[Closed] 2015-16 rugby, world cup year

Can I ask a dumb question? Surely Cips, Burrell etc are likely to get a game given the usual attrition?

Ireland team confirmed as predicted

15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
13. Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
2. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
3. Nathan White (Connacht)
4. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt)
6. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) *
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
20. Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
23. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)

Surely Cips, Burrell etc are likely to get a game given the usual attrition?

England would have to make it past Wales and Australia first

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. Can't see the point in taking JG or LCD either when they so obviously wouldn't want to play them - and there's a creative way to get the man they want back after Fiji.

For me it was no shock with Burgess going, it looked like Lancaster has always had him pencilled in for whatever reasons. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Slade at the top level.
Interesting seeing Morgan selected after so long out, I can't see why he wasn't given more game time last week if that was going to be the case.

Edit: beaten to it ^. Not happy with Farrell seniors comments about "selecting from the training ground". This is as big as it gets, experience is required in big matches.

You need 3 hookers because if one breaks in the warm up and cant play and a hooker goes down in the hame you lose the world cup when the scrums are depowered.

In that extremely unlikely scenario, Just stick a prop in there.
If you're strong enoughh to play tighthead then you can cover the middle and put a decent drive in.
Easier than asking a loose to cover tight as you suggested earlier.

Anyway,

Usain Bolt

The Greatest

Unless you are Australia when you hope that happens.

Easier than asking a loose to cover tight as you suggested earlier.

Bollocks it is.
If its such an unlikely scenario why are they taking 3 hookers then? What if one takes a knock in one match and cant cover the bench in the next?

Unless you are Australia when you hope that happens.

# carrythemhome 😆 😆 😆 😆

which genius came up with that, hysterical.

Sorry? If we end up with non-pushing scrums you lose the points? Is that a new one?

As some wag posted on Gwlad, why have they printed the squad on a with deepest sympathy card?

36's lack of form and Tuilagi's idiocy have left the door open for Burgess and Slade's forced his way in. This is a team to get the job done and qualify in first from the group. Thereafter who knows. IMO Farrell's comments are just designed to keep people motivated and physiological games for the opposition, I think the sides for Wales and Austraila are known based on the work to date, experience and the game plans. We're at home and well win both those big games. 😀

That carry them home logo/tag is going to be very dull by the end of England's involvement.

I've just spent a while looking at the groups and fixtures and cone up with this. (Apologies if already done!)

QF1 RSA v Aus/Eng/Wal
QF2. NZ v Ire/Fra
QF3. Ire/Fra v Arg
QF4. Aus/Eng/Wal v Sam/Sco

That gives semis..

SF1. (Aus/Eng/Wal) or RSA v NZ
SF2. Ire/Fra v Aus/Eng/Wal.

All assuming no upsets and based on my own bias. 🙂

The only possible way that Wales can win the overall RWC is to win their group, then beat Ire/Fra in the semis and hope that Aus or England dispose of NZ in that semi, having beaten RSA in the quarters. Based on the fact that Wales haven't beaten NZ since 1563 or whenever.

# carrythemhome

which genius came up with that, hysterical.

That's what most front rows do to Hartley isn't it? 😆

anagallis_arvensis - Member
As some wag posted on Gwlad, why have they printed the squad on a with deepest sympathy card?

I would have thought that was obvious, even to a fan parody like me. I need to think about who I'll be supporting after the group stages.

The only possible way Wales can win the world cup is if every team they face come down with food poisoning the night before.

1.7 Compliance with Law 3.5
Compliance with the relevant World Rugby Laws and Regulations is critical in the conduct of the Tournament. Should Teams be found to be in breach of Law 3.5 (suitably trained and experienced players in the front row), the matter will be forwarded to the Tournament Disputes Committee for consideration.
In the absence of any mitigating circumstances this will result in:
* forfeiture of all Match points for that fixture (including bonus points)
* possible financial penalties
In terms of the provision of front row players to comply with Law 3.5, the necessary number of reserve front row players must be included in the Tournament Team to cover last minute injuries to front row players selected in the Match Team within the 48 hour replacement timeframe set out in Section 4.5 on page

Suggests to me if scrums go depowered because you only had one in your match day you lose the points

Bollocks it is.
If its such an unlikely scenario why are they taking 3 hookers then?

Like you, he missed a trick.
Although, he's not stupid and would probably put it down to "principles".

Like you, he missed a trick.

Yeah, an international team of coaches cannot spot this cunning ploy like you can.

Cheers AA - just been reading the tournament rules.

Idlejohn

Ireland have the best chance of the home nations ino. Can top their group beat Arg, beat Eng/Aus and boom in the final. Thats doable on current form.

I think whoever wins England's group will get to the final.

Eng, Aus, Wales would all be underdogs to ireland I reckon. Englands home adv would help them greatly.

Once more I agree with AA's post above, Ireland or wild card France have the best shot of the home nations. England / Wales / Austraila will be beaten up qualifying from the group, the winner should get the easy QF but then have a tough semi. I think like last world cups everyone will be hoping someone else can beat NZ before they have to face them ! England need a few things to go their way (ie a big slice of good routine) and home advantage to really count to make it past the semi. England's record against RSA is pretty good at Twickenham.

Looking forward to France v Ireland in Cardiff as I think that game could determine a semi final place at least.

Well it doesn't really look too strong on paper that England squad to me. Serious lack of caps......36 caps between the 4 centres, 37 between the 3 hookers, less than a 100 for all 4 locks, ditto all 5 of the back 3. 760 caps between the entire 31 man squad....so less than 25 caps per man.

Hard to believe that Slammin Sam is going and Burrell isn't. Real shame for Cipriani....he couldn't have done much more (other than not drink drive!)I'd have preferred him to Goode......Watson could have covered 15 and Cips would have been much more useful as cover in the centre and at 10. Cannot believe that Kruis is going either.....he's just not tough enough for international second row rugby imo.....Attwood is far harder hitting.

As a carrier,I am rather surprised they didn't take Attwood.

#carrythemhome has been plastered all over the stadium for a year or so, quite dull I have to admit

Cheika didn't.

We'll all have a giggle when Gatland cuts Dacey. 😉

It's quite surprising, not in the final selection, but that England appear to be in the position that the best centres have 1 cap, 1 cap and 11 caps, the third best hooker, 1 cap, the wingers 11 caps, 8 caps and 8 caps.....
Experience will tell, and while I don't think there are many better, or even more experienced players who are playing better, how the hell have we built to this!
All this 'does the right thing in training' is bollocks. Does the right thing to win international matches is what counts!

Look at England in the last World Cup, and where we have gone since then under Lancaster. This WC was always a year or 2 early for a young England team.

Whilst Armitage is one of the best England flankers, leaving out players not playing in England protects our game in the long run, and is the correct decision in the long run. Lancaster has taken his time, rebuilt team ethic from the ground up, gradually expanding England's game plan as we go.

I like the way we play, I think we are a decent team with an outside chance. The squad is pretty much as we expected - the hardest done-by is Burrell IMHO. Cipriani wouldn't have played anyway.

Apart from NZ, I think this WC is genuinely wide open. With the rub of the green, Ire, Aus, Fra, SA, Wal, Eng could make the final and then anything can happen.

On the other side, if Eng don't make the QF, I still think we keep going down the same path.

Yep good points Dan.....we've definitely moved on from last WC and as I've said previously, this WC has just come around too soon.....that said, it's really disappointing to be heading into this world cup with two centres with one cap a piece and 3 wingers with a handful each...my expectationsare low, and I'm just going to try and enjoy as many games aspossible-should be a good opportunity to spend a fair bit of time with my dad which will be nice.

The WC hasn't come around too soon at all for England. Lancaster has woken up too late IMO.

Giving a handful of new form players half a chance right at the end of the lead up to a major tournament having stuck with a steady team of old hands up until then isn't the way to go I don't think, not from the WC point of view at least.

They've tried to shore up decent results through the years rather than bring in form players while they are in form and get them the valuable experience required. Now we are all surprised about the best players in England potentially not having enough caps 🙄 😀

Might be too soon for this team (pretty sure many were saying that 2 years ago!) but that is largely the managements fault. Usually Burrell would be in a position to not have too many complaints as his form has been patchy, but to loose out to HIM?!

Apparently it's all to do with he Aura and personality, says Greenwood. Let's hope his aura is impenetrable and about 50m wide.

Let's not forget our no1 centre has been Tuilagi for the last 2 years but he's been unavailable by either injury or idiocy. Barritt has also not featured due injury.

Is Barritt the WC centre of England's dreams? Solid but... ? Tuilagi has also spent a fair time out with various injuries and yet there still isn't a settled replacement in his absence.

I think Lancaster is on record as saying a wc winning team needs 43 cap average or something - what is it, 30 at best? There again on that stat Wales should walk this tournament.

24.5 per squad member average.

I reckon that Lancasters first choice 15 will be:

Marler
Youngs
Cole
Lawes
Launchbury
Hask
Robshaw
Billy V
B Youngs
Ford
Watson
Joseph
Barritt
May
Brown

That's 441 in total 29.4 per man. To be honest you'd hope that the forwards would have around 440 caps between them, let alone the entire team!!!

Shame that burrell got sent home, however burgess was going to be in before he even touched a ball for bath. More annoyed that Cips didn't make it TBH. Pleased that slade is in and I hope he gets a good run.

burgess was going to be in before he even touched a ball for bath.

Yep. For his sake, I hope he does well. If not, it might ruin his potential career as a rugby player. If he doesn't do well, the same hype-mongers who have raised him on this pedestal will whip it out from underneath his feet.

It's not just hype mongers and the media circus driving it.... there has been a significant financial investment to bring him to Union don't forget

Yes, but from his club only, AFAIK. (Might be wrong, but I thought it was a Bath deal to buy him in, not involving the Blazers at the Cabbage Patch)