England Rugby 2019/20 Thread

[TRF_Olyy]

Anyone actually know when our team is announced?
Our first game is two weeks and two days away - surely the players will be going into camp in a few days or something?


Edit:
Probably should have googled first, lol: Monday at Midday

 

[Which Tyler]

Edit:
Probably should have googled first, lol: Monday at Midday

I believe Eddie doesn't like naming these things before the last pre-camp club match has been played - in case it changes the way players approach the game (ie protect themselves and play badly)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So that's Billy out of the 6N

 

[Reiser99]

Sounds like Billy is out of 6N's. Tbh maybe a blessing in disguise as Jones has seemed to be overally reliant on him or someone similar to him (Hughes) and he'll have to try someone else there. Earl, Dombrandt and Simmonds are obvious candidates.

 

[WarriorKelv]

I'd say Earl and Dombrandt now Eddie prefers size to what Simmonds brings and Earl and Dombrandt also cover 6 and 7 respectively could be well a well balanced back row with Dombrandt, Earl, T. Curry, J. Willis/B. Curry/ L. Ludlam and Underhill although Simmonds would offer another ball carrying option with no Wilson or Billy Vunipola.

 

[NickBD]

Sounds like Billy is out of 6N's. Tbh maybe a blessing in disguise as Jones has seemed to be overally reliant on him or someone similar to him (Hughes) and he'll have to try someone else there. Earl, Dombrandt and Simmonds are obvious candidates.

Have to agree. 2019 was pretty forgettable for Billy can’t remember him having a great game. Lack of competition and injures slowed him down. He was never bad just ok. I think Dombrandt has had a better season and deserve to be involved at international level.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Can’t see Earl being included as an 8. Annoyingly the Saracens website no longer displays players’ heights and weights but everywhere I can find says that Earl is even smaller than Simmonds. EJ clearly doesn’t like small 8s and if he did I’d hope that he’d go for Simmonds over Earl.

 

[FLOBALOB]

I'd say Earl and Dombrandt now Eddie prefers size to what Simmonds brings and Earl and Dombrandt also cover 6 and 7 respectively could be well a well balanced back row with Dombrandt, Earl, T. Curry, J. Willis/B. Curry/ L. Ludlam and Underhill although Simmonds would offer another ball carrying option with no Wilson or Billy Vunipola.

Earl is same size as simmonds and if its purely size then Hughes and Morgan would be picked.

 

[WarriorKelv]

Earl is same size as simmonds and if its purely size then Hughes and Morgan would be picked.

Tbh I actually thought Earl was bigger cause Sarries website don't supply height or weight.

Nathan Hughes
Sam Simmonds
Matt Kvesic (has played at 8 before)
Dave Ewers if for another physical presence
Ben Morgan
Alex Dombrandt
Teimana Harrison
Lewis Ludlam
Josh Beaumont
Jono Ross
Sam Moore
Ben Earl
Jackson Wray
Brad Shields (if fit)
Tom Willis

That's pretty much the list we have atm there are certainly personal available but not a lot of quality. Moore and Willis are young prospects but aren't ready yet. Shields I don't even know if he is fit and not a massive fan anyway. Kvesic, Ludlam and Ross are playing well but aren't natural 8s. Simmonds, Earl, Harrison and Wray are also playing well but aren't the bulky 8s that Eddie likes and wouldn't fit into that Billy role of basically being a battering ram. Beaumont and Ewers are very left field picks although would fit the big guy role. Morgan and Hughes have the experience but Hughes hasn't performed for England and Morgan doesn't seem to be in Eddie's favour. Dombrandt will almost certainly be in there but needs we can't go with just one 8 and we don't really know how he will perform on the international stage. When you think Billy V, Mercer, Clifford and Wilson are out we certainly have quantity in this position but hard to see where the quality is cause even Billy hasn't been at his best recently and is injury prone.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Dombrandt is the obvious choice. We have to accept that he’s not the finished article, but unless he really looks out of his depth he should be given the shirt for the whole tournament.

Who gets the back row bench slot? It’s a role that suits Simmonds, but I’d prob go for Ludlam and I’d also like see Willis involved. Curryhill are going to have to stay right on top of their games to keep their places with those 2, Curry B and Earl around.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Dombrandt is older and much more experienced than Ben and Tom Curry were when they first made the England squad
He's good enough to be there even with Binny about, without Binny it's a no brainer.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Dombrandt is older and much more experienced than Ben and Tom Curry were when they first made the England squad
He's good enough to be there even with Binny about, without Binny it's a no brainer.

For a moment I thought you were saying Billy had no brain until I re-read it. Wouldn't have argued though, for all he does offer, brains and subtlety are not part of it. When he was battering through defences he could hide that but in recent years he has not been doing that and his inability to play another way has become a weakness.

 

[duncanb]

The form 8 at present is Harrison yes I have my rose tinted Saints glasses on but hard to deny it.
Domb great forward too slow in defence can play however with quick 6 and 7.
Morgan good prem player not at next level Even Glou don't pick him against top class opponents.
We have seen Hughes and well hes Hughes.
I like Simmons but with curryhill he doesn't fit around another combo definitely somewhere in back row we need an out and out ball carrier first five cant do it all.
So for me give the Domb a go if not fall back to Harrison along with 9 and 15, 8 is lowest depth position.

 

[WarriorKelv]

It's definitely going to be T. Curry, Underhill, Dombrandt that's for sure but you still need a replacement 8 which Dombrandt would have been. I imagine Ludlam will be in the squad because of his ability to cover the entire back row but we still need an 8 and a specialist blindside too. Dombrandt would have been the replacement for Wilson but now he will be the primary 8 so there is still need for a specialist blindside.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Morgan good prem player not at next level Even Glou don't pick him against top class opponents.

He’s much better than that and more relevantly always raised his game in a white shirt. Jones has had some bizarre blind spots and Morgan’s been one of them. At 30, his ship’s now sailed.

 

[WarriorKelv]

The form 8 at present is Harrison yes I have my rose tinted Saints glasses on but hard to deny it.
Domb great forward too slow in defence can play however with quick 6 and 7.
Morgan good prem player not at next level Even Glou don't pick him against top class opponents.
We have seen Hughes and well hes Hughes.
I like Simmons but with curryhill he doesn't fit around another combo definitely somewhere in back row we need an out and out ball carrier first five cant do it all.
So for me give the Domb a go if not fall back to Harrison along with 9 and 15, 8 is lowest depth position.

Harrison is playing great but falls into the same category as Simmonds as tbf a Curryhill partnership needs that bulky eightman and Harrison doesn't fit into that bracket either. The only 8s that do are Hughes, Dombrandt, Morgan, Beaumont and Ewers and obviously Vunipola if he was fit.

Harrison/ Simmonds would only work if we had bulkier flankers ie Isiekwe/Lawes/Hill/Ross/Willis/Ludlam/B. Curry otherwise it's just too lightweight for the way we play unless Eddie has miraculously changed our gameplan.

 

[Scotty]

Well here it is, today is the day EJ confuses us with his six nations squad. Cant wait.

Shame about Billy but gives Dombrandt a chance. I hope he jusy gets the 8 shirt for the tournament, throw him in. He is very intelligent player and i think he will step up. What's his workrate like in all aspects?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Harrison is playing great but falls into the same category as Simmonds as tbf a Curryhill partnership needs that bulky eightman and Harrison doesn't fit into that bracket either. The only 8s that do are Hughes, Dombrandt, Morgan, Beaumont and Ewers and obviously Vunipola if he was fit.

Harrison/ Simmonds would only work if we had bulkier flankers ie Isiekwe/Lawes/Hill/Ross/Willis/Ludlam/B. Curry otherwise it's just too lightweight for the way we play unless Eddie has miraculously changed our gameplan.

As excellent as Curryhill are, Ludlam and Willis are naturally bigger and stronger with Willis in particular being like a limpet over the ball. Who knows, but in a couple of years you could see those 2 and Uni Rig as a hell of a strong back row. Earl always impresses too, the options are exciting. I’ve said before that Jones should pick his men and back them, that may now be difficult on the flanks but at least he’ll be picking from a position of real strength.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Well here it is, today is the day EJ confuses us with his six nations squad. Cant wait.

Shame about Billy but gives Dombrandt a chance. I hope he jusy gets the 8 shirt for the tournament, throw him in. He is very intelligent player and i think he will step up. What's his workrate like in all aspects?

Very good, perhaps half a step slow in defence sometimes but somewhat negated by the frequency with which he gets the interception.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Apparently no dombrandt or Ben curry.
Cole dropped.

Marler to continue
Temina Harrison called up
And Furbank also called up
As are thorley and earl