Wilkinson, Vickery and Farrell ruled out !
Discussion
Oh Shit, someone tell me im dreaming and Toby Flood isn't our fly half.
Other interesting changes in the team. Nice to see Plamer back, nice to see Rees start and Easter at 8. White back in the beef up the scrum Not so sure about Corry at lock, but apart from Flood at 10, im quite encouraged by the decisions.
England team:
J Lewsey (Wasps);
D Strettle (Harlequins),
M Tindall (Gloucester),
M Catt (London Irish),
J Robinson (Sale);
T Flood (Newcastle),
H Ellis (Leicester);
T Payne (Wasps),
G Chuter (Leicester),
J White (Leicester),
M Corry (Leicester),
T Palmer (Wasps),
J Worsley (Wasps),
T Rees (Wasps),
N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), S Turner (Sale), L Deacon (Leicester), M Lund (Sale), S Perry (Bristol), S Geraghty (London Irish), M Tait (Newcastle).
Other interesting changes in the team. Nice to see Plamer back, nice to see Rees start and Easter at 8. White back in the beef up the scrum Not so sure about Corry at lock, but apart from Flood at 10, im quite encouraged by the decisions.
England team:
J Lewsey (Wasps);
D Strettle (Harlequins),
M Tindall (Gloucester),
M Catt (London Irish),
J Robinson (Sale);
T Flood (Newcastle),
H Ellis (Leicester);
T Payne (Wasps),
G Chuter (Leicester),
J White (Leicester),
M Corry (Leicester),
T Palmer (Wasps),
J Worsley (Wasps),
T Rees (Wasps),
N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), S Turner (Sale), L Deacon (Leicester), M Lund (Sale), S Perry (Bristol), S Geraghty (London Irish), M Tait (Newcastle).
Edited by 360stimo on Tuesday 6th March 15:52
360stimo said:
thegreatsoprendo said:
360stimo said:
apart from Flood at 8, im quite encouraged by the decisions.
Toby Flood at 8 would indeed be a frightening prospect.... 
Any idea who's likely to be goal kicking in this side - Flood or Catt?
Whoops, meant 10 !
Flood will kick, Catt will captain
Damn - thought so. Was hoping to shoehorn an extra goal kicker into my fantasy team there!
rcarr said:
ewenm said:
As long as England avoid giving the opposition a 21 point head start I'm still looking forward to the match.
OOOOO! Cutting! I am not really bothered by that statement! Silly errors by the backs, hopefully it won't happen again!
At least we know where we stand with each other's viewpoints then.I actually think that side looks like it may have a bit of potential. And saying this team is crap coming from a scots bloke... Yeah right!!!
I think had JW been fit then Matthew Tait may have come in with Tindale. Catt's probably got the nod to act as a bit of support for Flood, who is going to come under a bit of pressure from the french backrow. Corry as a lock might work, he's too slow in the back row and Grecock is a liability so why not. As for the rest it looks OK, front row looks combative, back row looks to have a bit more dynamism and the back 3 are genuinely quick if they can be found in space.
The biggest issue is, as always, time together. The side has never played before and I guess to start with that is going to show. Still could be a lot worse! We could be Scottish! That result is going to A1 scary!!!
I think had JW been fit then Matthew Tait may have come in with Tindale. Catt's probably got the nod to act as a bit of support for Flood, who is going to come under a bit of pressure from the french backrow. Corry as a lock might work, he's too slow in the back row and Grecock is a liability so why not. As for the rest it looks OK, front row looks combative, back row looks to have a bit more dynamism and the back 3 are genuinely quick if they can be found in space.
The biggest issue is, as always, time together. The side has never played before and I guess to start with that is going to show. Still could be a lot worse! We could be Scottish! That result is going to A1 scary!!!
I am part English, probably only my arse because thats where the shit comes from.
I can take the shit other people throw at me coz I am safe in the knowledge that we beat England and France last year with practically the same team as we have now! We have potential too!
Look at France now, they say, they are only concentrating on the World Cup and not the Six Nations. Now, look at England, they haven't really pulled out a performance that anyone can be proud of yet! Poor Andy Robinson was used as a scape-goat, there is no figurehead to the England squad, no one has taken up the mantle of being the next Martin Johnson, that is the major problem, not that the coaches are crap!
I can take the shit other people throw at me coz I am safe in the knowledge that we beat England and France last year with practically the same team as we have now! We have potential too!
Look at France now, they say, they are only concentrating on the World Cup and not the Six Nations. Now, look at England, they haven't really pulled out a performance that anyone can be proud of yet! Poor Andy Robinson was used as a scape-goat, there is no figurehead to the England squad, no one has taken up the mantle of being the next Martin Johnson, that is the major problem, not that the coaches are crap!
rcarr said:
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Come on France!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
Not really. I'd have liked to see Lamb play 10 and Abbott 12 from the start of the 6 Nations. Would like to have seen James Simpson Daniel in the match day squad and Dan Hipkiss or Mathew Tait at 13.
From where i am sat, that looks like a decent team, certainly not one to lose at home against Italy
360stimo said:
rcarr said:
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Come on France!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
From where i am sat, that looks like a decent team, certainly not one to lose at home against Italy
It was a game of silly errors! I am the 1st one to admit that! The Italians were being very dirty and weren't being penalised. You would have to speak to Frank Hadden why we lost the Italy match. We were too cocky about it. Something I see the England supporters doing more often than the Scots!
I am not a fair weather supporter, I sit there till the bitter end, I have belief in my team. I am not the kind of person who boos their team off after losing to South Africa! I sit there in my kilt and my Scotland hat and jacket, cheering them on even when we are 30 odd points behind!
rcarr said:
360stimo said:
rcarr said:
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Come on France!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
So much for "We don't need Wilkinson/Farrell to be a good side". No, without those guys you are crap!
From where i am sat, that looks like a decent team, certainly not one to lose at home against Italy
It was a game of silly errors! I am the 1st one to admit that! The Italians were being very dirty and weren't being penalised. You would have to speak to Frank Hadden why we lost the Italy match. We were too cocky about it. Something I see the England supporters doing more often than the Scots!
I am not a fair weather supporter, I sit there till the bitter end, I have belief in my team. I am not the kind of person who boos their team off after losing to South Africa! I sit there in my kilt and my Scotland hat and jacket, cheering them on even when we are 30 odd points behind!
I was at that game, and i was booing. Not the team, but Andy Robinson, for being the worst coach i have ever seen and continue to make mistakes he should have learnt from a long time ago. I pay £50-£70 for a ticket to watch that garbage, then i have a right to make my feelings known to the coach.
Italians were not dirty, they played a great game, especially in the forwards. Which area of the game should the Italians have been penalised more?
In recent times England supporters have had something to be cocky about, so you would see them doing it more than the Scots, who have had nothing to be cocky about for some time.
If Scotland were to boo after losing to SA, you'd have done plenty of booing since rugby was created, so i can see why you dont bother
Edited by 360stimo on Tuesday 6th March 17:00
360stimo said:
If Scotland were to boo after losing to SA, you'd have done plenty of booing since rugby was created, so i can see why you dont bother
Edited by 360stimo on Tuesday 6th March 17:00
We beat South Africa last time at Murrayfield. Andy Robinson was/is a very good coach, I don't like him but thats another matter.
I was at the Italy match and I didn't leave the stadium and I have never left early if we were being beaten.
The guys sitting around me were swearing away, but I knew we could play better than we were playing.
Scotland are a very good side when we don't have the current injury problems, but we do have the back-up of good young players coming up. We have a massive problem with our centres. Dewey, is a good player but when he is put with Di Rollo, it goes tits up! Di Rollo lost us both the Italian and English matches. Silly handling errors!
Sorry mate, Scotland are not a good side! Italt exposed them for what they are. The scots forwards are way too lightweight, there are some good players - Simon Taylor would certainly make most of the 6 nations sides - but in the main they get forced off the ball too quickly. The backs just seem to throw the ball about but never go forward, that was what caused the interceptions last time out. I watch scotland and see decent handling but then you see the distance gained is zero.
Most of these faults can also be levelled at England, our forwards are big enough and hard enough to out muscle some packs but up until now they have been too slow. So sides that can move the ball away from contact can murder the England backline as its exposed. Our backs potentially could be explosive, but we are struggling to get the ball past the centres. It will come but will take time.
With England I think we are in the same position as we were in 99. There is the germ of a side in the squad and I think in two years given a run we'll have a decent side - you can see where it could come from. I'm not sure about Scotland, they occasionally have a good performance but thats all there seems to be...
But hey who cares... I'll be supporting England whatever and against Ireland if Scotland win (I doubt it) then it'll open the championship up!!!!
Most of these faults can also be levelled at England, our forwards are big enough and hard enough to out muscle some packs but up until now they have been too slow. So sides that can move the ball away from contact can murder the England backline as its exposed. Our backs potentially could be explosive, but we are struggling to get the ball past the centres. It will come but will take time.
With England I think we are in the same position as we were in 99. There is the germ of a side in the squad and I think in two years given a run we'll have a decent side - you can see where it could come from. I'm not sure about Scotland, they occasionally have a good performance but thats all there seems to be...
But hey who cares... I'll be supporting England whatever and against Ireland if Scotland win (I doubt it) then it'll open the championship up!!!!
Lamb couldn't play at the start of the 6 Nations - he's injured! I can see some logic behind using Catt, but bringing him in as captain is utter rubbish. You've got Robinson, Tindall and Lewsey to do it, and you give it to someone who's going to spend the entire time running from the French back row.
I personally would have risked Tindall at inside and played our best emerging talent, Tait, at outside centre.
Equally, Corry in the second row is a shocking decision. He's not tall enough, he's too heavy and he's slow. He's not good enough to be the number 8, and he sure isn't good enough to be an England lock. Our back row has shown a distinct lack of appetite for running and for hitting break-downs hard. Thankfully Rees did something about it at the last one. Worsley is another pensioner who doesn't perform for England like he does at club level, and again isn't scaring the opposition enough.
I personally would have risked Tindall at inside and played our best emerging talent, Tait, at outside centre.
Equally, Corry in the second row is a shocking decision. He's not tall enough, he's too heavy and he's slow. He's not good enough to be the number 8, and he sure isn't good enough to be an England lock. Our back row has shown a distinct lack of appetite for running and for hitting break-downs hard. Thankfully Rees did something about it at the last one. Worsley is another pensioner who doesn't perform for England like he does at club level, and again isn't scaring the opposition enough.
JPJ said:
I personally would have risked Tindall at inside
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING, RIGHT ???????
Tindall is a crap passer and has no vision. He is no playmaker so why on earth would you put him at 12? You could put God himself at 13, with Tindall at 12 he would never see the ball. Pointless (i have it on good authority that God Himself is a master 13)
Agreed re Corry as a lock, but he is only there because he is one of literally no leaders we have on the pitch in the forwards. Would liked to have seen Jones and Palmer.
rcarr said:
360stimo said:
If Scotland were to boo after losing to SA, you'd have done plenty of booing since rugby was created, so i can see why you dont bother
Edited by 360stimo on Tuesday 6th March 17:00
We beat South Africa last time at Murrayfield. Andy Robinson was/is a very good coach, I don't like him but thats another matter.
I was at the Italy match and I didn't leave the stadium and I have never left early if we were being beaten.
The guys sitting around me were swearing away, but I knew we could play better than we were playing.
Scotland are a very good side when we don't have the current injury problems, but we do have the back-up of good young players coming up. We have a massive problem with our centres. Dewey, is a good player but when he is put with Di Rollo, it goes tits up! Di Rollo lost us both the Italian and English matches. Silly handling errors!
Robinson is a good forwards coach. He is not a good coach. I think that fact has been proven.
You lost to England because of Di Rollo ???? Are you mad?? You lost every single area of the game and want to blame it on Di Rollo.
Your not a good side, even with no injuries, you just sometimes play beyond yourself's when playing at home and full of passion. Jason White is the only world class player Scotland have, Simon Taylor, Chris Cusiter and Paterson are good players. Lamont is an average player who has gone missing in the last year for Scotland and Northampton
No Injuries, England 1st 15 could look a lot like
1 Sheridan
2 Hartley (Chuter/Thompson)
3 Stevens
4 Jones (Grewcock/Borthwick)
5 Palmer (Brown)
6 Moody (Haskell)
7 Rees (Hazell, Lund)
8 Ward-Smith (Forrester/Easter/Skirving)
9 Ellis (Perry/Richards/Care)
10 Wilkinson (Lamb/Cipriani/Flood/Geraghty)
11 JSD (Strettle, Varndell, Sackey)
12 Farrell (Abbott, Allen)
13 Tait (Hipkiss, Tindall, Clarke, Smith, Erinle)
14 Robinson
15 Lewsey (Morgan, Balshaw)
Which isn't looking too bad.
1 Sheridan
2 Hartley (Chuter/Thompson)
3 Stevens
4 Jones (Grewcock/Borthwick)
5 Palmer (Brown)
6 Moody (Haskell)
7 Rees (Hazell, Lund)
8 Ward-Smith (Forrester/Easter/Skirving)
9 Ellis (Perry/Richards/Care)
10 Wilkinson (Lamb/Cipriani/Flood/Geraghty)
11 JSD (Strettle, Varndell, Sackey)
12 Farrell (Abbott, Allen)
13 Tait (Hipkiss, Tindall, Clarke, Smith, Erinle)
14 Robinson
15 Lewsey (Morgan, Balshaw)
Which isn't looking too bad.
From what I can see looking at the results on L'Equipe, the french major french league didn't play last weekend, so their only additional injury is Marconnet who hurt himself skiing. There is something screwed up here in the UK when the players who will be representing their country the following weekend are playing for their respective clubs and getting injured, with the results that we see reflected in the team that Ashton has put together.
Am not looking forward to Sunday. Laporte is supposedly resting Mignoni and putting in Dimitri Yachvili, which I have mixed feelings about. Mignoni's a hell of a player, but Yachvili has been a part of the recent years' victories by France over England, so hardly a respite. Christophe Dominici and Clément Poitrenaud couldn't train today but we'll know the details of their team tomorrow morning.
Bugger.
Am not looking forward to Sunday. Laporte is supposedly resting Mignoni and putting in Dimitri Yachvili, which I have mixed feelings about. Mignoni's a hell of a player, but Yachvili has been a part of the recent years' victories by France over England, so hardly a respite. Christophe Dominici and Clément Poitrenaud couldn't train today but we'll know the details of their team tomorrow morning.
Bugger.
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