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[RWC19 Warm-Up] - England vs Wales

England team to face Wales: Elliot Daly; Ruaridh McConnochie, Henry Slade, Piers Francis, Anthony Watson; George Ford, Willi Heinz; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, Charlie Ewels; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Jack Singleton, Joe Marler, Harry Williams, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Ben Youngs, Joe Marchant, Joe Cokanasiga.
 
Wales: Liam Williams (Saracens) (55 Caps); George North (Ospreys) (83 Caps), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (73 Caps), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (15 Caps), Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) (10 Caps); Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys) (26 Caps), Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (41 Caps); Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (28 Caps), Ken Owens (Scarlets) (64 Caps), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (40 Caps), Adam Beard (Ospreys) (13 Caps), Alun Wyn Jones (Capt, Ospreys) (125 Caps), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (8 Caps), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (64 Caps), Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (31 Caps).

Replacements: Elliot Dee (Dragons) (18 Caps),17. Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (12 Caps), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (12 Caps), Jake Ball (Scarlets) (32 Caps), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (17 Caps), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (7 Caps), Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) (70 Caps), Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (13 Caps).
 
It's...........interesting.


Very excited to see Curry/Underhill/Binny in the same backrow,
Ludlam shouldn't be there, but whatever.
McConnochie arguably shouldn't (just because I'd rather we settle on a side than experiment) but with Nowell's rush for fitness it's an odd one. I'd have started Joe C with McConnochie on the bench.

That said the whole side is pretty experimental so combinations don't really matter as EJ obviously isn't really taking this as a serious test match.


Edit: Unlike Wales who have gone balls to the wall. Tonking incoming I fear!
 
Wales not far off picking their strongest team. While England's pack looks good(bar Cole :p), it's a bit of a green back line. Even if it's at Twickenham Wales should be disappointed if they don't win this considering it's a 2nd team from England really.
 
Surprised Wales are taking a warm up match so god damn seriously....usually you leave your best team for fitness reasons until the last game and with Georgia up first they could probably be forgiven.

Think if they try this throughout the warm ups they'll end up too pooped come the tournament proper.


England its what you expect experimentral looking at fringe players/combinations trying to check fitness of others.

I expect to lose but World Cup warm up matches aren't important.
 
Is Spencer still being considered for the WC squad or has he been completely dropped?
 
ncurd said:
Surprised Wales are taking a warm up match so god damn seriously....usually you leave your best team for fitness reasons until the last game and with Georgia up first they could probably be forgiven.

Think if they try this throughout the warm ups they'll end up too pooped come the tournament proper.


England its what you expect experimentral looking at fringe players/combinations trying to check fitness of others.

I expect to lose but World Cup warm up matches aren't important.
Click to expand...
Last WC warm ups against Ireland, Wales put a strong team out away then a 2nd string team at home so I expect them to do similar this time.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
It's...........interesting.


Very excited to see Curry/Underhill/Binny in the same backrow,
Ludlam shouldn't be there, but whatever.
McConnochie arguably shouldn't (just because I'd rather we settle on a side than experiment) but with Nowell's rush for fitness it's an odd one. I'd have started Joe C with McConnochie on the bench.

That said the whole side is pretty experimental so combinations don't really matter as EJ obviously isn't really taking this as a serious test match.


Edit: Unlike Wales who have gone balls to the wall. Tonking incoming I fear!
Click to expand...

EJ obviously doesnt want any players starting this week and next , so he had to start McConnochie in this one, and its probably the only time hell be able to cap him.
 
MikeTheNative said:
Is Spencer still being considered for the WC squad or has he been completely dropped?
Click to expand...
Hopefully the former, but with EJ who knows. There was no need to drop people from training this week tbh - it's not like they've got club games to go back to. Dropping 4 from the squad is just weird, it's not like he sent everyone but the matchday squad home for some R&R.

Hoping he gets the start next game.
 
MikeTheNative said:
Is Spencer still being considered for the WC squad or has he been completely dropped?
Click to expand...

Who knows?? Eddie and scrum halves are a bit of a mystery. Even if he had Gareth Edwards available he'd play Rupert Moon.

You'd think at this stage selection would be limited to those on the plane, presumably he knows that by now. But guess at least some of McConnochie, Ewels, Heinz, Ludlam and Francis are being given some experience in case they're called up to cover injury (5 international starts between the lot of them, only one of which was in an AI, 6N or RWC......and that was Ewels against Samoa). Marchant too is odd, he's good but also uncapped and 3rd choice at best, possibly 4th if you count Manu as a 13.

Like the look of that back row. Keep getting the vibe that we'll be reverting to Ford - Faz in Japan, not necessarily a bad thing.
 
I'm gonna be there this Saturday...suddenly it's looking like it might be a painful day.

Wales obviously picking their strongest side. Not sure why or what they'll get out of it, especially with England picking an under strength side, but nevermind. I think for Wales their aim is a good strong win with no injuries. Tbh the no injuries bit is more important.

England...it either looks like players who are third choice or need to prove some fitness/form with a bit of experimentation.

Front row looks like second or third choice to me. First choice will be Vunipola/George/Sinkler, then it's between the rest to prove they deserve to be on the bench. Genge/Marler is a close one. I think Cowan-Dickie will pip Singleton and Williams/Cole is close too though I think Williams might edge it. Cole is a penalty machine and him coming on at the end of a tight game when discipline is needed fills me with dread.

In the Second row is looks like Launchbury has fallen down the order to 4th. Ewels is getting his chance to impress, though I can't see what he'll do to move above the others. Itoje and Lawes look like they are nailed on with Kruis on the bench. However such is the depth that we can adapt our second row to who we are playing.

Back row looks like an experiment to see if Underhill and Curry work well together. Hopefully it should with Underhill's hard hitting and Curry pouncing. If we had Itoje and Lawes too hitting hard then it would work even better. I guess EJ wants to see it work with Billy, though without Dombrandt, Wilson is the only other option and I assume he'll play next week.

Half Backs...Ford as captain, so maybe some consistency with Farrell. It's basically those two for FH, with some utility cover. Heinz as vice-captain on debut is weird. He's also 32, so why not keep the experience of Care. The whole scrumhalf situation is just ridiculous. 4 warm up games from the world cup we have dropped one of two experience players, the dropped another player with only 3 caps for a 32 year old debutant. I really hope that this is just to give Heinz a run out and that Spencer is still in contention. Also if this is an experimental side, why have Youngs on the bench. Spencer would have been a better option.

Centres are interesting. Two play makers really. I think Slade is playing this week so Joseph and Tuilagi can play next week. We know what Slade and Tuilagi is like, so I think Jones wants to mix it up. Hopefully Marchant will get some game time to show what he's capable of.

Finally backs...Daly getting more experience which he needs. McConnochie in as a fringe player, Watson to prove form and fitness. Cokanasiga will also hopefully get some time against a tiring Wales defence. If Nowell doesn't recover then who would be in contention. Surely May, Watson and Cokanasiga. I don't know enough about McConnochie to see where he would fit in.

Overall for all of Jones' talk about knowing 95% of his squad it still seems like he doesn't and there are a few positions that leave me worried. Scrum Half especially as it has for the last couple of years.
 
Old Hooker said:
You'd think at this stage selection would be limited to those on the plane
Click to expand...

Ennit,
Shouldn't a world cup side be pretty much finalised the season before - so you've got the 6 Nations to properly gel and then peak in the RWC.
Shouldn't really be doling out first caps to people who aren't first XV standard a few weeks before we head off.
 
Love that backline; I'd say that's the only area we've got an advantage over Wales, and even then it's not like Wales are slouches in that area. Apart from that, EJ clearly not taking this one seriously.

Glad to see Ford at 10; when was the last time he started there for England? SA last year? In the context it's not so great, though: given that this is Eddie's B-side it doesn't seem that he's in high regard.

Surprised Wales have gone so heavy for a non-ranking match (I think?) but perhaps they're just that keen to keep their winning run going
 
From a Welsh point of view I'm feeling a little uneasy about this fixture, England have dotted in a few 1st string players in key positions with most players having one last chance to make the final 31 so expect them to give everything, never an easy task going to Twickenham no matter what England side you're playing, I remember a few years ago before wales went to NZ and England went to Aus we took a full strength side to play an 'under strength' England and got smashed, luckily Ford had a stinker off the boot so the scoreline didn't look too bad, could the same happen again?
 
TRF_Olyy said:
Ennit,
Shouldn't a world cup side be pretty much finalised the season before - so you've got the 6 Nations to properly gel and then peak in the RWC.
Shouldn't really be doling out first caps to people who aren't first XV standard a few weeks before we head off.
Click to expand...

100%. Ideally you'd want 10+ of the starting XV nailed on 2 years out. At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, RWC winning teams tend to have continuity and experience.

There must always be space for the odd bolter, but it all feels too much of a mess in too many areas. There have been a few injuries, but all teams have to cope with those.

Hooker's another great example. Losing Hartley was undoubtedly a blow and while he was around you never felt that Jones wholly trusted George. George has now largely stepped up, but Jones clearly doesn't trust LCD and Singleton's uncapped.
 

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