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Worst three players to lose from your Squad for the RWC.

Bridie Retalick
Damien McKenzie
Owen Franks

... oh wait :p

Bauden Barrett/richie mo'unga
Kieran Read
Sam Whitelock

had to go with 4
our brilliant attacking 10's are I think what sets us apart but our depth there hasn't recovered since Cruden, Slade, Taylor, DC & Donald left the NZ game.
Read is obviously the captian but not only that after a couple of quiet seasons by his standards hes come back into some great form. back to easily being one of if not the top 8 in the world. And we dont have a genuine test 8 to back him up.
With Retalick injured we really cant afford to lose whitelock. Absolute first class lock, sometimes under rated but when people look at the stats you can see his value. Tops tackle sheets with effective defense and does a ton of cleanout work. huge experience.
Other positions I think we have well covered with depth.
 
Sinckler because the drop off to Cole is so great.

Manu because he's a one of a kind game breaker with no like for like cover.

Youngs. Yeah right I hear you cry. But Jones has backed himself right into a corner and the alternatives just aren't palatable.
 
For the Springboks it has to be:

Handre Pollard - The only in-form flyhalf in our team, with a stellar kicking record and has been scoring tries and creating tries way better than Elton, even though Elton has started just as many games as Pollard...

Pieter-Steph Du Toit - The work horse that makes at least 15 tackles a game. nuff said

Duane Vermeulen - Our only specialist no. 8 in the squad, and one of the few guys used to the conditions in Japan. His experience on and off the field will be a big loss should he fall out.
 
AWJ
Sanjay
Biggar

I think we've already lost one of the top 3 in Anscombe, due to his ability to cover FB, allowing Sanjay to play on the wing if required.
 
Bridie Retalick
Damien McKenzie
Owen Franks

... oh wait :p

Bauden Barrett/richie mo'unga
Kieran Read
Sam Whitelock

had to go with 4
our brilliant attacking 10's are I think what sets us apart but our depth there hasn't recovered since Cruden, Slade, Taylor, DC & Donald left the NZ game.
Read is obviously the captian but not only that after a couple of quiet seasons by his standards hes come back into some great form. back to easily being one of if not the top 8 in the world. And we dont have a genuine test 8 to back him up.
With Retalick injured we really cant afford to lose whitelock. Absolute first class lock, sometimes under rated but when people look at the stats you can see his value. Tops tackle sheets with effective defense and does a ton of cleanout work. huge experience.
Other positions I think we have well covered with depth.
Can add Lima to that list of departed 10s too!!!
I agree with the 3 of BB, Sam and Reid, spot on from a NZ perspective.

With my Scotland hat on, it'd be;

Russell
Johnny Gray
McInally

Russell is our playmaker and sees and does things that no other play in our team can. Son of Gavin is a good backup and will continue to develop but right now he is a fair bit short of where Finn is.

The drop off at hooker after McInally is huge. Especially now Ford has retired our lineout throws get ropey once McInally is off the pitch, and in the loose he is an extra loose forward which is so useful when trying to vary the point of attack and pilfer quick turnover ball.

For Gray is it purely about workrate, lineout jumping and grunt in the scrum; in all of these areas he's much more impactful and effective than any of our other locks, his stats continue to astound when he plays.

I toyed with the idea of hoggy. However, given the almost certainty that Ireland will try to take him out off the ball and end his tournament in that early game, Gregor has been blooding a decent backup in Kinghorn for when it happens :p
 
1- Handre Pollard
2 - Pollard, Handre
3 - Boks no 10
 
Man, I'd feel way better with Heinz and Spencer as our 9s, despite having about 2 hours of game time between them

Well yes, although not sure how the reality would stack up against the theory. So much has been vested in Youngs that him going down would leave us exposed to huge risk. At least the rest of the side is familiar with him *clutches at straws*. 57 won't have seen anything like this, who knows how he'd react if he suddenly becomes first choice.
 
Combined with SOB's decline (and injuries as well as the other thing that make him unselectable) definitely.

From our actual squad though, I'd say Josh Van Der Flier, Tadhg Furlong and Johnny Sexton. Josh cause he's our only 7 left, Furlong both because he's the best prop in the world and also because Ryan and Porter are decent but a massive step down, and then Johnny both because if Joey already has his own injury problems and, after all, he is world player of the year despite his mixed form.
Furlong ain't the best in the world though is he...
 
For England I'd just say our back row, Curry, Underhill & B Bunipola

Wilson is there or there about but those three guys make the real difference and there is no depth in those position.

I'd argue most other teams couldn't survive loosing one our 1st choice second rows but England has a manufacturing line and we'd have to be down to 5th/6th choice before starting to panic...
 
Who's better?
Sinks, an argument for Mako. an argument can be made for a few of the NZ props... He's v good like, just a tad overrated.
In terms of loose play an on form sinks blows him away and he doesn't top him in the scrum bye enough to compensate for that in my mind.
Biased quins fan of course but Furlong has impressed me about in about 3/4 games, apart from that he's been v good but not what everybody builds him up to be
 
England
Jamie George - the backups are simply too inexperienced, in a position where experience is vital.
Kyle Sinckler - because the backup is Dan Cole...
Billy Vunipola - no problem with Wilson, but Billy is truly world class.


The loss of Farrell would be to England's advantage. He's simply not as good as Ford at anything other than shouting at people, but is guaranteed a place in the XV regardless.
Loss of Youngs could well be of benefit, he's capable of bein very good, but it's about 1 in 6 that he shows it, and another 1 in 6 that he'll throw the game on his own.
The loss of Manu would be tough,and he comes close to Billy, but we've done better for longer without Manu than we have without Billy. Yes, it necessitates a different game plan, but not a worse one. If a permanent withdrawal, then he might overtake Billy, as there's no-one to take his place, whilst Billy could've replaced in the squad by Morgan or Donbrandt
 
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Sinks, an argument for Mako. an argument can be made for a few of the NZ props... He's v good like, just a tad overrated.
In terms of loose play an on form sinks blows him away and he doesn't top him in the scrum bye enough to compensate for that in my mind.
Biased quins fan of course but Furlong has impressed me about in about 3/4 games, apart from that he's been v good but not what everybody builds him up to be
I was afraid you'd say Sinckler...

The bolded there says enough insofar as this isn't really an argument worth having. Furlong has been very impressive in 3 games if you restrict it to wins v New Zealand alone.

If you ignore scrummaging, handling, discipline and general defence Sinckler has an argument, still not one I'd back him in, but there's really not a TH who's anywhere near as rounded as Furlong.
 
I was afraid you'd say Sinckler...

The bolded there says enough insofar as this isn't really an argument worth having. Furlong has been very impressive in 3 games if you restrict it to wins v New Zealand alone.

If you ignore scrummaging, handling, discipline and general defence Sinckler has an argument, still not one I'd back him in, but there's really not a TH who's anywhere near as rounded as Furlong.
Lol sinkler has the best handling of any front rower, he's was literally a fly half all through school and is one of England's play makers at this point. Defence he is solid and has never been a weakpoint, makes monstrous hits on the regular in the prem. Discipline issues seem to have been sorted out (apparently he only listens to marler and that was a big reason for bringing him back in). Scrummaging furlong might just take it but it's not like it's exceptional in comparison.

Sinks is hugely impressive on the regular whears furlong has a world class performance in him but comes out occasionally rather than consistently



Defence and handling right here
 
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Furlong is without doubt the best Tighthead Prop in World Rugby & has been for last 18 months

Sinckler is the most skilful TH but his scrimmaging is well below Furlong & discipline is dodgy

Mako Vunipola along with Beast Kitshoff & Healy are the gold standard in regards to Loose Head Props
 
I was afraid you'd say Sinckler...

The bolded there says enough insofar as this isn't really an argument worth having. Furlong has been very impressive in 3 games if you restrict it to wins v New Zealand alone.

If you ignore scrummaging, handling, discipline and general defence Sinckler has an argument, still not one I'd back him in, but there's really not a TH who's anywhere near as rounded as Furlong.
I agree that Furlong is leaps and bounds ahead of Sinckler but Sinckler's handling is superior. That's the only area in which he's superior though, other than probably flat out pace which is pretty irrelevant for a THP.

No tightheads come close to Furlong IMO. When Franks was in form he was in the conversation but we know what's happened to him. Now there really aren't any real challengers. The closest is probably Alaalatoa.
 
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Mako isn't even the best loosehead in the England squad, let alone the world.
 
Furlong's handling is exceptional as well to be fair. I'm a massive fan of Sinkler but think he has a way to go yet to catch up with Furlong.
 

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