Summer tours - England

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Hoping the A team might be something like
1. Rodd
2. Capon
3. Hill
4. Isiekwe
5. Moon
6. Harrison
7. Ludlam
8. Chick
9. Uren
10. F.Smith
11. Stevenson
12. O'Conor
13. Kelly
14. Radwan
15. Freeman

16. Ashman
17. West
18. Street
19. Chessum
20. Clement
21. Maunder
22. Bailey
23. David

(IDK what is happening with the U20's so left them out but Quirke and JVP should be in with a shout)

 

[Geordie]

Good side Tigs, the only change, Id like to see Radwan in the seniors. Hes just lightning quick...but he's also incredibly strong for his build and so aggressive / fearless.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I doubt Ashman will declare for England, tbh
He's arguably more English than Scottish (born in Canada to an English and a Scottish parent, but lived in England the majority of his life) but has played all age grades for Scotland and trained with the seniors multiple times
Seeing how EJ treats fringe guys isn't going enamour anyone to pick England atm

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Hoping the A team might be something like
1. Rodd
2. Capon
3. Hill
4. Isiekwe
5. Moon
6. Harrison
7. Ludlam
8. Chick
9. Uren
10. F.Smith
11. Stevenson
12. O'Conor
13. Kelly
14. Radwan
15. Freeman

16. Ashman
17. West
18. Street
19. Chessum
20. Clement
21. Maunder
22. Bailey
23. David

(IDK what is happening with the U20's so left them out but Quirke and JVP should be in with a shout)

Honestly could see a world where this is the game we see Smith, Dombrandt, Odogwu etc and then they get dropped with some odd bench selections

Wouldn't be surprised for something like this

1. Obano
2. Haywood
3. Street
4. Isekwe
5. Moon
6. Ludlam
7. Curry
8. Dombrandt

9. Randall
10. M. Smith
11. Radwan
12. Devoto
13. Odogwu
14. Hassell Collins
15. Furbank

16. Capon
17. West
18. Kerrod
19. Beaumont
20. Barbeary
21. JVP
22. Umaga
23. Marchant

 

[Welsh Exile]

How's Umaga doing? I must admit whenever I've watched him I've been more impressed with him than Smith but that's probably more down to the limited games I've seen of each of them. Is Umaga there or there abouts or is he not in the same league performance wise to Smith at the moment?

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

How's Umaga doing? I must admit whenever I've watched him I've been more impressed with him than Smith but that's probably more down to the limited games I've seen of each of them. Is Umaga there or there abouts or is he not in the same league performance wise to Smith at the moment?

Noone is in the same league as Smith at the moment so it's not really a fair comparison.

Umaga is ok but goes missing and makes dumb mistakes. Not looking like he'll be real intl quality at the moment imo but we'll see.

Smith is just a class above everyone else in that age bracket, almost Mbappe esque

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'm really not convinced that 10 is Umaga's best position. He has a good running game and can offload well but his distribution and kicking is very lacklustre. I'd like to see him tried out at 15 or maybe even in the centres.

Edit: Although, on second thoughts he's also a pretty rubbish tackler so probably wouldn't be too suited to centre of 15 either. Maybe he is just an underwhelming 10.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, Umaga is several leagues below Smith,

He shows flashes of what he can do - and those flashes are very impressive - but he's flakey as hell (even in a game where he's bossing it he's as likely to make a try-leaking error as a try-making piece of brilliance)
Also has about as many good games as bad per season

He's still very young, so his game should smooth out with more experience but it's mad he's in England contention at this stage, tbh, and I think his surname is what's getting him the plaudits as much as his play (or at least: means people are happier to gloss over his bad points/bad games much more freely)

 

[BPM]

Some of it might depend on whether the A game captures players with eligibility.

It would be good to lock in Rodd, Heyes, Ashman, Odogwu and Randall.

I genuinely believe all five of those could play for England and I have no qualms tying them to us given that all of them have been developed within the English game. You might argue Ashman has represented Scotland at age grade, but Redpath and Williams were ex-England age graders who were also in wider squads and that did nothing to tie them in.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Scotland are wanting to name Rodd in their squad this summer, if rumours are to be believed - hopefully we get in there first (I don't think he'd choose Scotland over England - but as I said with Ashman: The way EJ has treated fringe players recently is going to throw an onion in the ointment. Dunn getting more caps than minutes, Odogwu holding tackle bags for months etc.)
If Scotland guarantee a cap...

Sunday 4 July - England v USA, Twickenham Stadium (KO TBC)

Only just clocked that they bumped this back to July 4th - very happy with that, initially it was going to be the 3rd

 

[Geordie]

With the Prem final on the 26th...will that rule many out of the A game? I wouldnt have thought so.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

No Rodd, Ashman, Beaumont, B.Curry, Quirke, as they'll be busy lifting the prem trophy

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

No Rodd, Ashman, Beaumont, B.Curry, Quirke, as they'll be busy lifting the prem trophy

Only if there trying to steal it off of Smith and Dombrandt

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I know Smith is the flavour of the week but there is only one true king in the premiership, and his name is MacGinty

I'd like to see a Quins vs Sale final tbh.
We'd probably lose (we've a terrible record vs Quins recently) but I like us both more than Bristol/Chiefs

 

[Jakedood]

Assuming the squad were to stay as is, I'd be looking at:

George >> Dunn
LCD >> Singleton
Lawes >> Ribbans
Itoje >> Isiekwe
Curry >> Ludlam (or Ben Curry if fit)
Willis >> Dombrandt
Youngs >> Mitchell
Farrell >> Smith
Watson >> Hassell-Collins
Daly >> Steward

I'd also make other changes, but just going with Lions changes for now.

No room for Alfie then?

 

[BPM]

Yes. It was more a case of looking at straight swaps for the Lions call ups and I'd argue Dombrandt and Ben Curry should be picking up caps before Barbeary.

I'd swap him in for one of the other back row players not on the Lions tour (probably Wilson).

 

[Jakedood]

Speaking of Dombrandt, the ease with which he bounced Odogwu wont have gone unnoticed I'm sure

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

No room for Alfie then?

No. He'll too busy on a scrummaging machine and practicing his darts.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

So how would the media react to Care being called up by Eddie Jones?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Speaking of Dombrandt, the ease with which he bounced Odogwu wont have gone unnoticed I'm sure

Unless you're thinking of a different moment then that was Kibirige.