England EPS 2017/18 edition.

[TRF_Olyy]

Hughes is gonna be ****.
He was very clearly not fit in the wasps play-off and no amount of beasting from the England execution....i mean strength and conditioning staff, is going to bring him up to a level to compete with the saffers

Not happy about Francis tbh, but made my points on that previously.

Don't particularly like Woodward playing for England but he's the best option at 15 so whatever.


Think we need to cut our losses with Teo. Spends as much time on the sidelines as manu

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Hughes is gonna be ****.
He was very clearly not fit in the wasps play-off and no amount of beasting from the England execution....i mean strength and conditioning staff, is going to bring him up to a level to compete with the saffers

Not happy about Francis tbh, but made my points on that previously.

Don't particularly like Woodward playing for England but he's the best option at 15 so whatever.


Think we need to cut our losses with Teo. Spends as much time on the sidelines as manu

We don't have that many big ball carrying centres though... Maybe Ollie Lawrence in a few years, but other than those two we've got Barritt and Burrell. Not great depth

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We don't have that many big ball carrying centres though... Maybe Ollie Lawrence in a few years, but other than those two we've got Barritt and Burrell. Not great depth

We should stop building our game around it, or even hoping to.
Every EPS we name teo and then end up having to bin him off and bring in someone new. Just have someone else there.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

We should stop building our game around it, or even hoping to.
Every EPS we name teo and then end up having to bin him off and bring in someone new. Just have someone else there.

Like who though? Most successful teams have built a good game around a big ball carrier in the centres. A few that come to mind are obviously Barritt for sarries, henshaw for Ireland and Leinster when fit, roberts for wales when they were good, Nonu for the all blacks... Obviously many more, but that option is an integral part of so many successful sides.

 

[curtbob7]

Still Surprised Earl and Earle are going tbh

Oh and Ben Spencer.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Why?

The squad is the squad - the only changes are due to injury.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I hope Earl actually gets game time. Otherwise there was no point in not letting him go with the U20s.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Like who though? Most successful teams have built a good game around a big ball carrier in the centres. A few that come to mind are obviously Barritt for sarries, henshaw for Ireland and Leinster when fit, roberts for wales when they were good, Nonu for the all blacks... Obviously many more, but that option is an integral part of so many successful sides.

That's the point though, we don't have anyone so we need to look at alternative play styles not just having a stop gap until we can stick teo or manu there. They're the only real crasb ball players we have and they play about 10 games a year between them

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

We don't have that many big ball carrying centres though... Maybe Ollie Lawrence in a few years, but other than those two we've got Barritt and Burrell. Not great depth

The other day I did find myself briefly wondering if Barritt could do a short term job for us.

I have sought help.

He runs straight and hard, tackles like a train, his hands have improved (a bit), brings leadership, is hard as nails and generally fit. We're missing most of those qualities.

Not sure the therapy's kicked in yet.

 

[ratsapprentice]

That's the point though, we don't have anyone so we need to look at alternative play styles not just having a stop gap until we can stick teo or manu there. They're the only real crasb ball players we have and they play about 10 games a year between them

I don't know whether this injury is a "he can't play" injury, or a "he's our last crash ball guy so lets give him a surgery and rest period" injury.

I suspect it's the latter.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The other day I did find myself briefly wondering if Barritt could do a short term job for us.

I have sought help.

He runs straight and hard, tackles like a train, his hands have improved (a bit), brings leadership, is hard as nails and generally fit. We're missing most of those qualities.

Not sure the therapy's kicked in yet.

The fact that he tackles moves him way up the pecking order

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

The other day I did find myself briefly wondering if Barritt could do a short term job for us.

I have sought help.

He runs straight and hard, tackles like a train, his hands have improved (a bit), brings leadership, is hard as nails and generally fit. We're missing most of those qualities.

Not sure the therapy's kicked in yet.

If there was some creativity (Loz or Slade) outside of him then I wouldn't be massively opposed to it. There are worse things than having your international midfield be one that plays together every week, Faz-Barritt-Loz.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Manu Tuilagi to save England in the RWC IMO.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Manu Tuilagi to save England in the RWC IMO.

Tuilagi, slayer of the Kiwis

 

[ratsapprentice]

Tuilagi, slayer of the Kiwis

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Tuilagi, slayer of the Kiwis

Occasional kiwi slayer. We'll ignore the following 3 times he played against them......

Without looking can anyone name our backline in that 2012 game? I remain amazed that we managed to win it.

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

Youngs, Farrell, Brown, Barritt, Tuilagi, Ashton, Goode, if I remember correctly.

Good day.

 

[Reiser99]

Btw I haven't seen it mentioned, but I assume Te'o's injury was as part of England training? If so the grinder is starting to get to work.

 

[Nudger]

Is that Itoje's Japanese cousin?

Itoje shouldn't be played as a back-rower IMO.

Don't think Simmonds can be used as a starting 8 until the rest of the pack has sufficient carrying power in the tight.

Isiekwe

 

[Big_Grumper]

That's the point though, we don't have anyone so we need to look at alternative play styles not just having a stop gap until we can stick teo or manu there. They're the only real crasb ball players we have and they play about 10 games a year between them

I agree with this. Crashball rugby can be effective but it's incredibly attritional; look at the injury rate. The problem EJ has is that it's very difficult to try something a bit different when your international opponents are lining up with big, beefy 95kg lads in the midfield against you. Sunday was a case in point: Trinny and Francis were giving away 2 or 3 stones in weight against the Baa Baas.