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England World Cup Training Squad

Follow? Unlikely, but read? Almost definitely, at some point.

At a Sale Q&A event a lot of the players said they'd read about themselves on fan forums at one point or another - especially the younger lads. Temptation to google your name is too high.
 
Follow? Unlikely, but read? Almost definitely, at some point.

At a Sale Q&A event a lot of the players said they'd read about themselves on fan forums at one point or another - especially the younger lads. Temptation to google your name is too high.
I hope Gary Ringrose has read what I've said about him, I hope I put a smile on his face, sexy little ****.
 
I think flogging the players poses as much risk as the three games for the championship teams going on at the moment.

World cup ain't that far away and it doesn't take long to not be match fit.

I'm game for a bit of Dombandt being a bolder.

Is there a website for stats for penalties against individuals? (Has he been a penalty machine in the bigger games for Quins?)
 
I think flogging the players poses as much risk as the three games for the championship teams going on at the moment.

World cup ain't that far away and it doesn't take long to not be match fit.

I'm game for a bit of Dombandt being a bolder.

Is there a website for stats for penalties against individuals? (Has he been a penalty machine in the bigger games for Quins?)
No don't think so
 
I think flogging the players poses as much risk as the three games for the championship teams going on at the moment.

World cup ain't that far away and it doesn't take long to not be match fit.

I'm game for a bit of Dombandt being a bolder.

Is there a website for stats for penalties against individuals? (Has he been a penalty machine in the bigger games for Quins?)

I found this, i remember 1 of his pens was a perfectly time intercept that got called back. He has a very good rugby brain.

https://www.rugbypass.com/premiership/teams/harlequins/players/alex-dombrandt/statistics/
 
Deffinatly on the Dombrandt hype train but couldnt care less about the cips hype.

So back rowers would be
Billy
TCurry
Wilson
Dombrandt
Underhill
Lawes/Itoje as cover

Should be a good back row battle
6 Wilson, Dombrandt
7 Curry, Underhill
8 Billy, both 6s as 8 cover

Do think its abit soon for dombrant though so i dont think he should be first choice. Maybe tier 2 teams to get experience and i hope he is used in the warm up games.

Lol not like 10 is a pivotal role or anything or you would want the premiership player of the season in the squad....
 
I am a huge fan of Dombrandt's and if he does go, I'd back him to step up. He took to senior rugby straight from uni and looked very much at home in the Barbarians game. Obviously the Barbarians games aren't played at the same level of intensity as a full test, but he looked good against very experienced opposition.

With all of that said, I think it's important to note that Quins set-up to make the most of his strengths. Robshaw, Clifford and Chisholm are asked to do most of the breakdown work and clear-outs and Dombrandt is given the freedom to focus on carrying. Knowing how much Eddie values work rate, I expect he'd be asked to do a lot more grunt work with England than he is at Quins which might not bring the best out of him.

I'd also add that Shields' injury has been described as a 'foot ligament' issue. I think he was already inked in to Eddie's squad and as he's got almost two full months to recover, I wouldn't rule him out of contention even if he does miss the warm-ups.
 
So seeing as we have 4 warm up games, 2 against Wales, 1 against Ireland and 1 against Italy, what do we want to get out of these games?

It's all well and good saying, pick you best 23 and focus on winning. However we know England are capable of winning. For me it's how they play that's the issue. Previously under EJ we started slow and then had our finishers come on to tie up the game at the end. However recently it's switched with fast starts and then awful an awful second half that either results in us just winning, or losing after getting a good lead. For me I'd like to see some consistency. Maybe it is just that the Welsh players are fitter and better conditioned, but there also seems to be a mental aspect.

I'd definitely like to see some fringe players start against Italy with maybe some rotation on the bench to see who can perform when coming on at the end, especially if England are under pressure.
I'd like to see Spencer get some real game time if he's been promoted to number 2. (Any update on Robson btw, I can't find anything recent)
I don't want to see Te'o anywhere near the squad.
I'd like EJ to settle on a front 3.

Basically we saw what most of these players can do in the 6N's, EJ's seen them in training. I'd like him to give everyone a chance to put their hand up with some game time rather than just sticking to what he knows as we need a few more options than what we had in the 6N's.
 
Yeah, we're pretty much in agreement there.

Game time for Spencer is a significant priority, as is establishing a clear idea of what we want to do at number 8 if Billy's not playing i.e. if Wilson is covering, who is playing at 6 etc.
 
Robson is fit and has been for a little while he is clearly not favoured by Jones currently for reasons only he knows spencer is how ever a fine choice, if you see Farrell as your first choice 10 he has a clear edge.

What we need is a plan b, when plan a isn't quite working, to me you need the likes of Robson's and cips for that, real game changers, the structures won't be the same but occasionally that's exactly what's required breaking the structures predictability.
 
Yeah, we're pretty much in agreement there.

Game time for Spencer is a significant priority, as is establishing a clear idea of what we want to do at number 8 if Billy's not playing i.e. if Wilson is covering, who is playing at 6 etc.
Exactly back row. Curry and billy both have nailed their positions and wilson has been very good too.

In the event Wilson Dombrandt are in the same back row who plays 6 and who 8?
 
Robson is fit and has been for a little while he is clearly not favoured by Jones currently for reasons only he knows
Is he? Last I heard he was still out for an unknown length of time
And he was pretty clearly in Jones plans before he got the bloodclots

Edit: seems like he got cleared to train last week, tbh it's not that surprising to see him omitted considering the seriousness of his illness. Plus the long haul flight could cause issues.

I'd have still had him there but I can understand any concerns they'd have.

Spencer is an excellent player, probably the form English 9, I'd have him, Robson and Youngs on the plane to Japan
 
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Is he? Last I heard he was still out for an unknown length of time
And he was pretty clearly in Jones plans before he got the bloodclots

Edit: seems like he got cleared to train last week, tbh it's not that surprising to see him omitted seeing as his illness meant he hasn't been able to run since march

My statement on his fitness was never in doubt , as I am sure you are towards Sale player you tend to see things before others, agree he is probably not perceived to be where he should be I'm just genuinely disappointed for him, I can understand Spencer and Young's over him but Heinz really that does strike me as strange.
 
Exactly back row. Curry and billy both have nailed their positions and wilson has been very good too.

In the event Wilson Dombrandt are in the same back row who plays 6 and who 8?
I'd go with Dombrandt at 6 and Wilson at 8. Their skill sets are better suited to the other way around, but there's a ton of responsibility and decision making involved in playing 8 so I think it'd be better to put Wilson there since he's more experienced and will have a cooler head. That way Dombrandt's able to just play his game rather than having a load of pressure put on him.
 
Preliminary squad announcement imminent. 5 week mandatory break before players are allowed to participate, so that will rule any Gloucester/Saints/Exeter/Sarries players out for this squad at least.

Rumours that Marler has decided to come out of retirement to try and break into the squad - I hope this is true. But as he and Dombrandt both played for the baa-baas, they won't be eligible to participate until July.

Apparently also Robshaw and Danny Care are both set to miss out. Would be particularly surprised with the latter given that he is one of England's most experienced scrum-halves and has arguably had one of his best seasons ever this year.


Who would you like to see?
Eddy ego start to **** england ream
 
Been doing a little bit of analysis on the composition of 2015 World Cup Squads by position and I think the insights give us a pretty good idea of who EJ is likely to take. For those interested I looked at the squads for the 6 nations teams, rugby championship teams and Japan (11 in total).

Prop
Every team except Japan started the tournament with five props. In most teams, at least one of those players could play both sides, which I'm not aware of any of England's current squad being able to do. Despite that and given Eddie's decision to take only 4 with Japan, I'm confident we take five.
Avg. in Squad: 4.91
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 4
Predicted for ENG: 5
Probable Players: Vunipola, Marler, Genge, Sinckler, Cole


Hooker
Three is the magic number, unless you're Wales or Argentina. The Pumas actually ended up requiring a medical exemption to field an eligible team in the bronze final after one of their two hookers was injured. Even with Hartley remaining unavailable, I'm sure we will take five.
Avg. in Squad: 2.82
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 3
Predicted for ENG: 3
Probable Players: George, LCD, Singleton

Lock

In 2015, teams averaged 9.45 "Back Five" players (Locks, Flankers, No8s). Most teams allocated four of those spots to Locks. The two teams who took three - New Zealand and France - had obvious Lock cover in the Back Row. Wales inexplicably took five Locks, alongside six Back Rows - probably because their exciting attacking game plan required the flair and invention that only these positions can bring...
Avg. in Squad: 3.91
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 4
Predicted for ENG: 4
Probable Players: Itoje, Kruis, Lawes, Launchbury


Back Row
This is the first position where the analysis suggests there is scope for some variance. The average trends to six Back Row Forwards, however if ignoring the teams that took just three Locks, that moves to 5.37. Combine that with the fact that to take six would require two rookies (Ludlam and Dombrandt) both making the cut, and I don't see it happening. Dombrandt will make the cut in my opinion, although there is of course the chance that Ewels is added instead as an additional Second Row, but given the additional positional flexibility of Dombrandt to cover 6 and 8, I think this is unlikely.
Avg. in Squad: 5.55
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 6
Predicted for ENG: 5
Probable Players: Wilson, Dombrandt, Curry, Underhill, Vunipola

Scrum-Half

Another somewhat disputed position in terms of the "right" number to have in a world cup squad. The consensus landed closer to three than two and I'd expect Eddie to agree, despite his choice to take two with Japan in 2015. That decision seemed to be based more on lack of quality options than a grand strategic play. It also makes absolutely no sense to bring Heinz into camp and waste practice reps getting him up to speed only to have him sit at home for the World Cup, when we've already got an 84 cap international doing the same in Care.
Avg. in Squad: 2.64
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 2
Predicted for ENG: 3
Probable Players: Youngs, Spencer, Heinz


Fly-Half
Whilst this has been a matter of considerable debate among English fans, it actually seems to be quite clear cut. Only three teams took three Fly-Half's and for two of those teams, the third Fly-Half could and did play in another position (Lambie and Barrett). Only Ireland took three out-and-out 10s and that was with the most injury prone starting Fly-Half since Sir Jonny.
Avg. in Squad: 2.27
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 2
Predicted for ENG: 2
Probable Players: Farrell, Ford

Centre

This one is pretty clear. Only Wales and South Africa took three and they both had to call-up at least one injury replacement during the pool stages. Don't be stupid, take four Centres.
Avg. in Squad: 3.91
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 4
Predicted for ENG: 4
Probable Players: Tuilagi, Te'o, Slade, Joseph

Back Three

I've combined these because it's too misleading to split Full-back from Wing, given how many squads listed Wingers that were competent international Full-Backs and vice versa. I think this will be relatively straightforward from an England perspective and pick themselves if fit. The one question mark is Nowell who, if injured, I see being replaced by Brown.
Avg. in Squad: 5.00
# in Eddie's Japan Squad: 6
Predicted for ENG: 5
Probable Players: May, Watson, Daly, Cokanasiga, Nowell (Brown)

 
Why 5 props? Wierd number? Are Tightheads less prone to injury or can one of them LHPs cover both sides or something? Id personally have Williams over Cole but dont want that argument its just personal opinion.
 

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