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England Rugby 2019/20 Thread

Best part of a season and a half out.
Had no chance to see what he can do under Boyd rather than the non attack minded attack under his Dad.
Even at under 20s never a great defender.
Desperately needs to find a position rather than being a good bench choice who can cover 10 12 13 15.
Looking forward to seeing him him back in our first 15 to see if can make step up.
Sadly Furbank at 15 has regressed and becomes a third choice 10 or utility off bench.
Doubt Mallinder will push better players at other positions unless he makes jump at 15 which next to 9 is a huge area where England are and for along time have produced nowt.
 
With Francis, Hutchinson and Moala in the centres I can't see Mallinder breaking into the 1st XV as a 12, which is where I'd really like to see him play. I think Mallinder's a real case where it'd be massively beneficial for him to move to a new club where it'd be much easier for him to get rid of his old reputation, and where he'd be able to play 12 rather than 15. I could see him fitting in very well at Quins, although I'm not sure they'd improve the weak aspects of his game. Maybe Wasps? Gopperth's getting on and no one else has really made a claim to their 12 shirt. There are worse players to play next to than Sopoaga and Fekitoa.
 
Best part of a season and a half out.
Had no chance to see what he can do under Boyd rather than the non attack minded attack under his Dad.
Even at under 20s never a great defender.
Desperately needs to find a position rather than being a good bench choice who can cover 10 12 13 15.
Looking forward to seeing him him back in our first 15 to see if can make step up.
Sadly Furbank at 15 has regressed and becomes a third choice 10 or utility off bench.
Doubt Mallinder will push better players at other positions unless he makes jump at 15 which next to 9 is a huge area where England are and for along time have produced nowt.

Find it hard to believe Furbank is 3rd choice considering Tuala is fit and Furbank is still starting at 15 ahead of him. I think Furbank has been great this season tbf.
 
Best part of a season and a half out.
Had no chance to see what he can do under Boyd rather than the non attack minded attack under his Dad.
Even at under 20s never a great defender.
Desperately nees to find a position rather than being a good bench choice who can cover 10 12 13 15.
Looking forward to seeing him him back in our first 15 to see if can make step up.
Sadly Furbank at 15 has regressed and becomes a third choice 10 or utility of bench.
Doubt Mallinder will push better players at other positions unless he makes jump at 15 which next to 9 is a huge area where England are and for along time have produced nowt.
Find it hard to believe Furbank is 3rd choice considering Tuala is fit and Furbank is still starting at 15 ahead of him. I think Furbank has been great this season tbf.
Just my thoughts on Furbank who had a great start and dropped off at 15.
My comments are a 3rd choice 10 not 15.
Which along with back row is a huge deficit for us (saints).
No supporter would disagree with this.
 
Just my thoughts on Furbank who had a great start and dropped off at 15.
My comments are a 3rd choice 10 not 15.
Which along with back row is a huge deficit for us (saints).
No supporter would disagree with this.

Yeah you definitely need a specialist 8 imo (I like Harrison but not a specialist). A 3rd choice 10 tbf. I'm not a Saints fan just a Rugby fan probably more Worcester than anything.
 
What's everyone's thoughts on the potential Six Nations squad? What would your original 35 man squad be:

Mine is:

Props: M. Vunipola, E. Genge, B. Obano, E. Painter, H. Williams, K. Sinkler
Hookers: J. George, L. Cowan- Dickie, H. Thacker
Locks: M. Itoje, G. Kruis, A. Moon, J. Hill
Back Row: A. Dombrandt, B. Vunipola, J. Willis, T. Curry, S. Underhill, L. Ludlam

Scrum Halfs: B. Spencer, D. Robson, H. Randall
Fly Halfs: O. Farrell, G. Ford, M. Smith
Centres: M. Tuilagi, H. Slade, J. Joseph, C Redpath
Outside Backs: A. Watson, E. Daly, J. Nowell, T. O'Flaherty, O. Thorley, J. May

Few left field inclusions here but we know Eddie is famous for that. I've also left out a few Saracens players I originally thought would be in as I don't think Eddie is the type to pick the bones when Saracens are in trouble. Basically gone with those who I think Eddie will see as certs.
 
Why is everyone so obsessed with Redpath??
He's really not good enough for even senior club rugby (yet?)
 
Why is everyone so obsessed with Redpath??
He's really not good enough for even senior club rugby (yet?)

I agree personally but I could see him as the only logical choice as a replacement 12 tbh. Devoto hasn't played much Rugby, Williams is in the championship, Lawrence is too early for him, L. James is down the pecking order even though I prefer him. I would give Sam Hill a chance at 12 but I don't think Eddie would. Francis I think Eddie will move on from. So the only real choice was Redpath or Tompkins and I as I said I don't think Eddie will pick the bones of Saracen.
 
He's behind both James brothers at Sale, though (and Jennings, before his sabbatical).
His surname is blinding people
 
Really unsure how Eddie will play it.
In theory all teams at beginning of next 4 year cycle.
Looking at age wise its possible if everyone kept form and no one challenged position then there maybe little or no change as oldest would be 34.
However this would seem extremely unlikely.
For me Laws, Francis, Joseph , Youngs,Manu and May will all be at twilight of playing days then so its upto Eddie to decide discard time.
9 15 standout areas for improvement an 8 to challenge Binny.
Centres seem an obvious area to try some new blood in next 18 months, personally see the summer tour to Japan being the first experimental time .
6 N will be core of World Cup players bar injury.
 
Youngs will have to go this 6N in my opinion if there's a place to start trying new blood and getting caps its that position.

FB I'd like us to select someone preferably not Daly but also I'd be kinda happy if we stuck with him. Main issue being how later last cycle we started to use him and carried on with Brown even though he was unlikely to make it.
 
Really unsure how Eddie will play it.
In theory all teams at beginning of next 4 year cycle.
Looking at age wise its possible if everyone kept form and no one challenged position then there maybe little or no change as oldest would be 34.
However this would seem extremely unlikely.
For me Laws, Francis, Joseph , Youngs,Manu and May will all be at twilight of playing days then so its upto Eddie to decide discard time.
9 15 standout areas for improvement an 8 to challenge Binny.
Centres seem an obvious area to try some new blood in next 18 months, personally see the summer tour to Japan being the first experimental time .
6 N will be core of World Cup players bar injury.
Yep world cup 31 plus a few look see's
 
Wales are naming their squad week commencing Jan 13th (so at some point next week) - presume we'll do the same?
 
Majority of the World Cup squad but not all,

Marler probably won't
Cole definitely won't
Singleton is 50/50 depends if Thacker gets a chance.
Lawes and Launchbury possibly won't in a highly competitive position Lawes is 30 and Launchbury was essentially back up.
Wilson won't as injured.
Heinz won't because of age.
Francis depends on what 12s are available.
Cokansinga won't as injured.
McConnochie probably won't either tbf.
 
Is McConnochie injured? Can't really remember seeing him for Bath this season - is he even in their first choice 15 with Roko/Watson back and Homer playing well?
His inclusion in the RWC squad seems so weird looking back at it (not that it wasn't bizarre at the time).
 
Although a position of some strength, I'm really keen to see what Willis can do - looks the real deal to me. And if I mention Dombrandt one more time I'll sound like a broken record. Would like to see Devoto tried.

There is a case for including a fresh lock, but I reckon at least 3 of the established 4 will be in the squad.

Thacker won't / shouldn't get a look in. Ditto Redpath. Don't think Painter's really in the running yet either.

Blooding other 9s is a no brainer, but we've said that before.....
 
Is McConnochie injured? Can't really remember seeing him for Bath this season - is he even in their first choice 15 with Roko/Watson back and Homer playing well?
Injured - and yes, he'd be in the first choice XXIII, probably in the first choice XV.
Rocco's lost a fair bit of pace now, and he's a lot less effective. All fit, then Watson and Cokanasiga start; then it's between Homer and McConnochie to sort out the 3rd starting berth, and the bench
 
My two-penneth...

Eddie needs to win this 6N, and with two tricky away fixtures to open the tournament, I can't see him experimenting too much, especially given how well the team played for much of last year and how young it is overall. So yeah, I think most of the World Cup 31 will be there, with a few tweaks:

LH: Marler is still one of the best loosies in England and can make the next WC, so if he's up for it, I expect him to be in alongside Genge and Mako. If not, Rapava-Ruskin? Hepburn? Moon?
HK: Singleton might find himself pushed out by Dunn, but given our scrummaging troubles in the final, I can't see Eddie going for the undersized Thacker right now. George and LCD should continue.
TH: Cole has been dropped before, has been inconsistent for a while now and will be too old for the next WC, so yeah, a likely casualty. I expect Williams and Schonert to replace him behind Sinckler. Schonert's been in a number of England squads under Eddie but always seems to get injured before he can make his debut. If he's fit, I think Eddie takes him (also, doesn't hurt to have a Saffer there to teach those English puddings how to scrummage properly :D).
LK: Can't see any changes here. Lawes and Launchbury are still excellent players that would grace most international sides and both can make the next WC. Krutoje will start. Maybe bring in a fifth lock for the squad. With Ewels injured and Sarries in trouble, probably Hill or Stooke.
FL: Wilson should be there if he's fit, he's a real leader behind the scenes and sets the tone in training (apparently). Otherwise, Ted Hill, Willis, Ben Curry and even Kvesic have a shot behind Curryhill and Ludlam. Kvesic spent a lot of time helping out the WC squad in training sessions before they flew to Japan, so not sure what Eddie's angle is there, but there's got to be something to it. Is Shields injured? Don't rate him, but Eddie does.
N8: I'm nowhere near as down on Binny as a number of the posters on here, but if Wilson's out, Binny's our only proven international 8. So yeah, need to find some depth. Dombrandt obviously, but are there any other candidates? Hughes has had some good games for Bristol but is a bit like Alex Goode at this point: a great club player who is mediocre as an international. Simmonds is too small. Morgan is not Eddie's cup of tea. How's Mercer doing? Can he even get into that Bath backrow? It's not short of quality. What about Clifford?
SH: Eddie only likes two SHs in camp, so I'm guessing Youngs and Spencer, purely because of Heinz' age. But Willie was good in an England shirt I thought, so maybe it's as you were for now? Or maybe Robson crashes the party somehow?
FH: Ford, Farrell and one of Smith or Grayson. Doesn't matter coz only Ford and Farrell will make the matchday squads.
C: Slade's injured, so I expect Francis to continue because of his flyhalf skillset. Manu and Joseph, obviously, then maybe Marchant? Lozowski has been in and around the squad for a long time now and is another converted flyhalf, but faster than Francis. Plus, we can always play Daly or Nowell there. The Barbarians and Japan is the time to look at up-and-comers like Lawrence et al.
W: Cokanasiga and McConochie injured so May, Watson, Nowell, Daly and one or two others. Eddie seems to like Thorley. Ashton's still got something to offer, but he'll be too old for the next WC. Would like to see him in the 6N though, underrated player who should fit England's current style well, using his League skills to hunt out where the try is going to come and getting himself in the right place to finish it. (Speaking of Sharks, whatever happened to Solomona and Yarde? They had some good moments in England shirts but seem to have vanished off the scene).
 
Marchant is on loan in NZ - would be amazed if he came back for the 6N


Yarde snapped his leg off (almost literally - tore absolutely everything in his knee and his lower leg was only held on by skin). Was in the form of his life before the injury - struggled for form this season but not that surprising considering there were questions whether he'd ever walk properly again let alone play rugby.
Denny is in great form but has been struggling with a hamstring this season so seems to alternate games atm.
Neither are likely to be in EJs mind, though an on form Denny is one of the best finishers in the country, and his defence has improved immeasurably since his nightmare in Argentina


I wouldn't be surprised to see Bassett sniffing around the squad - guy knows his way to the tryline
 
So who gets the apprentice tag?

Like to see Randall(third SH) and Lawrence in there as alot of potential but not ready.

On Simmonds being to small, while i agree for starting he is, i think he is Ideal for the 20 shirt, being quick strong and rapid and can make a good impact coming off the bench
 
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