England Six Nations thread

[Maverick1987]

To be fair if he has a crack at singing the welsh national anthem it won't be much worse than 80% of the population that don't know it anyway

 

[ratsapprentice]

I say "Cruise" ... but some of the BT guys are pronouncing it with a silent "s".. so "Kru".
I can't see why they're doing that - other than to be clever - because it's a Dutch name.
And seeing as though our language is quite similar to Dutch in many ways there isn't any real reason for them to pronounce it that way.

Listen to the pronunciation on here: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kruis

Anglicised: it's "Cruise" or "Croose"/"Cruse" IMO.

 

[B10]

Not seen this posted. Good interview with Lancaster, Sir Clive asking the questions...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...t-Wales-Cipriani-return-expect-World-Cup.html

 

[ratsapprentice]

Reading that right now... Manu a possibility on the wing - interdasting.

 

[Maverick1987]

Reading that right now... Manu a possibility on the wing - interdasting.

We already have really good wings . I can't really see us going into the RWC with anyone but Tuilagi at OC

 

[stroneill]

In case you forgot what happened 2 weeks ago, I've got a round 3 recap just in time for this weekend! - http://bit.ly/1lCLcnl

I can't wait for Wales - England at Twikenham, should be entertaining to say the least.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

At my club yesterday I was chatting with a few of the lads and I was amazed at the split opinions on Tom wood.

I thing he is a top international 6. Great around the park. In the tackle and in the tuck. But others just don't rate him at all. Since I didn't get any sense out of them am I missing something and just looking at him with saints tinted glasses?

 

[Peat]

At my club yesterday I was chatting with a few of the lads and I was amazed at the split opinions on Tom wood.

I thing he is a top international 6. Great around the park. In the tackle and in the tuck. But others just don't rate him at all. Since I didn't get any sense out of them am I missing something and just looking at him with saints tinted glasses?

I think you may be.

I do not want to be too down on Tom Wood. He is a very good international player with an awful lot to commend him. His fitness, his work rate, they're first rate, he's an incredibly reliable tackler, he's a very good lineout jumper, there is no area of player in which he is deficient.

But a top 6? That's a subjective enough thing but for me, no. I look at other guys who I'd consider top 6s and why I would and I feel that in comparison, Tom Wood lacks. There are many parts of his game that are very good rather than jawdropping.

Like, take Richard Hill. Richard Hill was phenomenal at the breakdown. Wood isn't Hill good in that aspect. I don't think there's anything he does as well as Hill did the breakdown.

Or some of the more guys I'd consider top 6s - Kaino, Burger, Smith, Ferris. Those guys are just that bit more athletic and powerful. They're the guys that you imagine people walked warily around at training. Their power made them top 6s. Wood doesn't exist in the same power category.

So... for my money, yes, I think you might have the glasses on. Anyone who doesn't rate him at all has a blindfold under a gimp mask though.

 

[ratsapprentice]

So we've got to pick a back line from:
11. May, Yarde
12. Twelvetrees, Eastmond, (Burrell)
13. Burrell, Tuilagi
14. Nowell, Wade, Watson
15. Brown, Foden, (Watson)

Then there's also the likes of Daly, Joseph, Sharples, Miller etc. from the Saxons pushing for honours.

Some serious depth in the backs, makes a change from previous years!
Only worry is halfbacks: Care is head and sholders above the rest. Dickson is good, but nothing special - same with Wigglesworth. Youngs can(/could) be great, but rarely shows it these days and certainly not in an England shirt. Simpson looked top draw before but injuries hampered his England chances and his form has been up and down for Wasps. Robson looks very good at Gloucester - bit young ATM but getting good amounts of game time.

Farrell has had a good series so far, no qualms with him being in the side. Ford has been very good for Bath (bar a few blips) - beyond that: Burns is terrible, Myler is OK but don't really think he's international level. Cipriani, beyond that, who has had a hell of a season.
Sam Hill has looked good for Exeter, though didn't really shine for Saxons (not many did, mind) and his kicking could be better (was pretty poor vs Bath this morning).

I think Robson needs to be brought in during the summer - very promising young lad!

Farrell had one of his best games in an England shirt today IMO.

He did the things that make him stand out well - being a pest at the ruck and smashing people.
And he performed the fundamentals of his position with quality - his passing was good and his kicking from hand and tee was excellent.

The issue is that so far in his career he has been unable to do both things consistently - if he does it every game then his stock will increase dramatically.

Paired with a distributor and creator at 1R then his weaknesses are lessened considerably.
But only if he can perform his fundamentals to the same high standard every game.

 

[j'nuh]

I don't believe Burns is all to blame for his lack of stock at the minute. I am starting to doubt the structures at Gloucester. Look at Ben Morgan, quality for England, not quite for Glos. Tim Molenaar - didn't make the team for Glos, and was playing well from his very first game at the Quins. Twelvetrees - fantastic distributor last year, that facet of his game appears to be lacking and he is underwhelming now. Kalamafoni - Glos player of the season last year, looking very average at the minute. Kvesic has taken if not a step backwards, then a step to the side. Even "Mr. Consistency" Rob Cook has had a couple of stinkers this season. Savage, a fan favourite at Glos, played some of his worst rugby at the start of this season. A few players are bucking the trend, but overall there's just been something very systemically wrong at Glos. I think a move away will be a pretty quick form fix for Freddie.

 

[ratsapprentice]

The coaching at Glos is clearly going badly wrong, but Burns looked ****ing terrible with the Saxons, and Billy Burns looked great for the U20's.
I think things could go very badly wrong for Freddie with the Tigers - let's hope not though.

In response to your post in the other thread:

Nowell's "niche" is the one he's currently spooning Mike Brown in - i.e. he's beating a ****load of defenders and making metres through traffic.

We will reap the benefits of him getting game-time now when Mike Brown gets injured and we need someone to make metres in traffic.
He is a FB going forward - but he is already a more effective winger than Foden. I will be extremely interested to see if/when he starts to play at FB for Exeter.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Agreed and agreed - think Farrell is quite underrated in as much as everyone likes to slag him off all the time when he does very little wrong. The media like to talk him up, and he's probably had a slightly easier ride because of his surname, but he's generally a good player and is improving.
Agree that he looks better with a distributing 12 and it's no coincidence that as 36's confidence has grown, Farrell has looked better. Would be very interested to see what he's like with Eastmond at 12.


Very much looking forward to the summer tour, now. I'm not expecting us to win the tour, or probably any match, but it'll be interesting to see how the team grows as going to NZ is the arguably biggest test for any side.
The way it's shaping up it'll be a Saints/Sarries Aviva final, so we'd be without (from the presumed touring side):
Corbisiero, Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Mako, Binny, Farrell, Wigglesworth, Dickson, Ashton, Foden, Burrell, Goode, Myler, Barritt ((Kruis and Dickinson from the Saxons)).
Would put us with a 23 of something like:

1. Marler,
2. Youngs
3. Cole/Wilson
4. Launchbury
5. Attwood
6. Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan
9. Care
10. Ford
11. Take your pick
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tuilagi
14. Take your pick
15. Brown

16. ??? - Webber? Ward? George? Cowan-Dickie?
17. ??? - Mullan?
18. Wilson/Cole/Thomas
19. ??? - Parling? Slater?
20. ??? - Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other?
21. ??? - Youngs?!
22. ??? - Need to take another 10. 36 Can't cover it vs All Blacks, and luckily Goode will probably be away. Hill? Cipriani?
23. Take your pick.

 

[j'nuh]

22. Cips, definitely.

 

[Rich Taff]

Have to say Launchbury gets better every game I see him play, and great to see Lawes finally start to fulfill his potential.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Came on at LH for the Chiefs today - going to be a starting player by the end of the season I think.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

22. Cips, definitely.

I like you.
Cipriani to come on at 78m46s and score a wonder try from our 22 to win the game.

Came on at LH for the Chiefs today - going to be a starting player by the end of the season I think.

I thought he'd made the switch to hooker full time now?
That mullet is something else.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Mate, his mullet is genuinely iconic. I wish he kept it.


He has switched to hooker - and he was wearing number 16 - but there was an injury I think so he ended up there and did pretty well.

 

[goodNumber10]

Agreed and agreed - think Farrell is quite underrated in as much as everyone likes to slag him off all the time when he does very little wrong. The media like to talk him up, and he's probably had a slightly easier ride because of his surname, but he's generally a good player and is improving.
Agree that he looks better with a distributing 12 and it's no coincidence that as 36's confidence has grown, Farrell has looked better. Would be very interested to see what he's like with Eastmond at 12.


Very much looking forward to the summer tour, now. I'm not expecting us to win the tour, or probably any match, but it'll be interesting to see how the team grows as going to NZ is the arguably biggest test for any side.
The way it's shaping up it'll be a Saints/Sarries Aviva final, so we'd be without (from the presumed touring side):
Corbisiero, Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Mako, Binny, Farrell, Wigglesworth, Dickson, Ashton, Foden, Burrell, Goode, Myler, Barritt ((Kruis and Dickinson from the Saxons)).
Would put us with a 23 of something like:

1. Marler,
2. Youngs
3. Cole/Wilson
4. Launchbury
5. Attwood
6. Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan
9. Care
10. Ford
11. Take your pick
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tuilagi
14. Take your pick
15. Brown

16. ??? - Webber? Ward? George? Cowan-Dickie?
17. ??? - Mullan?
18. Wilson/Cole/Thomas
19. ??? - Parling? Slater?
20. ??? - Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other?
21. ??? - Youngs?!
22. ??? - Need to take another 10. 36 Can't cover it vs All Blacks, and luckily Goode will probably be away. Hill? Cipriani?
23. Take your pick.

don't know who made the tourschedule for New Zealand but they need to be booted into touch...

 

[Patchey]

Agreed and agreed - think Farrell is quite underrated in as much as everyone likes to slag him off all the time when he does very little wrong. The media like to talk him up, and he's probably had a slightly easier ride because of his surname, but he's generally a good player and is improving.
Agree that he looks better with a distributing 12 and it's no coincidence that as 36's confidence has grown, Farrell has looked better. Would be very interested to see what he's like with Eastmond at 12.


Very much looking forward to the summer tour, now. I'm not expecting us to win the tour, or probably any match, but it'll be interesting to see how the team grows as going to NZ is the arguably biggest test for any side.
The way it's shaping up it'll be a Saints/Sarries Aviva final, so we'd be without (from the presumed touring side):
Corbisiero, Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Mako, Binny, Farrell, Wigglesworth, Dickson, Ashton, Foden, Burrell, Goode, Myler, Barritt ((Kruis and Dickinson from the Saxons)).
Would put us with a 23 of something like:

1. Marler,
2. Youngs
3. Cole/Wilson
4. Launchbury
5. Attwood
6. Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan
9. Care
10. Ford
11. Take your pick
12. Twelvetrees
13. Tuilagi
14. Take your pick
15. Brown

16. ??? - Webber? Ward? George? Cowan-Dickie?
17. ??? - Mullan?
18. Wilson/Cole/Thomas
19. ??? - Parling? Slater?
20. ??? - Johnson/Kvesic/A.N.Other?
21. ??? - Youngs?!
22. ??? - Need to take another 10. 36 Can't cover it vs All Blacks, and luckily Goode will probably be away. Hill? Cipriani?
23. Take your pick.

I do love picking squads and you beat me to it!

11/14 will depend entirely on end of season form. For my money I think it'll be Yarde and someone, depending on how versatile the other wingers can be.

16. Ward over Webber for me

17. Mullan is pretty much our only option.

19. Parling will get the nod over Slater, combination of experience and past form. We'll need a couple of old heads in the pack for the first test if we are to avoid being thumped.

20. Kvesic to start, Fraiser on the bench IMO. I think we've seen the last of Johnson. But for injury last season Fraiser would have toured and probably taken Johnson's place in the EPS by now.

21. Unless his form picks up I'd leave Youngs out and take Simpson or Robson. Looks like the first test will be Ford's first meaningful game time so might as well go the whole way and pick another young half-back.

22. Cips all the way. Was hinted at by Lancaster in his interview with Clive before the Wales game. I like Hill but isn't he a centre? Did you mean Slade?

23. Watson or ELLIOT DALY aka. England's first true utility back since Matt Tait aka. the great, untapped talent of English rugby etc etc. Seriously, if Daly doesn't make the squad this summer he must have chatted up Lansater's wife at an RFU function or something. How a player who has been so consistently good (an an often average team, sorry Henry) for two seasons now can be overlooked for new kids on the block astounds me. I think Watson is great but Daly offers more versitility and more consitency and have a 50m+ boot. For me he is out best option at 23, be it in the first NZ test or in a full, everyon fit and available, international.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Woops, I did mean Slade, yeah.