Summer tours - England

[Welsh Exile]

I think he moved around 10 from memory (I only know as I read something about him a few days ago).

I get it was in jest and I enjoy your mild valley commando approach. It's good.
Really odd though that two English parents could be on work on the USA in the RAF (do our bases count as English soil? ) and then their son be qualified for the USA.

If Underhill had played age grade rugby for USA I wouldn't have wanted him for England though.

So he spent a lot of his childhood in America then. I think Moriarty left St Helen's at 2 so it's not like he would've really remembered any of that. Underhill spent his first 10 years in America. Didn't know that. I have no idea what the deal is with growing up on a RAF base. Do you venture out at all? Lol.

Not that it matters obviously. He's English.

I'm different to you, though. Hypothetically speaking, say his dad got a promotion (or some other life event out of Sams control happened) and his parents decided it was in their best interests to stay in America until Sam was 18/19 and during that time he played age grade rugby for America (coz he loves rugby) I would have no problem with him playing for England once he came back as a late teen or whatever. Assuming I was English obviously.

 

[MarkyH]

Don't care in general.

Don't like the living for so long assimilation route, but kids with a past that means they have more than one choice or passport then go for it, and if you have the desire, passion and are good enough choose the nation you want. Again, not a fan of the grandparent route, but i've got English mates with Welsh heritage or grandparents who are fully Welsh despite having 50 odd years of their generation being in England.

I'd rather England not picked Nathan Hughes etc. But I understand in British culture and identity it doesn't matter to be honest. You identify with your heritage not your place of birth.

I guess what I'm saying if you choose it young then great, but don't just settle for something later cause you weren't picked (Shields etc)

 

[WarriorKelv]

LH: Marler/Obano/Rodd
HK: Blamire/Capon
TH: Stuart/Heyes/Street
SR: Ewels/Isiekwe/Ribbans/Martin
BR: Hill/Dombrandt/Simmonds/ Barbeary/Underhill/Earl
SH: Robson/Randall/Quirke
FH: Ford/Smith
IC: O'Conor/Lawrence
OC: Odogwu/Marchant/
Wing: Sleightholme/Thorley/ Naulaga(heard he is on EJs radar and what a player)
FB: Malins/Steward

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

LH: Marler/Obano/Rodd
HK: Blamire/Capon
TH: Stuart/Heyes/Street
SR: Ewels/Isiekwe/Ribbans/Martin
BR: Hill/Dombrandt/Simmonds/ Barbeary/Underhill/Earl
SH: Robson/Randall/Quirke
FH: Ford/Smith
IC: O'Conor/Lawrence
OC: Odogwu/Marchant/
Wing: Sleightholme/Thorley/ Naulaga(heard he is on EJs radar and what a player)
FB: Malins/Steward

The Bristol winger? Is he qualified?

Edit: Wow, didn't realise he's part of the British army. Fair enough then, he has been tearing up.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The Bristol winger? Is he qualified?

Moved to England when he was 18 (11yrs ago) to join the army

He's absolute lightning (imo the fastest player in the prem), but I'd rather see him turn out for Fiji tbh

Edit: you edited as I was typing, ha

Double edit: just watched an interview with him, he actually moved to England at 16, and then joined up at 18. His accent is an odd one, 50/50 Fijian and Yorkshire

 

[Geordie]

Moved to England when he was 18 (11yrs ago) to join the army

He's absolute lightning (imo the fastest player in the prem), but I'd rather see him turn out for Fiji tbh

Edit: you edited as I was typing, ha

Double edit: just watched an interview with him, he actually moved to England at 16, and then joined up at 18. His accent is an odd one, 50/50 Fijian and Yorkshire

i agree completely.

 

[will311293]

Surely he's played himself out of contention by now?

I'd be more interested in Barton (and Atkinson) as a nipper to bring in,
Smith and Simmonds should be the two, though - I don't think there's any need to take (/don't think Eddie will take) more than two 10s on tour, and if he did then it's just taking gametime away from Smith/Simmonds who should be getting as much as humanly possible in the run up to the world cup

Got to back my lad, but i'd say Eddie likes him so might take him. I think Atkinson is the longer term project player and much more measured in his approach.
I feel bad for Umaga, he was playing fantastically well until Eddie picked him.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

So we do need to get a few of these lads nailed down...

I really don't know what I think about all this. But with the way the world is now it's going to be a more common issue.

The world domination part of me thinks absolutely - the bigger choice we have the better and making sure that talent doesn't go elsewhere is all good.

But the reality is that our player pool is so large that it's incredibly difficult to break into the Eng team (and for some incumbents bloody difficult to break out of). Being exceptional at 19 / 20 is no indicator of a decent international career in the way it might be in some other countries. I'm more inclined towards letting players come to their own conclusions at their own pace - show interest for sure, but don't pressurise them or over promise. I certainly don't like the idea of capping youngsters before they're ready just to keep them out of others' hands.

 

[will311293]

LH: Marler/Obano/Rodd
HK: Blamire/Capon
TH: Stuart/Heyes/Street
SR: Ewels/Isiekwe/Ribbans/Martin
BR: Hill/Dombrandt/Simmonds/ Barbeary/Underhill/Earl
SH: Robson/Randall/Quirke
FH: Ford/Smith
IC: O'Conor/Lawrence
OC: Odogwu/Marchant/
Wing: Sleightholme/Thorley/ Naulaga(heard he is on EJs radar and what a player)
FB: Malins/Steward

Sleightholme is a great shout, quality operator.

 

[Jakedood]

LH: Marler/Obano/Rodd
HK: Blamire/Capon
TH: Stuart/Heyes/Street
SR: Ewels/Isiekwe/Ribbans/Martin
BR: Hill/Dombrandt/Simmonds/ Barbeary/Underhill/Earl
SH: Robson/Randall/Quirke
FH: Ford/Smith
IC: O'Conor/Lawrence
OC: Odogwu/Marchant/
Wing: Sleightholme/Thorley/ Naulaga(heard he is on EJs radar and what a player)
FB: Malins/Steward

I have a feeling, maybe, though wouldnt say Im 100%, that Ford may be on the way out.. could play in Autumn, but ive a feeling EJ lost patience in last game, and has decided to go another route, with Smith and Potentially Atkinson by the looks of things in there. We'll see what happens, but he should go again just because its important players have examples of what it means to be in an England training camp, and the standards required

 

[will311293]

I really hope Eddie not only looks to the future for this tour but picks on form.

Players like Piers O'Connor, Dombrandt, OHC, Parton, Simmonds x2, Smith, W Evans have been playing out their skins and deserve a shot.

I wouldn't even be against giving any of the 'Big' England players the summer off.

However, i think it's important that Mark Wilson goes on tour, i reckon he adds a lot more to the squad than we give him credit for. He does a lot of grunt work but has that coalface, hard graft approach to rugby and for me instils a bit of mettle and rigour to the team. Real team player and potential captain just based off the fact he gets players to work harder around him by showing commitment. I'd be happy if he packed down with Dombrandt/Simmonds and Hill/Evans/Earl to give some senior advice and calm.

All up for having a young, talented squad buy maybe the likes of M Wilson, Robson, Nowell even a Cole (if we feel reminiscent) to add that senior touch and calm head. I wouldn't even be against Care going just so we had someone to manage a young fly half like Smith/Atkinson.

 

[Geordie]

Sorry for my ignorance...havent seen a lot of Atkinson. Is he more or a controlling 10 or more off the cuff?

 

[will311293]

Sorry for my ignorance...havent seen a lot of Atkinson. Is he more or a controlling 10 or more off the cuff?

Compared to Umaga 100%, seems to not get flustered and chuck slightly speculative passes that Umaga does.

 

[Crash Hamster]

Naulago is an absolute monster going forward, but probably hasn't played RU for long enough to be solid defensively; he's looked a tad out of position at times.

How much does that matter? He'll obviously learn in time and he's certainly one of (the?) most exciting winger in the Prem at the moment.

Just have to hope he doesn't get Solomonaed...

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Naulago is an absolute monster going forward, but probably hasn't played RU for long enough to be solid defensively; he's looked a tad out of position at times.

How much does that matter? He'll obviously learn in time and he's certainly one of (the?) most exciting winger in the Prem at the moment.

Just have to hope he doesn't get Solomonaed...

He's also 29. As good as he is, not exactly building for the future

 

[Crash Hamster]

He's also 29. As good as he is, not exactly building for the future

Agreed, but OTOH there's sometimes too much emphasis in building for the future; could a 31-32 y.o. winger win us a world cup? Possibly. Jonny May is 31 now and still getting caps, two years out from a WC. It's not as if Jones is against playing the more mature gentleman

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Eddie Jones after that Exeter game

 

[TheSaffycen]

Don't worry boys..Billy has a double against Bedford so he's back

 

[BPM]

Eddie Jones after that Exeter game

Actually, the irony is that Exeter's performance reminded me a lot of recent England games.

Some promising bits to remind you they can be a good team, but little evidence to show they could adapt when plan A wasn't working and they were comprehensively beaten at the breakdown.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Every team are allowed to lose, they are still the best team in England currently.