j'nuh
First XV
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Thought I'd put some small thoughts up on every player to appear in the tournament for England. Forwards now, I'll complete it for the back line hopefully tomorrow. Feel free to add your own summary, or to rip my comments to shreds. 
Looseheads
Joe Marler - I think Marler's performances have been very understated. As one of his biggest detractors in recent years, I really think he's finally come of age. Gave away one penalty in four games, which shows he didn't struggle in scrum or loose. Made 24 tackles and only missed one. 96% is a fantastic tackle percentage for a prop, considering outside backs will look to take props on. (By comparison, Vunipola made 19 tackles and missed 5 for around 80% tackle rate.) Has become a very able deputy to Corbisiero imo.
Mako Vunipola - A little less impressed with Mako. His bulk means he can carry very well for a prop, but I think he needs to shed some excess weight to really step up from here. I would certainly sacrifice some of that carrying power for some extra mobility. As noted above, backs find it much easier taking on Vunipola than Marler. He also gave away 4 penalties (3 against Italy) in the much fewer minutes he spent on the field, and struggled more in the scrum than Marler did.
Hookers
Dylan Hartley - all-round, pretty solid. Can't help but feel that he's the weak link in the pack though due to a positional weakness for England. Gave away too many penalties (6) for me. That said, I cannot accuse him for a lack of work rate, as he certainly got involved, and the lineout was solid with him on. Definitely our first-choice hooker and should start in the summer when available.
Tom Youngs - if every other part of his game was solid, I simply wouldn't take him to New Zealand on the account that his lineout was absolutely terrible. But even his all-round game didn't get going compared to other years. Big improvement needed from him for me to consider him above Ward now. I'd be inclined to give Ward a few games in the summer anyway, on the account that extra competition is always healthy.
Tightheads
Dave Wilson - Like Marler, I think Wilson's performances have been understated. Definitely our best carrying front rower, good feet for a guy of his size, and easily our best scrummaging tighthead. Starts in the summer for me.
Dan Cole - Disappointing. Missed tackles, struggled in the scrum, and gave away a couple of penalties in his two starts. Not as influential in the loose as in the past. After stalling in his progress last year, he's taken steps backwards this year for me. Some of it must be down to the crazy number of minutes he's being forced to play. I would give him a rest this summer.
Henry Thomas - Was limited to very short cameos, enough that I can't say I noticed a whole lot about what he did, good or bad.
Second row
Joe Launchbury - Absolutely fantastic. Second only to Brown imo. He does everything: high tackle count and not too many missed (45/5); high work rate; mobile around the field; freakishly athletic; menace on the opposition ruck and supports the team's rucks well. My ever-so-slight detraction is that I would like to see him carry a little more. First name on the team sheet for me.
Courtney Lawes - Great tournament, although not quite on the level of consistency of Launchbury imo. Ran the lineout well enough for us not to miss Parling (ignoring the times when Youngs was on the field). My biggest compliment for him is that he provided the perfect foil for Launchbury in that his carrying was effective all the way through the tournament. Like Launchbury, had a high work rate and a high tackle count, although missed a few more. Starts in the summer.
Dave Attwood - I don't see how we can keep him on the bench. He demonstrated an extra level of physicality that would add to our scrum, maul and carrying. Makes his tackles and is no slouch around the field. I can't see past Launchbury moving to 6 and playing Lawes and Attwood in the second row.
Flankers
Tom Wood - The biggest jack-of-all-trades in the squad. High tackle count, useful in the lineout, good breakdown skills for a 6, made a decent number of runs. And yet, I don't think he has shown any outstanding traits. Well worth a place in the 23, but as mooted above, Launchbury to 6 and Attwood into the side (who certainly does have particular strengths) seems to me like a way of improving the starting XV. Would this cause any imbalances in the team after losing a player that does so much? I am not entirely sure to be honest. I'd take the risk because I think there could be a high pay-off.
Chris Robshaw - Another player whose tournament has been understated imo. He's far too important to England to drop imo. If you look at the stats, it's eye-opening in how involved he gets. I like having a forward who passes as much as he does, putting other forwards into space where necessary. I like his tackle count and his break down work. He might not make a lot of yardage, but he certainly gets involved in the carrying. He might not hit the gain line as much as some of the better carriers, but he recycles the ball fast enough to keep momentum going.
Tom Johnson - Very limited game time, can't say much about his performances.
Number 8
Billy Vunipola - Devastating runner but has a lower than average work rate for an international 8. We have a pack that works around this, so it's not a major liability. So really it comes down to what you want in an 8. I still like the thought of him as a player to come on to run at tired legs, especially as he'll then become a major try-scoring threat and Wood coming on for Attwood at around the same time rebalances the work rate.
Ben Morgan - I would argue that Morgan had a slightly better tournament than Vunipola. Morgan's not as destructive in the carry as Vunipola (or even an older Morgan), but Morgan has come a long way in his all-round game in the last year. His work rate is now nearing the levels of Faletau, and I've seen a big improvement in his rugby intelligence. He has fantastic hands that keep the flow of a move going, meaning that he can stand within a backline, draw defenders and release. Starts in the summer for me.
Forwards for the summer (outside of the final):
1. Corbisiero/Marler
2. Hartley
3. Wilson
4. Lawes
5. Attwood
6. Launchbury
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan
16. Ward/Webber
17. Marler/Vunipola
18. Thomas (Cole normally, but the long-term benefits of giving Cole a rest outweigh the short-term benefits of including him)
19. Wood
20. Vunipola
Looseheads
Joe Marler - I think Marler's performances have been very understated. As one of his biggest detractors in recent years, I really think he's finally come of age. Gave away one penalty in four games, which shows he didn't struggle in scrum or loose. Made 24 tackles and only missed one. 96% is a fantastic tackle percentage for a prop, considering outside backs will look to take props on. (By comparison, Vunipola made 19 tackles and missed 5 for around 80% tackle rate.) Has become a very able deputy to Corbisiero imo.
Mako Vunipola - A little less impressed with Mako. His bulk means he can carry very well for a prop, but I think he needs to shed some excess weight to really step up from here. I would certainly sacrifice some of that carrying power for some extra mobility. As noted above, backs find it much easier taking on Vunipola than Marler. He also gave away 4 penalties (3 against Italy) in the much fewer minutes he spent on the field, and struggled more in the scrum than Marler did.
Hookers
Dylan Hartley - all-round, pretty solid. Can't help but feel that he's the weak link in the pack though due to a positional weakness for England. Gave away too many penalties (6) for me. That said, I cannot accuse him for a lack of work rate, as he certainly got involved, and the lineout was solid with him on. Definitely our first-choice hooker and should start in the summer when available.
Tom Youngs - if every other part of his game was solid, I simply wouldn't take him to New Zealand on the account that his lineout was absolutely terrible. But even his all-round game didn't get going compared to other years. Big improvement needed from him for me to consider him above Ward now. I'd be inclined to give Ward a few games in the summer anyway, on the account that extra competition is always healthy.
Tightheads
Dave Wilson - Like Marler, I think Wilson's performances have been understated. Definitely our best carrying front rower, good feet for a guy of his size, and easily our best scrummaging tighthead. Starts in the summer for me.
Dan Cole - Disappointing. Missed tackles, struggled in the scrum, and gave away a couple of penalties in his two starts. Not as influential in the loose as in the past. After stalling in his progress last year, he's taken steps backwards this year for me. Some of it must be down to the crazy number of minutes he's being forced to play. I would give him a rest this summer.
Henry Thomas - Was limited to very short cameos, enough that I can't say I noticed a whole lot about what he did, good or bad.
Second row
Joe Launchbury - Absolutely fantastic. Second only to Brown imo. He does everything: high tackle count and not too many missed (45/5); high work rate; mobile around the field; freakishly athletic; menace on the opposition ruck and supports the team's rucks well. My ever-so-slight detraction is that I would like to see him carry a little more. First name on the team sheet for me.
Courtney Lawes - Great tournament, although not quite on the level of consistency of Launchbury imo. Ran the lineout well enough for us not to miss Parling (ignoring the times when Youngs was on the field). My biggest compliment for him is that he provided the perfect foil for Launchbury in that his carrying was effective all the way through the tournament. Like Launchbury, had a high work rate and a high tackle count, although missed a few more. Starts in the summer.
Dave Attwood - I don't see how we can keep him on the bench. He demonstrated an extra level of physicality that would add to our scrum, maul and carrying. Makes his tackles and is no slouch around the field. I can't see past Launchbury moving to 6 and playing Lawes and Attwood in the second row.
Flankers
Tom Wood - The biggest jack-of-all-trades in the squad. High tackle count, useful in the lineout, good breakdown skills for a 6, made a decent number of runs. And yet, I don't think he has shown any outstanding traits. Well worth a place in the 23, but as mooted above, Launchbury to 6 and Attwood into the side (who certainly does have particular strengths) seems to me like a way of improving the starting XV. Would this cause any imbalances in the team after losing a player that does so much? I am not entirely sure to be honest. I'd take the risk because I think there could be a high pay-off.
Chris Robshaw - Another player whose tournament has been understated imo. He's far too important to England to drop imo. If you look at the stats, it's eye-opening in how involved he gets. I like having a forward who passes as much as he does, putting other forwards into space where necessary. I like his tackle count and his break down work. He might not make a lot of yardage, but he certainly gets involved in the carrying. He might not hit the gain line as much as some of the better carriers, but he recycles the ball fast enough to keep momentum going.
Tom Johnson - Very limited game time, can't say much about his performances.
Number 8
Billy Vunipola - Devastating runner but has a lower than average work rate for an international 8. We have a pack that works around this, so it's not a major liability. So really it comes down to what you want in an 8. I still like the thought of him as a player to come on to run at tired legs, especially as he'll then become a major try-scoring threat and Wood coming on for Attwood at around the same time rebalances the work rate.
Ben Morgan - I would argue that Morgan had a slightly better tournament than Vunipola. Morgan's not as destructive in the carry as Vunipola (or even an older Morgan), but Morgan has come a long way in his all-round game in the last year. His work rate is now nearing the levels of Faletau, and I've seen a big improvement in his rugby intelligence. He has fantastic hands that keep the flow of a move going, meaning that he can stand within a backline, draw defenders and release. Starts in the summer for me.
Forwards for the summer (outside of the final):
1. Corbisiero/Marler
2. Hartley
3. Wilson
4. Lawes
5. Attwood
6. Launchbury
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan
16. Ward/Webber
17. Marler/Vunipola
18. Thomas (Cole normally, but the long-term benefits of giving Cole a rest outweigh the short-term benefits of including him)
19. Wood
20. Vunipola
