England 6N 2016 - General Chit Chat

[j'nuh]

Brown's scored 9 tries in 7 games over 48 caps, which isn't stellar. Only 1 of those has been against a SH "big 3 " team while 5 have been against the the might of Italy, Fiji and Samoa. The others have been in the 6N. You can read into that what you want but it doesn't scream top level game breaker.

That's not too bad for a fullback:
Kearney - 14 tries in 72 games
Halfpenny (2011-2015) - 5 tries in 48. (He scored 7 tries in 17 games 2008-2010, but played mostly on the wing.)
Beale - 12 tries in 60 (but 24 games from the bench)
Hogg - 11 tries in 43
Dagg - 14 tries in 49
Le Roux - 9 tries in 34
Spedding - 0 tries in 16 (lol)
Medard - 12 tries in 46
McLean - 7 tries in 79
L. Williams - 3 tries in 31
Folau - 18 tries in 38
B. Smith - 19 in 48

Or in tries per game:
Folau: 0.474
B. Smith: 0.396
Dagg: 0.286
Le Roux: 0.265
Medard: 0.261
Hogg: 0.256
Beale: 0.2
Kearney: 0.194
Brown: 0.188
Halfpenny: 0.104
L. Williams: 0.097
McLean: 0.089
Spedding: 0

I know Folau and Ben Smith play wing quite a bit from time to time and I wasn't able to remove those games, but damn, I wasn't expecting such a big difference. They really stand out.

Point is, Brown hasn't got a great strike record, but I don't think it's bad enough to be that much of a concern.

Saying that, wouldn't it be nice to have our own Folau.

 

[Muse_Cubed]

Saying that, wouldn't it be nice to have our own Folau.

Yeah, but why have a Folau when you can get another mazey run from Alex Goode

 

[Ospreylian]

Yeah, but why have a Folau when you can get another mazey run from Alex Goode

True. You never see such earth-shattering counter attacking fullback moves as this from Folau. The Southern hemisphere seriously needs to up its game in time for the summer tours.

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[johnmac99]

That's not the question I answered, because it's not the one being asked.

We should be looking to replace Brown, he's old and based on the 6N his weaknesses are not compatible with the way Jones is looking to play.

Watson is one of, if not the leading candidate.

- - - Updated - - -



Very.

I understand you want to see Brown replaced. All I'm asking is that if you replace him with Watson at FB, who is best to bring in to replace Watson on the wing?

You just gave me a list of wingers etc., whereas I was trying to qualify who would be best without weakening the overall position we have as a team at the moment.

Personally, I like the pace of Wade but I'm not sure whether his overall game is good enough.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Yeah, but why have a Folau when you can get another mazey run from Alex Goode

Goode is so good as sidestepping he can sidestep his own sidestep, the problem is this results him in being back where he started and getting tackled but it's an amazing skill anyway.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I understand you want to see Brown replaced. All I'm asking is that if you replace him with Watson at FB, who is best to bring in to replace Watson on the wing?

You just gave me a list of wingers etc., whereas I was trying to qualify who would be best without weakening the overall position we have as a team at the moment.

Sorry - I read a little too much into your question... I thought you were suggesting we don't have anyone capable of playing to a standard which wouldn't leave us worse off overall.

I think the guys I mentioned could all do a slightly different job... I don't know exactly what Eddie wants.
I think Eddie would probably quite like the power of Roko (and to a lesser extent Yarde) if he opts for someone like Slade at 12 (or continues with Farrell).
If he puts Hill, Manu, or dare I say it, Te'o at 12 then I could see him going with a Wade or May - I'd imagine Gustard would back himself to make Wade as sure a defender as possible, given his stature.

 

[Peat]

Point is, Brown hasn't got a great strike record, but I don't think it's bad enough to be that much of a concern.

Saying that, wouldn't it be nice to have our own Folau.

Plus there's more to life finishing tries. 2015 6N, Brown has a fairly instrumental hand in 5 tries while scoring none. This year, he scores one, but only has a hand in another. Looks better, but is contributing less.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I think Eddie will defiantly shake up the back row in Australia and I have a feeling he will experiment with the centre partnership.

If he's doing both of those will he want to change the back three as well? He might keep it as is and then look at the back 3 for the next 6 nations.

On the FB debate is really like to see Nowell at FB and leave Watson on the wing. I'd then bring in Yarde when he's back and Roko in the mean time. It mixes one wing of pace and one of power. Nowell is a test match animal and must be in the squad, as of his lack of pace it really leaves FB.

Even though I can't say he's ever been let down on the wing by pace really.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...-sam-underhill-may-be-blocked-by-premiership/

Article in telegraph saying Premiership clubs still need to agree that exceptional circumstance rule can be used for Underhill, but there would need to be some indication commitment from him that his long term future lies in the Aviva Premiership. Hopefully they can agree this by May so he can go on tour to Australia.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...-sam-underhill-may-be-blocked-by-premiership/

Article in telegraph saying Premiership clubs still need to agree that exceptional circumstance rule can be used for Underhill, but there would need to be some indication commitment from him that his long term future lies in the Aviva Premiership. Hopefully they can agree this by May so he can go on tour to Australia.

TBH that is fair.

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...jones-gives-returning-chris-ashton-tour-boos/

11. Ashton, 14. Watson, 15. Nowell, anyone?

 

[ncurd]

Nooooo!

Hopefully Roko can stitch him up a couple of times tomorrow night.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

****ing hell, we finally get him out of the EPS and then he's straight back in

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

****ing hell, we finally get him out of the EPS and then he's straight back in

Wasn't he only out due to the ban?

 

[Willodell100]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...jones-gives-returning-chris-ashton-tour-boos/

11. Ashton, 14. Watson, 15. Nowell, anyone?

Can't see this happening. Jones has basically gone round every premiership club and told given every Englishman he can find 'Play well & you might get a shot'.

I see the winger pecking order as of now:

Watson
Nowell
Yarde
Rocko
Ashton
Lewington
Wade

May isn't listed as injured but interesting to see when he does come back as we are not sure what Jones thinks of him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wasn't he only out due to the ban?

Yeah, but i was hoping he wouldn't return and Roko would keep his place

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yeah, but i was hoping he wouldn't return and Roko would keep his place

Eddie "Bane" Jones: "I learned here that there can be no true despair without hope"

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ollie Lindsay-Hague does the sensible thing and joins the 7's team... I really hope that Nathan Earle follows (Wade too, if he's not selected for the summer tour).

It's not like he'd be sacrificing game time.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Talk is Exeter, Wasps and Tigers are after Earle.

 

[Aristodemus]

Ollie Lindsay-Hague does the sensible thing and joins the 7's team... I really hope that Nathan Earle follows (Wade too, if he's not selected for the summer tour).

It's not like he'd be sacrificing game time.

Wade would be a brilliant 7s player, nobody would touch him with all that space.