England Six Nations squad 2022

[BPM]

I’m not a big Gatland fan but at least he had a game plan, picked players who suited that and executed it.

How’s he been going in super rugby? Heard he’s had a right mare.

I hate to think of what an England side with Gatland in charge would look like.

I know you hate Eddie Jones with every fibre of your being, but is Gatland really the guy you’d want replacing him?

 

[Bada-Bing!]

You and @LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan) arent allowed opinions on Ford as there is vested interest.

Me tho, I am completely objective and he is better than DC.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

For Summer I would like to see a squad of assuming it's 32 man squad
1. Genge, Rodd, (We know what Marler brings)
2. George, Cowan-Dickie, McGugian
3. Sinckler, Heyes, Stuart
4. Itoje, Hill,
5. Laucnhbury, Chessum
6. Lawes, T.Willis,
7. Curry, J.Willis
8. Vunipola, Alfie, Dombrandt
9. Qurike, Uren, Youngs (It's a given so cba pretending like he won't be picked)
10. Ford, Smith
11. Hassle-Collins
12. Faz (Like Youngs), Kelly
13. Marchant, Slade
14. Cokansigna, Any of Malins, Watson or Nowell
15. Steward

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Really want Collier involved but the Ireland game has probably nipped any front row changes in the bud

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Really want Cole involved but the Ireland game has probably nipped any front row changes in the bud

True

 

[BPM]

For Summer I would like to see a squad of assuming it's 32 man squad
1. Genge, Rodd, (We know what Marler brings)
2. George, Cowan-Dickie, McGugian
3. Sinckler, Heyes, Stuart
4. Itoje, Hill,
5. Laucnhbury, Chessum
6. Lawes, T.Willis,
7. Curry, J.Willis
8. Vunipola, Alfie, Dombrandt
9. Qurike, Uren, Youngs (It's a given so cba pretending like he won't be picked)
10. Ford, Smith
11. Hassle-Collins
12. Faz (Like Youngs), Kelly
13. Marchant, Slade
14. Cokansigna, Any of Malins, Watson or Nowell
15. Steward

I guess it depends on how the Summer tour is viewed. After this 6N, you’d assume it becomes a must-win scenario which limits opportunities for experimenting.

I don’t think we can really include Watson. Even if he is fit, he’ll be lacking match fitness/sharpness.

I’d be looking at a very similar squad to yours with a few tweaks.

I’d swap Uren for Mitchell. That’s an easy one for me. Uren can be good, but Mitchell is consistently a lot better/more influential for Saints than Uren is for Bristol. Plus I’m really not a fan of picking players who aren’t really first choice at club level (see McGuigan over Blamire or Dolly for example).

Wing is tricky. Personally, I’d happily see May back and would be looking at any of OHC, Radwan, Murley and Lynagh. Possibly Cokanasiga if he can build form between now and the end of the season. I know there’s some excitement around him making a try-scoring return, but those tries have been walk-ins any winger could have finished.

Simmonds would be the main fall guy for me. Brilliant at club level, but can’t seem to translate that to test rugby. I’d prefer Tom Willis (I think he has the perfect blend of size, skill and work rate for England) abut I can understand the temptation of picking Barbeary.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Mitchell for me chokes in big games. My thing with Malins, Watson, Nowell is all 3 can cover 15 so why I put them in.

 

[Jashay]

I'd be hesitant to pick Vunipola. Sure he's doing really well in the Prem at the moment, but we've all seen dozens who look good in the Prem and can't step up to international. Difference with Vunipola as opposed to, say, Simmonds is that we've got literally years of evidence that he doesn't cut it at international any more.

I'd pretty much like Marchant and Steward to start every game from here on out.

I think Dombrandt did more to stake a claim than Simmonds, and I'd probably give the nod to Isiekwe over Chessum (might just be that I'm more familiar with Isiekwe; hard to judge Chessum when I've seen so little of him)

With the SH trio of Mitchell, Quirke, and Randall I'd have had Randall as the least likely to make the cut, and I don't think this tournament did him any favours. Any of them are better than Youngs, though.

Would love to see both Willises, Barbeary, Kelly, and a winger get a look in over the summer.

Whilst I think Smith was pretty poor this tournament, I'm happy for him to get more starts; if he comes good, fantastic, if not, we've got Ford.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Vunipola was for like 3+ years one of the best 8’s in international rugby lol.

Do people seriously have such short memories

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Lost all his games and "Promoted" to DOR with New Head coach coming in.

Plus point the Chiefs might pay us to take him

As a Bath fan, this sounds familiar and can tell you for nothing anyone is such a position should not be in such a position...

Vunipola was for like 3+ years one of the best 8’s in international rugby lol.

Do people seriously have such short memories

Eddie Jones was for 2 years unbeaten in all but 1 games. Times change.

I'm still undecided on Simmonds, he doesn't seem to be a player for when the team are on the back foot and being battered but his turn of pace and strength with just a little space allows him to exploit gaps and run lines many other forwards can't. I'm loathe to completely bin him off but do feel he should be relegated to a bench role and go back to how we were in the early days of Jones where the bench had a specific and defined role of coming on and upping the tempo. Simmonds should be the idea player to fulfil that sort of role.

 

[Which Tyler]

For me, Vunipola is a class player, who's form dropped for club and country.
His form has picked up again at club level, and I see no reason to think "he can't hack it at international level" when we know for a fact that that's not true.

When he's off form, drip him. When he's in form, play him (or at least thave him as an option)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

For me, Vunipola is a class player, who's form dropped for club and country.
His form has picked up again at club level, and I see no reason to think "he can't hack it at international level" when we know for a fact that that's not true.

When he's off form, drip him. When he's in form, play him (or at least thave him as an option)

This is what I was thinking too

I'd have him in over the summer to see if he's rejuvenated at international level as well as club
It's not like Simmonds or Dombrandt have made the shirt their own

 

[Bada-Bing!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60812820

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I hate to think of what an England side with Gatland in charge would look like.

I know you hate Eddie Jones with every fibre of your being, but is Gatland really the guy you’d want replacing him?

Not at all.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

For me it’s really not about the players. It was obvious our attack was disjointed and players had no idea what they were doing. Slade’s constant first receiver role was stupid as well. If it’s Ford or smith they need to be first receiver with proper options at 12, 13 and a decent wing/ 15 one. I think we do need another couple of 12 options in the squad and I don’t think it needs to be a distributor role either.

Really shocked at how poor Jones makes the English players look.

 

[higgik]

For me it’s really not about the players. It was obvious our attack was disjointed and players had no idea what they were doing. Slade’s constant first receiver role was stupid as well. If it’s Ford or smith they need to be first receiver with proper options at 12, 13 and a decent wing/ 15 one. I think we do need another couple of 12 options in the squad and I don’t think it needs to be a distributor role either.

Really shocked at how poor Jones makes the English players look.

Both Smith and Ford have proper centres in club teams that offer go forward and speed, and if you want a 2nd distributor, then it needs to be at 13 not 12 to get more width.
This idea of having Smith in motion just means he is further behind the gain line, which in turn needs fast back 3 players to give the options.

 

[BrokenWing]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60812820

Matt Dawson thinks the players should be disagreeing with the coaches.

He seems unaware of what generally happens when players disagree with Eddie.

 

[Reiser99]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60812820

Matt Dawson thinks the players should be disagreeing with the coaches.

He seems unaware of what generally happens when players disagree with Eddie.

Actually he does acknowledge the issue in the article. Thing is they should disagree when things aren't working, but Jones has clearly created a culture of blind obedience because if not you're out. It's very bad for the team and the squad because players will never feel truly comfortable.

 

[BrokenWing]

Well you can’t blame the players for not standing up and then say if they did they’d be out?

If you’re creating an atmosphere where the players feel they cant speak up without risking their place, then that is a failing in the coaches.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60812820

"If they do not put their hand up in camp, disagreeing with things to push change, then they will lose their opportunity to win the World Cup."

This sentence here to me is where the problem lies. We have heard multiple stories that Jones does not like being challenged and any attempt to do so gets you kicked out of the squad.