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England Team v France
Discussion started by P G Tips (IP Logged), 08 March, 2018 09:25
P G Tips
P G Tips
08 March, 2018 09:25
Apologies to BathMatt -I thought this deserved a thread of it's own.

Starting XV
15 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 31 caps), 14 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 32 caps), 13 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 11 caps), 12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 56 caps) C, 11 Elliot Daly (Wasps 16 caps), 10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 43 caps), 9 Danny Care (Harlequins 79 caps), 1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 47 caps) VC, 2 Jamie George (Saracens 23 caps), 3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 80 caps), 4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 50 caps), 5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 17 caps), 6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 64 caps), 7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 62 caps), 8 Nathan Hughes (Wasps 13 caps).

Finishers
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs 4 caps), 17 Joe Marler (Harlequins 54 caps), 18 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins 8 caps), 19 James Haskell (Wasps 75 caps), 20 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 5 caps), 21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens 29 caps), 22 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 38 caps), 23 Mike Brown (Harlequins 67 caps).


PG

nick holder
nick holder
08 March, 2018 09:34
Think GF is very lucky to get another start at 10

DorsetBoy
Dorset Boy
08 March, 2018 09:36
Faz captain?

Has Eddie (finally) seen the light about Brown? But no point in having him on the bench as he only covers 15.
Backrow still isn't right, but Simmonds mind do really well in the last 20 minutes against France.

P G Tips
P G Tips
08 March, 2018 09:39
A lot to like about the bench- mobile front row, Simmonds & Joseph - could be very dangerous finishers if weather permits.

The key question is at 9 - nothing wrong with Wigglesworth for a must win game - but he's not a "tempo lifter" as a finisher. Perhaps should be the starter with care to wreak havoc from the bench as against Australia?

PG



P G Tips


Jaco Coetzee: my adopted Player, 2023-24.

BathMatt53
BathMatt53
08 March, 2018 09:43
Quote:
Dorset Boy

Has Eddie (finally) seen the light about Brown? But no point in having him on the bench as he only covers 15.


International winger!spinning smiley sticking its tongue out

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

MESSAGES->author
shipwrecked
08 March, 2018 09:46
Agree about the Back Row DB, Lawes isn't a flanker, looks sluggish to me, bulky but sluggish, perhaps that is the plan?

We do need to be better at the breakdown and need a turnover specialist!

cb2
cb2
08 March, 2018 09:55
There is another problem with Lawes on the blind and no 2nd row cover on the bench. What happens if things are not working in the back-row (a problem area for England and with a half fit number 8 as well) and EJ wants to sub Lawes at half time? Who is left to cover 2nd row? Much better to have started Lawes on the bench and put a proper back-row option on the from the start.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2018 09:56 by cb2.

BathMatt53
BathMatt53
08 March, 2018 10:13
In Eddies interview he said that he wanted as much aggression as he can get - I guess Lawes ticks the aggression box.

opti
Optimist
08 March, 2018 10:17
Eddie, 11 Feb: "Mike Brown's been excellent for 23 games for us. so I don't know what was different today."

23 good games. One bad one. Dropped.

That's a strange selection in a game that he can't really afford to lose.

BathMatt53
BathMatt53
08 March, 2018 10:23
Quote:
Optimist
Eddie, 11 Feb: "Mike Brown's been excellent for 23 games for us. so I don't know what was different today."
23 good games. One bad one. Dropped.

That's a strange selection in a game that he can't really afford to lose.

He explains it in the team announcement. He wanted a big 13 on the softer ground against the French and someone who can counter attack more effectively at 15.

opti
Optimist
08 March, 2018 10:37
Yes - i saw that explanation. Made absolutely no sense at all.

“We want to attack a little bit more so Anthony starts at full back.”

“We felt we’d need someone a bit bigger and stronger on a slower track at the Stade de France and this is why Ben Te’o starts.”

So is the pitch harder at the back and softer in the middle?

BathBurger
BathBurger
08 March, 2018 10:38
He might mean someone who offers more in attack at 15 regardless of the condidtions which AW certainly does over Brown.

Bathovalballer
Bathovalballer
08 March, 2018 10:51
Just cannot see why Brown is dropped and Ford retained. Yes Brown has a shocker against the Scots but he did get involved and was physical, what did Ford do apart from run on and give people hospital passes. If Nowell was fit, Brown probably would not be in the 23. I am a fan of Anthony at 15 but feel he will be truly tested if it is wet as predicted and his defence needs to be stronger. Can see Brown coming on at 15 and AW to the wing for Daly who has not played much. Also I haven't been impressed with May as his defence is suspect

I feel JJ is a little unlucky as he has not been put into space but has defended really well. Suppose Teo there to help counter Bastereau but personally I would have started JJ at 13 with Slade inside him and Farrell at fly half. Slade is a classy footballer and can both tackle, distribute and can kick well from hand and ground. Also useful to have right and left foot kickers in a team, including Daly. As much as we need to defend, JJ and Slade offer more attacking options and threat IMO.

When Underhill dropped out, I don't think Eddie had much choice in the back row and had to play Lawes who has had his moments and certainly helps counter the very big powerful French pack.

If England fall behind on the scoreboard I think they will lose and it is imperative we start well and score early on. The French with the return of their naughty boys will be a handful and carry many threats especially on the wings. England will probably want to keep it tight and close to the pack and the French will go wide often and as soon as they can.

Could be a good one to watch but personally feel France will sneak it by under 10.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2018 11:01 by Bathovalballer.

by
by
08 March, 2018 10:58
I really hope the pitch is in better condition than it was when they played Ireland, we could do without any more injuries.

Substitute
Substitute
08 March, 2018 11:11
Interesting, but the problems lie at 4-8 and they haven't been addressed.

opti
Optimist
08 March, 2018 11:12
I don't really understand why he hasn't started Hasekll at 7. Eddie's greatest achievement to date - by a margin - was the 3-0 away to Australia, where Haskell was a huge success. Playing 3 second-rows is just a bit antediluvian to me.

The longer Eddie goes on, the more England are starting to resemble the Geoff Cooke era team, which won successive Grand Slams and got to a World Cup final, but ultimately failed because they'd set their ceiling a bit too low.

B4thB4ck
B4thB4ck
08 March, 2018 11:14
No need to reshuffle the backs at all IMO, the loss to Scotland was a problem up front and even when we got possession it was slow with no space or tempo to work with.

I do like to see first hands on the ball from a 7 rather than a judo match from a heavy 7 when we are 2nd to the ball.

cb2
cb2
08 March, 2018 11:41
What happens if we lose the next two games? A solid win against France and a narrow loss against Ireland could just about be accepted by some, but three losses back-to-back and things are not so good for the WC. England must win on Saturday.

B4thB4ck
B4thB4ck
08 March, 2018 11:58
One thought about Farrell as captain, if England get stuck in a rut as they did v Scotland with slow ball he can make a strong case on the pitch to sort that out. His view of things in the back line watching the defense form up ahead of him would be different to Hartley's who might have his head shoved somewhere with no daylight.

Beergoggles
Beergoggles
08 March, 2018 12:40
Quote:
Optimist
I don't really understand why he hasn't started Haskell at 7. Eddie's greatest achievement to date - by a margin - was the 3-0 away to Australia, where Haskell was a huge success. Playing 3 second-rows is just a bit antediluvian to me.

Antediluvian is now officially my word of the week. Well done Optimist.

B4thB4ck
B4thB4ck
08 March, 2018 12:51
Had to look it up, thought Antediluvian was an Argentinian prop.

Apparently a time period before the Biblical Flood. Well, the forecast is poor...

cb2
cb2
08 March, 2018 13:06
It's the miles on the clock, and I think that Haskell and Robshaw are struggling from this. They have both had tough careers.

DanWiley
Dan Wiley
08 March, 2018 15:06
"what did Ford do apart from run on and give people hospital passes"

@#$%& in your teapot?

Seriously, why do you keep singling him out? You at least accept Brown was bad, Ford wasn't particularly. T'eo done nothing for me so far. There were a lot of fairly poor performances out there to chose from, as said, it wasn't the backs that lost the game. What would you do anyway? Stick Faz at 10, T'eo at 12 and keep JJ? So Ford for JJ, that's much of muchness in terms of form.

MESSAGES->author
Which Tyler
08 March, 2018 17:45
Quote:
Beergoggles
Antediluvian is now officially my word of the week. Well done Optimist.
I prefer "antidevonian"


A man who cannot change his mind, cannot change anything

RAEBURN SHIELD

MESSAGES->author
shipwrecked
08 March, 2018 18:55
Quote:
Which Tyler
Quote:
Beergoggles
Antediluvian is now officially my word of the week. Well done Optimist.
I prefer "antidevonian"

Bit harsh on Exeter WT, but very witty! (Sm72)

MESSAGES->author
Which Tyler
08 March, 2018 18:58
Quote:
shipwrecked
Quote:
Which Tyler
Quote:
Beergoggles
Antediluvian is now officially my word of the week. Well done Optimist.
I prefer "antidevonian"

Bit harsh on Exeter WT, but very witty! (Sm72)
in truth, I'm more a Devonophile, but I couldn't quite resist.


A man who cannot change his mind, cannot change anything

RAEBURN SHIELD

Boldangrey
Boldangrey
08 March, 2018 20:24
I prefer 'Iscaphobe'.


That'll test ya!

MESSAGES->author
shipwrecked
08 March, 2018 22:17
Isca Dumnoniorum the town built where Exeter now stands!

My turn "Glevodiate" !

Boldangrey
Boldangrey
08 March, 2018 22:25
Knuckle dragger?

MESSAGES->author
shipwrecked
08 March, 2018 22:28
Very well done! (Sm23)

Boldangrey
Boldangrey
08 March, 2018 22:30
Nothing personal, old friend.

BathMatt53
BathMatt53
09 March, 2018 08:49
[www.bbc.co.uk]

"It's really funny Jones has challenged the back row to beat France with that style of play," Betsen, who won 63 caps for France between 1997 and 2007, told BBC Sport.

"France will target the breakdown and are going to follow what Scotland managed to do against England.

"In the back row England have got some second rows who maybe have less speed and who are really tall. It's a handicap for them in that aspect of the game.

"The French forwards are really effective in that area and especially a player like [prop] Jefferson Poirot.

"Wenceslas Lauret and Yacouba Camara are experts in the back row and Marco Tauleigne will bring a lot of dynamism in open play."

Robshaw was the only one of the three to claim a turnover against Scotland, with fellow flanker Lawes conceding three.

Over the first three rounds of the 2018 tournament, England have the worst success rate of all the Six Nations sides at the ruck.

Bathovalballer
Bathovalballer
09 March, 2018 10:22
I knew our turn over stats, like Bath"s, were not good but didn't think we were worse than Italy. It is a vital part of both the modern and old game and shows the need for strong, fast back rows which to be fair the country lacks at present. Must say I wish young Polledri was going to opt for England as he looks a real find for Gloucester, playing as well if not better than his dad who, IIRR, played over 400 games for Bristol.

BathMatt53
BathMatt53
10 March, 2018 16:56
Betsen was right, France are terrible in many areas but England are losing at the ruck again...


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