England EPS 2016/17 season.

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Watson shouldn't be surprising - he's consistently looked much better at FB than on the wing, IMO.

Don't disagree with that but he is playing 15 at a bigger stage now. Kind of lowers Jones reasoning to keep Brown at 15 come AI's if Watson gets a good run out now.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yep.

Will be interesting to watch - even if he doesn't capitalise on today's decent performance, FB is his position, and he should be groomed for England's starting berth.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Don't disagree with that but he is playing 15 at a bigger stage now. Kind of lowers Jones reasoning to keep Brown at 15 come AI's if Watson gets a good run out now.

Think there's an argument to keep Brown in seeing as there's no outstanding candidate to replace Watson on the wing. It's not an argument I agree with but it is an argument.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Think there's an argument to keep Brown in seeing as there's no outstanding candidate to replace Watson on the wing. It's not an argument I agree with but it is an argument.

How about the other Lion who for some reason is playing wing Daly?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

How about the other Lion who for some reason is playing wing Daly?

Him playing on the wing just seems off to me. He's fully capable there but I'd like all of our players to be playing positions that they play every week at club level. If he moves there for Wasps (which is a strong possibility with De Jongh on the way) then fair enough, but until then I'd like to have a wing on the wing. Until then, he belongs to the 23 shirt IMO.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I feel like EJ definitely sees Watson as his fullback going forwards.
He suggested as much when he first took the reigns, and not taking another fullback to Argentina suggests he's not looking outside of Brown/the Lions.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I agree, and if he wasn't with the Lions, I reckon he'd be starting these games, but we haven't actually seen him be played there by Eddie, as yet.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is that partly due to injuries in the past?
I feel like we're always missing a wing to injury so either Watson's in the medical room or having to fill in for Nowell or Daly
Hopefully the emergence of Earle or Solomona this tour could speed things along

 

[ratsapprentice]

I really, really want Earle to have a good tour.

I'm hugely disappointed he and Underhill aren't playing tonight.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Personally i am dreaming of a 2019 backline Squad of:
9) Youngs, Robson, Spencer
10) Farrell, Lozowski, Ford
11) Nowell,
12) Slade, Ben T'eo/Devoto (T'eo will be 32 by then so who knows)
13) Daly, Manu (I'm hopeful he will get fit and that he played is best rugby under MOC)
14) Earle, Solomona
15) Watson, Haley

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I really, really want Earle to have a good tour.

I'm hugely disappointed he and Underhill aren't playing tonight.

Same.

Earle esp we know what Yarde brings (Not much) let Earle play FFS.

Personally think Yarde needs to move for both his and Quins shake, Walker has outplayed Yarde for Quins.

Not sure who would take Yarde now though? I mean Tigers could do with another wing but hearing some rumours which if true would mean he wouldn't make it anywhere near our starting team. (Although many rumours are false).

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Same.

Earle esp we know what Yarde brings (Not much) let Earle play FFS.

Personally think Yarde needs to move for both his and Quins shake, Walker has outplayed Yarde for Quins.

Not sure who would take Yarde now though? I mean Tigers could do with another wing but hearing some rumours which if true would mean he wouldn't make it anywhere near our starting team. (Although many rumours are false).

Newcastle probably wouldn't mind him to replace Marcus Watson. Wouldn't be the best of moves for Yarde but at least it's something different.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Newcastle probably wouldn't mind him to replace Marcus Watson. Wouldn't be the best of moves for Yarde but at least it's something different.

True but would he on current form get ahead of Goneva, Sinoti and DTH?

 

[Goodey]

Jones has taken so many wingers (and neither of Wade and Roko) he must be looking to replace both Daly and Watson as wingers. And I liked what I saw from Watson at full back today.

But with Daly to 13 I don't see the rush. I'm happy to keep Daly out on the wing England. Joseph is a real class centre who now has plenty of experience leading the back line defence in Tests, which would be a new role for Daly. As it is we know Daly is quick enough and has had a really strong all round game as an England winger. It ain't broke IMO.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I don't think Daly has been a good winger, to be honest.
He's an incredibly talented player so he's still playing well shoved out on the wing but his actual wing play/positioning/reading the game leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I don't think Daly has been a good winger, to be honest.
He's an incredibly talented player so he's still playing well shoved out on the wing but his actual wing play/positioning/reading the game leaves a lot to be desired.

Interesting point.

Okay Daly or JJ at 13?

i mean until this beast is fully charged.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

JJ, But I want to see Daly given a shot there (kind of annoyed he made the lions tour, in that regard). I wish he'd stayed at 15 tbh. At the time I was calling for him to move to 13 as that was where we were lacking, but then JJ made that shirt his own.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

JJ, But I want to see Daly given a shot there (kind of annoyed he made the lions tour, in that regard). I wish he'd stayed at 15 tbh. At the time I was calling for him to move to 13 as that was where we were lacking, but then JJ made that shirt his own.

Hoping JDJ replacing beale might signal Daly going back to 15, with WLR playing on the wing.

 

[BPM]

Same.

Earle esp we know what Yarde brings (Not much) let Earle play FFS.

Personally think Yarde needs to move for both his and Quins shake, Walker has outplayed Yarde for Quins.

Not sure who would take Yarde now though? I mean Tigers could do with another wing but hearing some rumours which if true would mean he wouldn't make it anywhere near our starting team. (Although many rumours are false).

Yarde doesn't need to move. Quins just need to stop asking him to play in a role he's not happy in or cut out for.

Having said that, we have Aspland-Robinson, Ibitoye and Mikalcius coming through so it wouldn't be a disaster if he were to leave.

Admittedly Aspland-Robinson will probably be out for a while after his injury with the U20s, but he looks like he has the makings of a very classy player. He reminds me more of a SH 'footballing' winger which is fairly unusual. Ibitoye has been electric for the U20s and is definitely one for the future and Mikalcius is a big, powerful wing (ex Flanker) who scored 30+ tries for Hartpury last season.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

True but would he on current form get ahead of Goneva, Sinoti and DTH?

Ah yea forgot about DTH. Goneva could shift to 13 though.