys ready for this role atm.

 

[higgik]

He's started at both 10 and 15 in the Prem before. I think because he's a big unit people discredit his skillset and think that all he can do is carry but he's a perfectly capable playmaker and kicker.

I prefer Marchant as a player to Atkinson but as a centre combo I like Atkinson-Slade more than Slade-Marchant. It's a tough one but I won't be upset to see either given a try.

Yes, we go.
Atkinson, Marchant would also work, but would need another playmaker in back 3.
My 2 backlines would be
Smith, Atkinson, Slade, Marchant, Nowell, Steward.

 

[higgik]

Yes, we go.
Atkinson, Marchant would also work, but would need another playmaker in back 3.
My 2 backlines would be
Smith, Atkinson, Slade, Marchant, Nowell, Steward.

Hit wrong button.
Other
Smith, Atkinson, Marchant, Malins, Radwan, Steward

May has too many brain farts.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Marler out with Covid. Mako in I guess?

Didn't he catch it in the autumn as well?

Should probably give up his favourite hobby of licking escalator rails until the pandemic is fully over

 

[higgik]

BBC sport stating May is also out, possibly for whole of 6N.

 

[Nudger]

He was quieter at 8 when asked to play a different role, but whenever he shifted back to 7 he was standout
Against SA he made the most tackles of any player (more than Underhill/Lawes combined, and more than the entire SA backrow combined) and won the most turnovers too

Difficult to look good when the pack is being mullered

 

[Goodey]

The team had to evacuate their hotel because of a fire

This 6N might be cursed

 

[The_Blindside]

Didn't he catch it in the autumn as well?

Should probably give up his favourite hobby of licking escalator rails until the pandemic is fully over

England prop Joe Marler out of Australia clash after testing positive for Covid

England prop Joe Marler has tested positive for Covid and will miss Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series clash against Australia.

www.autumn-internationals.co.uk

Yep.

And He’s got 4 young children under 12 doesn’t he? Who are the biggest drivers of transmission atm.