England EPS 2016/17 season.

[Scotty]

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

What about JJ at 13 i agree with the rest of it but tough on him

 

[BPM]

I agree.

For me, it would be something like:

9. Youngs / Robson / Maunder or Townsend
10. Farrell / Ford / Lozowski
11. Nowell / May
12. Slade / Te'o / Devoto
13. Joseph / Daly* / Tuilagi
14. Solomona / Earle / Cokanasiga
15. Watson / Haley

*depending one where he plays for Wasps. I'd be equally happy with Daly playing at 15 and Watson on the wing.

Wing is now becoming very competitive. I haven't included Yarde, but he's in a four way battle with Solomona, Earle and Cokanasiga.

Earle has loads of potential, but I think his lack of likely game time in comparison to the other three puts him at a big disadvantage. Put simply, he'll be lucky to make the bench for Saracens whereas the others will regular starters.

 

[Goodey]

Reckon Earle will be seeing a lot more club rugby now Ashton's left.

 

[Scotty]

Reckon Earle will be seeing a lot more club rugby now Ashton's left.

Yes but they have liam williams coming so maybe not as much as we'd like

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Delighted that Watson went well at 15 on Sat for the Lions. I've been arguing for ages that he should be our FB. Hopefully that discussion is nearly over.

Agree with Olyy. Daly's not a wing. Looks fab with ball in hand, but positionally he's got a fair way to go. At the moment he's a 13. Let him fight it out for that shirt with JJ and, hopefully, Manu.

May on one wing and whoever develops fastest out of Earle and Solomona on the other. Might also be worth keeping half an eye on Marcus Watson at Wasps next year.

The Arg tour could start to give Eddie some real headaches in front and back rows.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Delighted that Watson went well at 15 on Sat for the Lions. I've been arguing for ages that he should be our FB. Hopefully that discussion is nearly over.

Agree with Olyy. Daly's not a wing. Looks fab with ball in hand, but positionally he's got a fair way to go. At the moment he's a 13. Let him fight it out for that shirt with JJ and, hopefully, Manu.

May on one wing and whoever develops fastest out of Earle and Solomona on the other. Might also be worth keeping half an eye on Marcus Watson at Wasps next year.

The Arg tour could start to give Eddie some real headaches in front and back rows.

Nowell?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

With some regret, bench.

Great team player and contributor with a good rugby brain, but not a potential game breaker in my eyes. What's his party trick, would the ABs be worried that he could either run round or through them?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I would like to see one day against a team like Samoa or Fiji in the AI's

10) Ford
11) Watson
12) Slade
13) Nowell
14) Solomona
15) Daly

Won't happen but would be interesting to see how it would go.

Would love for Exeter to play Nowell at 13 but can't see it happening with the players they have there currently maybe if Slade plays 10.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I would like to see one day against a team like Samoa or Fiji in the AI's

10) Ford
11) Watson
12) Slade
13) Nowell
14) Solomona
15) Daly

Won't happen but would be interesting to see how it would go.

Would love for Exeter to play Nowell at 13 but can't see it happening with the players they have there currently maybe if Slade plays 10.

I do like Nowell at 13 but I don't think it gives him as much freedom as he has on the wing and he also doesn't have a good enough distributing game. The distributing can be improved, but the roaming is the best aspect of his game. Would hate to see that wasted.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I do worry about his speed though.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I do worry about his speed though.

I won't deny that it's a slight issue but he des seem to be improving on it, his cover play on the Chris Wyles chip in the semi final was by far the fastest I've seen him move, he's on the up IMO.

His speed hasn't really been shown up throughout the season. I don't think it's a coincidence that the one time it's been majorly exploited was in an inexperienced team who's defence wasn't really clicking. I can't remember a time when it's been a real issue before on the wing (it does undoubtedly get exploited when he's at FB), whenever he's played for England or Exeter, defensively he's been fine.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

It's also in attack. The memory of him being hunted down in a club match by a centre (start of this season, maybe last) remains. If a wing has a head start in a footrace to the line they should finish every time. Period.

Harsh, but it's also a compliment that we're judging him on the highest of standards.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

It's also in attack. The memory of him being hunted down in a club match by a centre (start of this season, maybe last) remains. If a wing has a head start in a footrace to the line they should finish every time. Period.

Harsh, but it's also a compliment that we're judging him on the highest of standards.

Yeah, can't argue with this, he does struggle a bit more in open field. To be fair to him that centre was rapid, but nonetheless he shouldn't be getting caught. In the regular Premiership season he scored 2 tries which frankly isn't good enough. Undoubtedly beats defenders though and has a superb skillset. I understand calls for him to be moved to 13 but for me he's a winger. Used to see him more as a FB but every time it's tried it fails so am no longer on board with the idea.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

My 45 Man EPS after the Argentina tour:
Props - Vunipola, Marler, Genge, Cole, Sinckler, Williams
Hookers - Hartley, George, LCD, Taylor
Locks - Itoje, Kruis, Launchbury, Lawes, Ewels
Back Rowers - Robshaw, Haskell, Wilson, Underhill, T. Curry, B. Curry, Vunipola, Hughes, Clifford (Good form could see any of a long list force their way in)
Scrum Halves - Youngs, Care, Maunder, Townsend (Good form from Robson or Spencer could easily see them in)
Fly Halves - Farrell, Ford, Lozowski
Centres - Te'o, Joseph, Francis, Daly, Devoto, Tuilagi (Harsh on Slade and Marchant but I don't think Marchant's ready yet and I just don't think Slade's good enough)
Back Three - May, Nowell, Earle, Cokonasiga, Yarde, Watson, Brown, Haley

 

[Goodey]

Yeah that's probably where we're at.

Tuilagi won't be involved this season, at least not at the start, so that's where Marchant will fit in. Slade will probably preferred over Devoto though I agree with you.

For me, Collier over Williams from what we've seen in the recent series. I still want my tighthead to be technically strong, there are 7 other forwards to carry.

Armand over Clifford might be more well deserved.

I probably wouldn't stick with Yarde when players like Wade, Roko and now Solomona are available but whatever, we might have to get used to it and 5th choice wing is not a position I particularly care about.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I, too, would take Collier over Williams.
Doesn't offer as much around the park but is a much better scrummager, And I'm still of the opinion that that comes first (especially for a tighthead prop). He's old school but he's class.
That he's not making runs an outside centre would be proud off is lessened somewhat when you consider how dynamic literally every other member of our pack is.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Yeah that's probably where we're at.

Tuilagi won't be involved this season, at least not at the start, so that's where Marchant will fit in. Slade will probably preferred over Devoto though I agree with you.

For me, Collier over Williams from what we've seen in the recent series. I still want my tighthead to be technically strong, there are 7 other forwards to carry.

Armand over Clifford might be more well deserved.

I probably wouldn't stick with Yarde when players like Wade, Roko and now Solomona are available but whatever, we might have to get used to it and 5th choice wing is not a position I particularly care about.

Completely forgot about Solomona, replace Yarde with him

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Think Marchant really desevrves a shout at some point because he was so good for quins last year. Will depend on the next autumn/summer international fixtures and how much jones is happy to experiment

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

So 2 games into the Lions and with the Argie tour over, who has stuck their hand up so far?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

So 2 games into the Lions and with the Argie tour over, who has stuck their hand up so far?

Winners:

• Jamie George - He's in a different class to Hartley ATM. If he's starting for the Lions he has to start for England. Hartley's time is over.
• Courtney Lawes - I suspect EJ will be unwilling to break up the Krutoje pairing but Lawes has been in outstanding form and really deserves to be taken into consideration to start.
• Currys and Underhill - Tom and Sam were both very impressive with the time they got in an England shirt. Haskell's lacklustre Lions tour may see any of the 3 young 7s in with a chance taking his shirt.
• Mark Wilson - Can't see him getting into the starting team but he had a very good tour and has proven to be more than capable back row cover or to fill the 20 shirt.
• Ben Te'o - Has been incredibly impressive on the Lions tour. EJ must be seriously questioning whether he should replace Ford in the England team.
• Anthony Watson - Showed with his limited time at FB for the Lions that it's where he plays his best rugby and where he should be starting.

Losers:

• Dylan Hartley - Simply not good enough anymore. George, LCD, Taylor and arguably Youngs are all better hookers now.
• James Haskell - Lacklustre Lions tour.
• George Ford - Te'o's impressive Lions tour could well see Ford dropped to the bench.
• Mike Brown - Had a good 2nd test but that doesn't make up for him being pretty poor for the last couple of years. Watson is just better.

Disappointments:

• Ellis Genge - Clearly has a future ahead of him but failed to make the impact that many expected him to in Argentina.
• Harry Williams - Did very well in the loose but was dominated in the scrums.
• Henry Slade - Even as a Chiefs supporter I've said for a while now that Slade shouldn't be in the England Squad. He had 2 poor tests, apart from that piece of magic in the 1st. Arguably played out of position but don't think anyone really knows what his position is.
• Denny Solomona - Incredible attacking weapon but that defence... clearly needs more time.
• Eddie Jones - Wasted the opportunity to test players such as Maunder, Earle and Cokonasiga. IMO the distribution of game time could've been handled much better. I'd have rather lost the series and developed some young players than win and come away with no real new knowledge of the quality of our youngsters.