England World Cup Training Squad

[Which Tyler]

Can anyone think of any international head coach whose handling of one position has been even close to as batshit crazy as Eddie Jones's scrum half strategy?

Nick Mallet, scrum half?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Stuart Lancaster, centre.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Nick Mallet, scrum half?

Haha fair point, but that was one game, an experiment gone wrong.

Stuart Lancaster, centre.

Incompetent, maybe, but not batshit crazy. I don't think even the Burgess fiasco compares to pigheadedly only using 2 scrum halves for the whole 4-year cycle then dropping one for no good reason from the WC squad

 

[McTallshort]

Stuart Lancaster, centre.

Shouldn't that be Andy Farrell?

 

[ncurd]

Still think the most batshit crazy thing we did last world cup was to keep chopping and changing our fly-half in warm ups and group games.

Regardless of what happens I hope we actually have a settled side (which we do have....ish) and we only drop people for actually playing **** poor instead of shoehorning a RL convert...

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Fine line between crazy and brilliant. It's not like the same coach who played Andy Long and Barrie-Jon Mather was a World Cup winner or anything.

In Eddie we trust / have considerable doubt *

* Delete as appropriate

 

[Scotty]

EJ is irratic with selections and yet we have a real settled team tbh even if you take away watson hartley and underhill who we havnt had for a while.

Hartley is not fit enough yet so he's out even if he has recovered. Watson and underhill are first 15 players and deffinatly 23. But we are settled enough that them class players will have to fight for the place.

 

[Reiser99]

Fine line between crazy and brilliant. It's not like the same coach who played Andy Long and Barrie-Jon Mather was a World Cup winner or anything.

In Eddie we trust / have considerable doubt *

* Delete as appropriate

In Eddie we have considerable doubt, but in Eddie we must trust, as there is no alternative.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Lee Mears = 98kg
Mark Regan = 99kg
Schalk Brits = 100kg

Unfortunately this is rugby, not top trumps! These figures prove nothing, you're quoting them as if whatever figure you have found was accurate at they were quoted and that these players remained at exactly this weight throughout their playing career. It also assumes that everyone hits exactly their weight, no more, no less in contact.

 

[duncanb]

For me more than names ,its the make up of positions.
For me front row no flexibility so 9 will go.
Back five Forwards laws and Itoje can play 6 so 4 locks and 5 backrows.
13 backs to pick .
EJ states 5 half backs
So Youngs Spencer Farrell Fordso it's Heinz or Sips as number 5.
3 centres nailed on as Nowell or Daly can fill in at 13 + Farrell at 12.
5 Back 3 2 of which are Nowell and Daley.
All Englands multi purpose players are outside front row.
For me 5th choice back row and 5th choice halfback if all are fit are only question marks everything else is nailed on.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Unfortunately this is rugby, not top trumps! These figures prove nothing, you're quoting them as if whatever figure you have found was accurate at they were quoted and that these players remained at exactly this weight throughout their playing career. It also assumes that everyone hits exactly their weight, no more, no less in contact.

100% agree, I'm not sure these figures are accurate most of the time (even from team's squad page) but surely you judge a player of how well they play not how much they weigh. Brian O'Driscoll is of the most solid defenders of the past 15 years, yet apparently he was only 14st and a half.

 

[Scotty]

On squad depth, and i know we have itoje and lawes who can cover bzck row in emergancy but is ludlam really going to be called up? Even if we require a replacement back rower?

 

[Jimbo]

Can anyone confirm where Sarries are likely to deploy Daly or will he be utility there, if they are considering him mostly as a 13 which I heard rumours of due to Bosch retiring how can We ever hope for Daly to become a great 15?

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Can anyone confirm where Sarries are likely to deploy Daly or will he be utility there, if they are considering him mostly as a 13 which I heard rumours of due to Bosch retiring how can We ever hope for Daly to become a great 15?

Gametime at 15 seems hugely unlikely with Goode and Williams sitting pretty there. 13 sounds about right as you say

 

[Nudger]

Can anyone confirm where Sarries are likely to deploy Daly or will he be utility there, if they are considering him mostly as a 13 which I heard rumours of due to Bosch retiring how can We ever hope for Daly to become a great 15?

Isnt that a question for the 2023 thread

 

[Scotty]

Can anyone confirm where Sarries are likely to deploy Daly or will he be utility there, if they are considering him mostly as a 13 which I heard rumours of due to Bosch retiring how can We ever hope for Daly to become a great 15?

My thoughts on this is he will be first choice 13 and push loz to the bench, When loz comes on he can come on at FH CT WG so daly will likly move to FB or WG in this situation. But gametime at 15 wont be constant to get him to world class level.

But wrong thread if any put it on england thread as its nothing to do with world cup.

 

[TobesHodges]

I really like McConnochie. Wouldn't mind seeing him in the final 31-man.

Yesss! So hope McConnochie gets in, Ex-Cranbrook 1st Team Lad!

Look whats happened to the 7's since he's left he makes such an impact in and around squads - people have no idea, he also looks like he thrives at the top level.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Yesss! So hope McConnochie gets in, Ex-Cranbrook 1st Team Lad!

Look whats happened to the 7's since he's left he makes such an impact in and around squads - people have no idea, he also looks like he thrives at the top level.

To be honest I haven't paid a blind bit of attention to him and had just assumed he was Scottish anyway (disinterested in 7s). I guess he's only on the plane if Jones breaks one or more of Coka, Daly, May, Nowell or Watson. Which is entirely possible.

 

[Which Tyler]

Or Nowell fails to recover in time.
He's in the camp by rights; and it's not as if Coka is exactly nailed on just yet; or Nowell for that matter

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

He's in the camp by rights; and it's not as if Coka is exactly nailed on just yet; or Nowell for that matter

Aren't they?

Or Nowell fails to recover in time.

Well that's quite possible

McConnochie will turn 28 during the RWC, has 12 starts for Barf and never played representative 15s. Irrespective of his club season even having him as first reserve would be a massive leap of faith.