England World Cup Training Squad

[Reiser99]

Will the squad announcement tomorrow raise more questions than answers??

Is that rhetorical?

 

[Lé Ddanno]

What time is the announcement?

Never mind, 12.30pm

 

[Reiser99]

England squad announced

Forwards
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps)
Jamie George (Saracens, 37 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 27 caps)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 58 caps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 71 caps)
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
Joe Marler (Harlequins, 59 caps)
Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)
Brad Shields (Wasps, 8 caps)
Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 22 caps)
Jack Singleton (Saracens, uncapped)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 9 caps)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 41 caps)
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps)
Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)

Backs
Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby, 16 caps)
Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 30 caps)
Owen Farrell (Saracens, 70 caps)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps)
Piers Francis (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)
Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 45 caps)
Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 22 caps)
Ben Spencer (Saracens, 3 caps)
Ben Te'o (unattached, 18 caps)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)

In camp for rehabilitation
George Kruis (Saracens, 32 caps)
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 33 caps)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 53 caps)

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Ludlam over Dombrandt is odd and upsetting.

 

[Reiser99]

Bit disappointed no Dombrandt. Mike Brown hasn't made it after being in the training squad, so looks like Daly has his spot secured. Te'o still being there is just depressing.

What's the final number this squad gets whittled down to for the World Cup?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ludlam is just a really confusing choice all round,
Isn't he a 7? In which case you look at Ben Curry first
If you don't want a more general backrower (because you've already got T.Curry and Underhill) then you look at Dombrandt or even Kvesic

Surprised at no Brown - he's been in excellent form. A lot of faith to be putting into either an out of form Daly or a just-back-from-serious-injury Watson

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Righty...
So the shitty :
Shields
Te'o
No real specialist full back
Ludlam over Dombrandt
Francis
Heinz over care

The good :
No Hughes
Cips (he'll probs not make the smaller squad tho)
No thorley (don't rate him as an intl winger for England ATM)
Marler (I assume if mako is fine by the next squad that he may leave)
Manu is still functional.

But not a great squad

 

[sCriv]

So. Here is the final 35 training squad.




Forwards

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)

Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)

Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps)

Jamie George (Saracens, 37 caps)

Maro Itoje (Saracens, 27 caps)

Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 58 caps)

Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 71 caps)

Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

Joe Marler (Harlequins, 59 caps)

Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)

Brad Shields (Wasps, 8 caps)

Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 22 caps)

Jack Singleton (Saracens, uncapped)

Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 9 caps)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 41 caps)

Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps)

Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)

Backs

Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby, 16 caps)

Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 30 caps)

Owen Farrell (Saracens, 70 caps)

George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps)

Piers Francis (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)

Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)

Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)

Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 45 caps)

Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby, uncapped)

Ben Spencer (Saracens, 3 caps)

Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 22 caps)

Ben Te'o (unattached, 18 caps)

Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)

Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)

Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)

In camp for rehabilitation

George Kruis (Saracens, 32 caps)

Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 33 caps)

Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 53 caps)



This will be trimmed down to a final 31 man squad around a month before the world cup.

Wonder who will get cut?
Pretty sure there are 3 names there that are almost certainly going to be cut (I expect Ludlam, McConnochie and Francis to all be sent home).
As for the last person, anybody's guess I reckon?

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

So. Here is the final 35 training squad.




Forwards

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 10 caps)

Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)

Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 9 caps)

Jamie George (Saracens, 37 caps)

Maro Itoje (Saracens, 27 caps)

Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 58 caps)

Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 71 caps)

Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

Joe Marler (Harlequins, 59 caps)

Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)

Brad Shields (Wasps, 8 caps)

Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 22 caps)

Jack Singleton (Saracens, uncapped)

Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 9 caps)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 41 caps)

Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps)

Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks, 13 caps)

Backs

Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby, 16 caps)

Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)

Elliot Daly (Saracens, 30 caps)

Owen Farrell (Saracens, 70 caps)

George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps)

Piers Francis (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)

Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, uncapped)

Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)

Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 45 caps)

Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby, uncapped)

Ben Spencer (Saracens, 3 caps)

Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 22 caps)

Ben Te'o (unattached, 18 caps)

Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 32 caps)

Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 33 caps)

Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 85 caps)

In camp for rehabilitation

George Kruis (Saracens, 32 caps)

Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 33 caps)

Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 53 caps)



This will be trimmed down to a final 31 man squad around a month before the world cup.

Wonder who will get cut?
Pretty sure there are 3 names there that are almost certainly going to be cut (I expect Ludlam, McConnochie and Francis to all be sent home).
As for the last person, anybody's guess I reckon?

Add cips to your list maybe?
Or Eddie takes him just as way of covering himself from that criticism if everything goes to **** and drops heinz

 

[sCriv]

Only 4 names surely... 35-31=4

Add cips to your list maybe?
Or Eddie takes him just as way of covering himself from that criticism if everything goes to **** and drops heinz

Yes, edited.

Personally I'd take Cips all day long after the season he has had. He has that little special magic that could come in handy if we need that spark late in a game.

I'd be dropping Heinz all day long.

 

[FLOBALOB]

Assuming Mako , Kruis and Nowell are going (subject to fitness) , there will be 7 dropped from remaing 35 players.

 

[sCriv]

One thing I have noticed, amongst many things, is that Alex Goode and Mike Brown have both missed out on this squad.

Am I right in assuming Eddie has gone for Daly/Watson?

If so, I find this decision almost unbelievable. World cup leaving out your top 2 full backs. Anybody else agree?

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

One thing I have noticed, amongst many things, is that Alex Goode and Mike Brown have both missed out on this squad.

Am I right in assuming Eddie has gone for Daly/Watson?


If so, I find this decision almost unbelievable. World cup leaving out your top 2 full backs. Anybody else agree?

Don't care about Goode, never performed on the intl stage. Brown is a big mistake tho

 

[sCriv]

Don't care about Goode, never performed on the intl stage. Brown is a big mistake tho

I'd say Alex Goode should have at least been in the training squad after the season he's had, and being the european player of the year.

As for leaving Brown out and taking Watson - I find this almost unbelievable. I had to read through the team sheet about 10 times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

 

[Which Tyler]

Surprised at no Brown - he's been in excellent form. A lot of faith to be putting into either an out of form Daly or a just-back-from-serious-injury Watson

I'm not too worried there TBH. Watson's just back from injury, but looked very threatening when on the pitch; then theres's Daly and McConnochie who are both class; all 3 of them provide better cover than Brown as well.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

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

 

[Which Tyler]

As no-one else is arranging the names properly (and I always get something wrong doing this...)

LHP: Joe Marler, Ellis Genge, Ben Moon, (Mako Vunipola)
HK: Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Singleton
THP: Kyle Sinckler, Dan Cole, Harry Williams
LK: Maro Itoje, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Charlie Ewels, (George Kruis)
FL: Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Brad Shields, Lewis Ludlam
#8: Billy Vunipola, Mark Wilson

SH: Ben Youngs, Ben Spencer, Willi Heinz
FH: Owen Farrell, George Ford, Danny Cipriani
CE: Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi, Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te'o, Piers Francis
WG: Jonny May, Joe Cokanasiga, Ruaridh McConnochie, (Jack Nowell)
FB: Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson

Then I'd say that Coka, Ruaridh, and Nowell are playing for 2 spaces, with Eddie debating between a 3rd SH or Te'o. He may go with both and either leave those 3 playing for 1 place, or drop JJ for no known reason.

 

[Jashay]

I wonder if Eddie is considering Nowell as Fullback cover too? He's been playing there for Exeter.

When the injuries come back I guess you drop Moon, Ewels, and McConnochie, and then trim out Ludlam, Francis/Te'o, Heinz... Singleton? Is three hookers the norm?

 

[Scotty]

As said above....but ill say again why heinz not only has no future with England given his age and no international experience to call on. Why not robson or care.

Ludlam...no international experience and not much prem really, whilst not a bad breakthrough season Dombrandt has been very good and smashed ot vs the baabaa.

Teo...just F**king no!

What does EJ have against Quins...what hapoened with Gustard?

Smith ok fair enough.
No brown as experience back up
No dombrandt whos on form
No care who is well ahead of heinz.
Sinks was sent home for a week and prob only back because hes well ahead of other props or he'd be missed too much

 

[Which Tyler]

As said above....but ill say again why heinz not only has no future with England given his age and no international experience to call on. Why not robson or care.

Ludlam...no international experience and not much prem really, whilst not a bad breakthrough season Dombrandt has been very good and smashed ot vs the baabaa.

Teo...just F**king no!

What does EJ have against Quins...what hapoened with Gustard?

Smith ok fair enough.
No brown as experience back up
No dombrandt whos on form
No care who is well ahead of heinz.
Sinks was sent home for a week and prob only back because hes well ahead of other props or he'd be missed too much

Doesn't Robson have a medical issue that needs sorting? There must be more to the Care story than we know, we're well into "cutting off your nose to spite your face" territory.
Ludlam > Dombrandt is a bit odd, but neither were ever actually going to Japan barring injury.
Te'o... Eddie just loves him for no discernible reason.
Smith 4th choice - certainly not going to complain that Cips finally has a chance to train with the big boys.
Brown, he's already got a selection headache in the back 3; However good Brown has been for Quins, he'd be behind Daly and Watson for the FB berth, and behind all 6 on the wing.
Sinkler had a minor strain didn't he? If he couldn't train, he probably needed the chance to switch off for a week - no particular problem there.