England Saxons to tour South Africa in June

[TRF_heineken]

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/england-saxons-to-tour-south-africa-20160405

[TEXTAREA]England will send a strong Saxons team - effectively the country’s next-best - to face South Africa 'A' in a two-match series in June.

The matches will be played in Bloemfontein’s Toyota Stadium on Friday, 10 June, and Outeniqua Park in George on Friday, 17 June.

It will be the first time since 2003 that the SA 'A' team will be in action in South Africa. On that occasion they drew 30-30 against Argentina in Wellington.[/TEXTAREA]

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

That's really good news, wonder who Jones sees as his next best.

My take is

1 Mullan
2 Haywood
3 Jake cooper-wholly
4 Atwood
5 Kitchener
6 Slater/ wood(for experience)
7 Kevesic (unless he is with senior tour) or Harrison
8 Beaumont
9 Harrison/ chudley
10 Can't really think of a 10 other than burns and ciprani
11 Roko
12 Hill
13 Burrell possibly or Sam Jones?
14 young Watson or wade
15 hammersly

Not too sure about a bench right now

 

[Irish boy]

Not sure if Beaumont would be fit. Would Hughes be available when this begins?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Not sure if Beaumont would be fit. Would Hughes be available when this begins?

Gutted, really think Beaumont could b our Kieran Read.

Hughes is available in July I thought, not sure on the actual date.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Assuming a squad of say 28 and Injuries and EPS stays the same
1) Waller, Auterac
2) Haywood, Taylor (Thacker)
3) Cooper-Wooley, Thomas
4) Attwood, Barrow
5) Kitchener, Symons
6) Slater, Gibson/Croft
7) Kvesic, Harrison
8) Morgan
9) Robson/Simpson, Spencer
10) Cips, Burns
11) Lewington,
12) Hill, Devoto
13) James, Thompkins
14) Roko, Wade
15) Pennell, Haley

8 is a bit of an issue really. Addison and Hammersley Unlucky for me.

Williams would be @ 6 if not injured.

Burrell will prob be in it.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Hughes doesn't magically become English until after the summer, no need to worry about him just yet.

 

[Irish boy]

Think if he stays fit Trinder could go he is a class act shame he's always on medical table.

 

[SWAGGER]

I reckon he will take 64 men squad.
32 senior squad & 32 Saxon squad
Think it will be something like this
Senior squad
1) Marler, Mako, Mullan
2) Hartley, LCD, Taylor: reckon George & tom young's will both still be injured
3) Cole, Brookes, Hill
4) Itoje, Launchbury
5) Kruis, Lawes
6) Robshaw, Ewers
7) Haskell, Kvesic: beamount replacement
8) Billy, Clifford
9) Young's, Care
10) Farrell, Ford
11) Nowell, Ashton
12) Manu, Slade
13) JJ, Daly
14) Watson
15) Brown, Goode

First Test
1) Marler
2) Hartley: captain
3) Cole
4) Itoje
5) Kruis
6) Robshaw
7) Haskell
8) Billy
9) Young's
10) Farrell
11) Nowell
12) Manu
13) JJ
14) Watson
15) Brown
16) Mako
17) LCD
18) Brookes
19) Launchbury
20) Clifford
21) Care
22) Ford
23) Daly
He will trust the grand slamming team and grow from there but I can defiantly see changes in the back row as pocock & co could really dominate but after the first test.
Saxon squad
1) Auterac, Waller, Harrison
2) Haywood, Yeandle, Mcguigan or if he wants to play for Ireland than Thacker
3) Thomas, Cooper-Wooley, Sinckler
4) Barrow, Synmons
5) Attwood, Kitchener
6) Salter, Gibson
7) Fraser, Wallace
8) Morgan, Harrison
9) Simpson, Robson
10) Cipriani, Burns
11) Yarde
12) Hill, Devoto
13) Burrell, James
14) Rokoduguni, Wade
15) Hammersley, Haley: AS it's a saxon tour give youth a chance that's why I wouldn't take Pennell. Harsh on him

Team
1) Waller
2) Haywood
3) Thomas
4) Kitchener
5) Attwood
6) Salter: Captain
7) Fraser
8) Morgan
9) Simpson
10) Cipriani
11) Yarde
12) Devoto
13) James
14) Rokoduguni
15) Haley
16) Harrison
17) Yeandle
18) Cooper-Wooley
19) Synmons
20) Harrison
21) Robson
22) Burns
23) Wade
That's it !!! Thoughts

 

[Maverick1987]

Hughes doesn't magically become English until after the summer, no need to worry about him just yet.

2 days after the last test against Australia I believe

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

It's good to see that the Saxons actually exist.

But I'd rather see a bit of imagination and get them playing the senior teams from Georgia, Tonga, Namibia, Japan etc. I think these would be excellent developmental challenges for both our players and these other unions. We can support with financing if needs be - why not? Complete win-wins for me.

 

[Stumpy]

It's good to see that the Saxons actually exist.

But I'd rather see a bit of imagination and get them playing the senior teams from Georgia, Tonga, Namibia, Japan etc. I think these would be excellent developmental challenges for both our players and these other unions. We can support with financing if needs be - why not? Complete win-wins for me.

Bring back the Churchill Cup

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

It's good to see that the Saxons actually exist.

But I'd rather see a bit of imagination and get them playing the senior teams from Georgia, Tonga, Namibia, Japan etc. I think these would be excellent developmental challenges for both our players and these other unions. We can support with financing if needs be - why not? Complete win-wins for me.

That is probably the best approach all round. I have no idea what sort of team SA will be fielding and there is little to no coverage of this in SA media and quite simply, people don't care.

If previous SA 'A' sides are to be used as any sort of gauge of what we might see from SA it won't be a best-of-the-rest type of team as much as random invitational players who's either not contracted to a bigger union or not a key player for them and probably with a politically motivated 'developmental' slant.

My hope is Coetzee has some influence and uses the game to test some players who might not quite make it to the Bokke but are shwing potential. My ideal 23 of players I don't expect to make a Bok squad of 30;

1 Dylan Smith
2 Edgar Marutlule
3 Maks van Dyk
4 Oupa Mohoje
5 Franco Mostert
6 Jaco Kriel
7 Arno Botha
8 Nizaam Carr
9 Shaun Venter
10 Jean-Luc du Plessis
11 Sergeal Petersen
12 Burger Odendaal
13 Francois Venter
14 Ruan Combrinck
15 Warrick Gelant

16 Armand van der Merwe
17 Oli Kebble
18 Marcel van der Merwe
19 RG Snyman
20 Sikhumbouzo Notshe
21 Louis Schreuder
22 Cheslin Kolbe
23 Harold Vorster

 

[johnmac99]

Some up-to-date insights and thoughts on the Saxons tour.

http://www.rugbyworld.com/countries...and-what-can-they-expect-from-the-hosts-55821

Maybe the line-up for the tour will be slightly different to what we expect.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Really REALLY happy to hear him talk about the Saxons be a development side rather than 2nd tier.
Always ****** me off to see past it/never gonna be good enough players filling up the ranks for the Saxons and the younger guys never getting a look in.



Edit: Presume the author is a Saints fan. Touting Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi when he's never played in the premiership and only has 4 bench spots, spread over the last three years, in the LV= cup to his name.
Maybe he was tearing up trees for Moseley (lol), who knows.

 

[Maverick1987]

http://www.punditarena.com/rugby/across/possible-england-saxons-xv-to-face-south-africa-this-summer/

What you guys reckon to this ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wouldn't have Thacker - Haywood or Taylor (whichever isn't in Australia),
Robson over Simpson (unless Robson's in Aus),
Ford will definitely be in Australia, and Burns is out, so Cipriani at 10,
Doran-Jones is a joke, but I don't know who else there is to choose from, especially with Henry Thomas out


It'd be a shame to see Harrison and O'Connor in the same 23. They're both fantastic players but it'd really show how **** England are at producing backrowers. Same goes for Te'o at 12.

Not overly enamoured over Woodburn/Wade/Short all being there - they're all great going forwards but all have areas of weakness. Not sure who else there is - with biased eyes I'd like to see Addison there (he could go in the 23 shirt as he can cover 11-15).

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I would go with
1) Waller
2) Heywood/Taylor
3) JCW
4) Barrow
5) Slater/Kitchener
6) Wray
7) Kvesic
8) Harrison
9) Robson/Simpson
10) Cips
11) Wade
12) Hill
13) Thompkins
14) Roko
15) Haley
16) Thacker
17) Auterac
18) Harrison
19) Symons
20) Fraser/Morgan
21) Harrison
22) Devoto
23) Hammersley

That purely on Devlopment.

With Sinkler, Addison, James, Loz traveling

 

[SWAGGER]

I would go with
1) Waller
2) Heywood/Taylor
3) JCW
4) Barrow
5) Slater/Kitchener
6) Wray
7) Kvesic
8) Harrison
9) Robson/Simpson
10) Cips
11) Wade
12) Hill
13) Thompkins
14) Roko
15) Haley
16) Thacker
17) Auterac
18) Harrison
19) Symons
20) Fraser/Morgan
21) Harrison
22) Devoto
23) Hammersley

That purely on Devlopment.

With Sinkler, Addison, James, Loz traveling

Harrison tighthead, didn't he get destroyed there last season that's why he moved back to LH, would rather have sinks or collier or balmain actually tight heads & wray seriously. I would pick Harrison, Neild or Gavery. But the rest is about spot on lad for me.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He didn't even move there, really, he just filled in there because Alberto Di Marchi turned out to be absolutely useless. Most of the time he'd come on as loosehead replacement (or start at loosehead) then move to tighthead for the last 5-10mins when Cobilas couldn't move anymore. He's 100% a loosehead. Also had a poor season, so shouldn't be in contention, especially as there are some decent alternatives out there atm.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Huge shame Thacker isn't a bit bigger as he's a brilliant rugby player, but the reality of the modern game is that he won't cut it internationally at 2. Might be very interesting to see what he could do with a 7 on his back though. Bit late now, but the same case could have been made for T Youngs. The pair of them have far too many fast twitch fibres for the front row.