Spain vs England A - 15/11/25

[Crash Hamster]

I'm not sure it was particularly high quality (though we'd expect to perform well in the rain) but it's captured some players and the people who you'd guess might impress seem to have played well.

I liked Tuipolutu, Sela, Caluori, Fisilau and particularly Hendy.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Hopefully Hendy gets called up to the main squad with Steward failing his HIA and therefore out - he's not gonna make the 23 next week but be good just to have him in the environment

 

[Crash Hamster]

I'd be tempted to pick him. He seems to be surprisingly good, every week and he could just be the perfect Steward/Smith hybrid...

 

[Crash Hamster]

(So will probably have come out of the game with an injury)

 

[Becca]

Glad we won in the end.

Reffing has been a bit odd across the board again, hasn’t it ?

 

[BPM]

Caught the highlights … not much to write home about. Yellow for Jibulu was an embarrassing bit of play acting from he Spanish player.

 

[Which Tyler]

Watching now, 20 min.
Spain will be taking far more from this than England.
Spain are taking this seriously, and treating it like a proper test (and so they should) England look like they didn't play together last week, and their idea of "team building" involved beer rather than training sessions.

Yeah, that first try was definitely a forward pass, shame though, they'd deserve the try.

I love that EngA are playing matches again, but we need better coaching and to build some more sessions into the year (I guess this will come) and IMO better coherence with the senior squad in terms of playing style, probably a firmer idea of what it's for as well.

 

[BPM]

Spain 14 looked rapid

 

[Which Tyler]

As I think about it (sorry, this is going to be a very England biased post)...

I fully support EngA being a bridge between age-grade and full international, rather than just 2nd XV.
I'd say that they should have a wider squad for the year, and join senior training for those 2-3 day camps through the season, overseen by Borthwick.

Limit selection to being U25 or so, but targeting players who best fit the gameplan - which should be part of building an England identity. So if (for example) England snr want a boshing 12 and a play making 15, then EngA should play a boshing 12 and a play making 15. If England play a kick-dominated game, and a blitz defence, then EngA should play a kick-dominated game, and a blitz defence etc.

We know that SA will brutalise you with their power game. Whether snr, A, age grade or women.
We know that NZ will play an all-court game. Whether snr, A, age grade or women.
We know that France will play a big pack, a petit-general at SH and jouer jouer. Whether snr, A, age grade or women.

For England, the U18 play a different game to the U20 - even when it's the exact same players 2 years later - who play differently to EngA, who play differently to snr