England Team Now That Jones Has Come In?

[Tony Manx]

For an 8 he's as good as you could possibly want in the lineout.

Very useful attribute for an 8 and about the only reason Toulouse hang on to Harinordoquy!!

 

[Maverick1987]

Ok so if I was Eddie taking injuries into account if go for

1. Mako V
2. George
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Kruis
6. Itoje
7. Fraser
8. Billy V
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. Nowell
12. God knows
13. Joseph
14. Rokoduguni
15. Watson

16. Hartley (really not sure though)
17. Marler/Mullan
18. Cooper-Wooley
19. Slater
20. Beaumont
21. Care
22. Cipriani
23. Daly

Picked a large amount of Sarries because they are the best forward pack in Europe right now . Would happily swap Fraser with Kvesic though

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Ok so if I was Eddie taking injuries into account if go for

1. Mako V
2. George
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Kruis
6. Itoje
7. Fraser
8. Billy V
9. Youngs
10. Farrell
11. Nowell
12. God knows
13. Joseph
14. Rokoduguni
15. Watson

16. Hartley (really not sure though)
17. Marler/Mullan
18. Cooper-Wooley
19. Slater
20. Beaumont
21. Care
22. Cipriani
23. Daly

Picked a large amount of Sarries because they are the best forward pack in Europe right now . Would happily swap Fraser with Kvesic though

I love what Mako brings but has he really improved enough at set-piece to make him viable? I don't see how we can can have a player, even on the bench, who we know for a fact will weaken the scrum when he comes on. I can hold my hand up and say I've not watched him much since the world cup but against Oz in the pool there was this situation where the set-piece had crumbled and what we really needed was the bench props to turn things around. From memory when Mako came on, fresh, it pretty much got worse?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd be surprised if Barritt isn't 12, to be honest.
Despite how we all feel about him coaches love him, and having Captained Sarries this season I think that'll be another tick in Eddies' books looking for leaders/experience yada yada yada

Not happy about it, but can see it happening.

 

[Maverick1987]

I love what Mako brings but has he really improved enough at set-piece to make him viable? I don't see how we can can have a player, even on the bench, who we know for a fact will weaken the scrum when he comes on. I can hold my hand up and say I've not watched him much since the world cup but against Oz in the pool there was this situation where the set-piece had crumbled and what we really needed was the bench props to turn things around. From memory when Mako came on, fresh, it pretty much got worse?

Imo his game in the tight has improved beyond measure . He's looked nothing short of superb for Sarries this year and if my memory serves me correctly the scrum improved when he came on for Marler . He's by far and away the best loose head prop in the loose aswell

Who would you rate higher in world rugby at the moment than Mako ?

 

[yaboyjj]

As probably said before, you could not have picked two more important players to have injured right now than Brookes and Slade

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Kruis
6. Itoje
7. Kvesic
8. Vunipola
9. Simpson
10. Farrell (I think Burns could make a late charge)
11. Nowell
12. Jonny Williams (what the hell .... anyone but Burrell)
13. Joseph
14. Rokoduguni
15. Brown

16. Taylor (build for the future) 17. Marler 18. Thomas 19. Clifford 20. Ewers 21. Youngs 22. Ford 23. Tuilagi

Right now, I'd do anything to have Launch/Itoje as second row pairing- who calls the lineout though? if Beaumont does indeed, then I'd seriously consider him at 8.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

I love what Mako brings but has he really improved enough at set-piece to make him viable? I don't see how we can can have a player, even on the bench, who we know for a fact will weaken the scrum when he comes on. I can hold my hand up and say I've not watched him much since the world cup but against Oz in the pool there was this situation where the set-piece had crumbled and what we really needed was the bench props to turn things around. From memory when Mako came on, fresh, it pretty much got worse?

First up. I love a team that plays better than the sum of its parts. Speaks of a great coaching team (and committed and good players). That's Saracens all over for me. Mako plays well in a set up that masks most faults as do Ashton, Goode, Hodgson and dare I say it Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell. However, when push comes to ultimate shove and I mean against the likes of Clermont, things historically have been hard for those gents. Suddenly beating people up doesn't work and neither does it at international level. Especially with a muddled game plan. Both Mako and Marler have a rep for angles. Unless they sort that it is going to be penaltyarama. What's good enough for club ain't necessarily so for country.

As for better loosies, I'm going for 3 in the 6 nations that'll challenge equitably with Mako.

Eddy Ben Arous
Cian Healy
Gethin Jenkins

Mako isn't clearly better than those three and for me whilst better than Marler isn't a certainty. Interestingly Marler appeared to come home from the World Cup, eat a load of pies and can now once again scrummage properly. Whatever Lancaster et al had in mind for the forwards (and I infer it was wide and loose) utterly murdered the ability to perform in the tight.

 

[Maverick1987]

First up. I love a team that plays better than the sum of its parts. Speaks of a great coaching team (and committed and good players). That's Saracens all over for me. Mako plays well in a set up that masks most faults as do Ashton, Goode, Hodgson and dare I say it Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell. However, when push comes to ultimate shove and I mean against the likes of Clermont, things historically have been hard for those gents. Suddenly beating people up doesn't work and neither does it at international level. Especially with a muddled game plan. Both Mako and Marler have a rep for angles. Unless they sort that it is going to be penaltyarama. What's good enough for club ain't necessarily so for country.

As for better loosies, I'm going for 3 in the 6 nations that'll challenge equitably with Mako.

Eddy Ben Arous
Cian Healy
Gethin Jenkins

Mako isn't clearly better than those three and for me whilst better than Marler isn't a certainty. Interestingly Marler appeared to come home from the World Cup, eat a load of pies and can now once again scrummage properly. Whatever Lancaster et al had in mind for the forwards (and I infer it was wide and loose) utterly murdered the ability to perform in the tight.

To be fair though on current form Cian Healy is very poor . He had his arse handed to him by Henry Thomas a few weeks ago and has ended up getting frustrated and suspended . Gethin Jenkins is basically the same as Mako . Very good in the loose and mostly good in the tight but can get caught out from time to time . Eddy Ben Arous in my opinion is the best LH prop in the 6N . Haven't really seen how he's been playing recently though

 

[LUKE12]

Who does everyone think is England's best option at 12 either for the Six Nations or long term aswell?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Who does everyone think is England's best option at 12 either for the Six Nations or long term aswell?

This might sound crazy but in reality we have no solid options at 12.

Slade who is currently injured is not going to get picked at 12 for his club so we would be playing out of position. The same with tuilagi. Those two are the hopes of England's 12.

That is pathetic, in every other position we have loads of players who could fit the bill.

For this 6 nations you might see slade (if fit).
Barritt might play although hopefully Eddie will have watched him and seen that he is the worst rugby player ever.

Sam Hill is a long shot as is the London Irish guy (who's name escapes me).

I think we might see Farrell there to be honest.

Really can't understand why we don't have loads of 12s coming through the system as there has been a shortage for the last 6 years.

 

[LUKE12]

Sam Hill is a long shot as is the London Irish guy (who's name escapes me).

.

Johnny Williams?

 

[Irish boy]

Williams in a couple of years could be their but he has only played 6 games for us and at the start of the season was meant to be on loan at Henley. However he has signed a new contract so Bath can do one plus he wasn't here when Booth or Hatly were here. Also qualifies for Scotland and Wales so need to get him in asap.

If I'm honest i'd have anyone as long as it wasn't Burrell and Barritt.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Williams in a couple of years could be their but he has only played 6 games for us and at the start of the season was meant to be on loan at Henley. However he has signed a new contract so Bath can do one plus he wasn't here when Booth or Hatly were here. Also qualifies for Scotland and Wales so need to get him in asap.

If I'm honest i'd have anyone as long as it wasn't Burrell and Barritt.

But that's the thing there really isn't anyone. It's not like we have a load of options and some arnt in form. We really don't have loads of 12s coming through.

Sam Hill
Devoto
Williams
12 trees

Add in barritt and Burrell and they are the only English 12s playing premiership rugby.
That's a poor choice.

 

[LUKE12]

But that's the thing there really isn't anyone. It's not like we have a load of options and some arnt in form. We really don't have loads of 12s coming through.

Sam Hill
Devoto
Williams
12 trees

Add in barritt and Burrell and they are the only English 12s playing premiership rugby.
That's a poor choice.

I would go with Devoto

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Same,
He's everything I'd want in a 12.



Sam James will likely move back to 12 next season (I reckon Tuitupou will retire soon, he's picking a lot of injuries recently and will be 34 next month), hopefully he'll be on the radar eventually.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

This might sound crazy but in reality we have no solid options at 12.

Slade who is currently injured is not going to get picked at 12 for his club so we would be playing out of position. The same with tuilagi. Those two are the hopes of England's 12.

That is pathetic, in every other position we have loads of players who could fit the bill.

For this 6 nations you might see slade (if fit).
Barritt might play although hopefully Eddie will have watched him and seen that he is the worst rugby player ever.

Sam Hill is a long shot as is the London Irish guy (who's name escapes me).

I think we might see Farrell there to be honest.

Really can't understand why we don't have loads of 12s coming through the system as there has been a shortage for the last 6 years.

I think Slade is a pretty solid option. I could definitely be wrong on this, but I think when he was going through the Chiefs academy he was always seen as a 12 but he was in the same age-group as Sam Hill, so he was always moved to 10 or 13. Anyway, I would've thought that as long as he's given some time at 12, playing 10 and 13 should develop the skills to play at 12 perfectly (the game management and distribution from 10 as well as the attacking from 13). This is coming from an 8 though, so I could be entirely wrong. But I definitely think Slade is the future of the 12 shirt.

 

[tomgeere]

A complete fantasy team with some outrageous calls, but hey I only do a degree in rugby...

1 M.Vunipola
2 Hartley
3 Cole
4 Launchbury
5 Attwood
6 Itoje
7 Clifford
8 Sam Burgess c lol (Beaumont)

9 Care
10 Cipriani
11 Wade
12 Devoto
13 Tuilagi
14 Yarde
15 Watson

16 George
17 Waller
18 Brookes
19 Kitchener/Matthews
20 Fraser
21 Simpson
22 Slade
23 JJ

SICK shout dude! You must know you're rugby!

 

[Maverick1987]

SICK shout dude! You must know you're rugby!

Don't encourage him we thought he was Stuart Lancaster's brother .....

 

[Canuck]

Interesting to see some of the choices for the Six Nations squad. Both Devoto and Sam Hill make it, at the expense of Barritt. Ashton seems to be back in favour. And lots of youth in the back row with Itoje, Kvesic, Clifford and Beaumont.

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Chris Ashton (Saracens), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Anthony Watson (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Ollie Devoto (Bath; injury replacement for Manu Tuilagi, Leicester), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Sam Hill (Exeter; injury replacement for Henry Slade, Exeter) Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester)

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester), Paul Hill (Northampton), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Henry Thomas (Bath; injury replacement for Kieran Brookes, Northampton), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley, Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Josh Beaumont (Sale), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester; injury replacement for Dave Ewers, Exeter), Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/35302456

 

[bertiec]

Hartley? Ashton? no Tom Youngs......... Massive step back with some swaps. The only records we will get will be for cards. Almost expected to hear Easter was resurrected again.:wall: