England in the AIs

[Duckdee]

I bet even saracenangel could pick a better XV.

 

[munster2010]

can ayone post the french squad for the ai's, or has it been announced yet, please

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just had a look through Google News and the French Rugby Union site and can't find one (the France site only seems to have a search option to look at info about a player of your choice, rather than a list of the current squad)

 

[Conal]

I bet even saracenangel could pick a better XV.

is there even enough englishmen at saracens for her to pick 15?

 

[eot345]

So Moore wants:

- To put in a fly half who prefers to kick the ball away when including one of the slowest packs he can (Thompson, Sheridan, Shaw & Easter in particular).

i agree with what you said apart from sheridan being slow he is supposedly one of the quickest props in the premiership

 

[Peat]

Besides, who is there but Sheridan?

Thompson's throwing though has been better than Hartley's in recent England games.

 

[eot345]

i dont really know why we would pick palmer just because he can shout calls in the line out
ive seen easter calling line outs before.

i think having two enforcers in the second row is pretty awsome in some respects

emagine a lawes-shaw engine room come scrum time that combined with the big, physical and able scrummaging front row we have would make us one of the best scrummaging teams.

and in the loose shaw andlawes are both great ball carriers, shaw with his massive power
and lawes with his power agression and athletasism.

courtney lawes broke castres line through the 12-13 channel twice in about 5 minuets (where the northamptons backs had failed for the last 25 mins) using his massive arms to hand off both times he made 20m's plus.

Shaw was the only man in my opinion who actually made any ground on pick and drives when england played australia his abillity to run into the oppositions pack and yet still make yards is vital for england when they are 2 meters from the oppositions try line and are trying to smash it up with the forwards


you guys probably think im being dumb

 

[Teh Mite]

There's a logic in the theory (and don't be too surprised if it's what MJ goes with), but IMO it doesn't work in the modern game to focus on the scrum and sacrifice the lineout if you're using a forwards orientated gameplan (and without a midfield, that is exactly what England will be doing). Shaw simply doesn't offer any more then fat in the contact, the same as Borthwick offers nothing more then an obvious lineout target. There's too much of the game being sacrificed just to have that tiny bit more weight in a maul (which will get constantly collapsed during this series anyway I reckon).

Lawes, Palmer (gen) and Croft really should be the jumping options, with Moody or A.N.Eight (Please lord, why did Haskell have to be a complete fuckwit?) as the long throw options.

Easter most likely will be involved in the England lineout, but he should be a lifter instead of a jumper when so. All the bossing at that set piece should be dealt with by the second row general and all the scrum bossing should be done by the half and by the 8.

 

[eot345]

i think shaw offers more than 'a bit of fat' he is is a very strong ball carrier (stronger than palmer) an awsome scrummager (better than palmer) and also has the advantage over plamer in rucks and mauls.

the only areas where Palmer is of greater value than shaw (that i can see) is in the line out and his greater fitness. however in my opinion saw is a 60 minuet player these days anyway.

 

[Teh Mite]

More like the last 20.

 

[mohamed_ali12]

There's a logic in the theory (and don't be too surprised if it's what MJ goes with), but IMO it doesn't work in the modern game to focus on the scrum and sacrifice the lineout if you're using a forwards orientated gameplan (and without a midfield, that is exactly what England will be doing). Shaw simply doesn't offer any more then fat in the contact, the same as Borthwick offers nothing more then an obvious lineout target. There's too much of the game being sacrificed just to have that tiny bit more weight in a maul (which will get constantly collapsed during this series anyway I reckon).

Lawes, Palmer (gen) and Croft really should be the jumping options, with Moody or A.N.Eight (Please lord, why did Haskell have to be a complete fuckwit?) as the long throw options.

Easter most likely will be involved in the England lineout, but he should be a lifter instead of a jumper when so. All the bossing at that set piece should be dealt with by the second row general and all the scrum bossing should be done by the half and by the 8.

Easter is a very underrated lineout jumper in my opinion. For a man of his size (fat) he is pretty damn agile, never disappoints for Quins.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've seen him make some spectacular one handed catches in the lineout before

 

[TRF_Olyy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/9132368.stm
Wilkinson officially outof the whole AIs

 

[gingergenius]

so it'll be 10 Flood (yay!) 21 Hodgson (not yay).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I wonder if we'll see Bananaman at 13 at any point this test series.
I've only seen a couple of Bath games this season, but I think he looks much better at centre than at wing.
Maybe he'll get time there in the Samoa match




B. Barritt out for the AIs with broken finger:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9817_6479286,00.html
Wonder if/who will be called up to replace him (suppose it depends if Flutey heals quickly)
Obvious choice would be Anthony Allen (and I do hope it's him, because a) He's quality, and b) he'll link in well with the Tigers 9/10 pair)
Think this almost cements Hape in at 12 now (unless Johnson has a moment of clarity and plays Waldouck) as how likely is he to replace him with (in his eyes) his third/fourth choice (after losing Flutey and Barritt to injury)

 

[SelimNiai]

More like the last 20.

More like 10 with the inevitable sin-binning