Forum menu
Liking that rugby guide.
I had a minor work triumph at work today, the loser in my triumph coincidentally happened to be Welsh. I patted him gently on the back of the head. 😛
Rumours that The Chosen One has been dropped for the Australia game.
Hope so. JJ in with Slade on the bench then? Gah telegraph say Burgess on the bench. Shite.
England team to face Australia (probable): M Brown; A Watson, J Joseph, B Barritt, J May; O Farrell, B Youngs/R Wigglesworth; J Marler, T Youngs, D Cole, J Launchbury, G Parling, T Wood, C Robshaw, B Morgan. Replacements: R Webber, M Vunipola, K Brookes, G Kruis, J Haskell, Richard Wigglesworth/D Care, G Ford, S Burgess.
There we have it.
SL's selection process:
Barritt at 12.
Plays shit.
Put him at 13.
Plays shit.
Put him back to 12.
Repeat.
Is Henry Slade actually a person or is he just a made up name (King of England + 70s Rock Band) that's been added to the squad to satisfy the RWC requirement of 31?
Another thing - they bring in Easter but don't put him the 23?
So they could have brought in someone else. Maybe a hooker who can throw in straight and scrummage strongly?
Just a thought......
Woah woah woah.... too many changes in the centres is a defensive gamble. It's not like England have used many different combinations there over the past few years 😀
I am kind of thinking that the way to beat Australia is to try and play the traditional England strategy but execute better than they did against Wales. What I can see happening is that they go for a more free running backline and keep Lawes and try and beat Australia by playing like Australia-Lite.
Launchbury has to be in for me and I wouldn't be upset to see Haskell start. Sure he's an annoying penalty magnet but so are the other forwards lately. At least he bring a bit of strong running that will be missing with Billy V injured. Is Morgan fit again? I hate to say it but Slade - Burgess or Slade - JJ sounds good. Untested though so it won't happen. Ben Youngs needs to stay on for 80. Robshaw needs a massive game as a captain first and foremost
LC is seriously twitchy for this game, with good reason.
I'd like to see;
Marler, George, Brookes, Parling, Launchbury, Robshaw, Morgan, Haskell, Care, Farrell, Slade, Joseph, May, Brown, Watson
Perhaps for the Uruguay game? I won't hold my breath.
Sounds ideal to me Wrecker, bar Care (not in the squad is he???) and Youngs has been playing pretty well and seems to be one of the few to visibly give a sh1t on the pitch
Gordon Darcy makes an interesting analysis of the Eng centre options. He really isn't a fan of Burgess
Tweet from Jonathan Kaplan
I'd like to see if the England pack is square on the loose head side ... just the once
(probable)
Speculation.
First thing they should, but won’t, do is push someone down a stairs and get Steffon Armitage over from France. Their centre partnership, if Jonathan Joseph is injured, should be Luther Burrell and Henry Slade. Of course, that won’t happen either because Burrell didn’t make the squad.Good luck outwitting Cheiks.
That is a good write up from D'Arcy
BM, ahem, [i]D'arcy[/i]...one of those dodgy French fleckers. 😀
Anyway, I liked:
First thing they should, but won’t, do is push someone down a stairs and get Steffon Armitage over from France.
EDIT: oops...that's what I get for taking a phone call before posting.
DanW got in a full sixteen minutes before me. 😆
Steffon Armitage couldn't handle the pace of international rugby. I've seen him play quite a bit over the last few seasons and Inwouodnt out him in the England squad
England where a coupe of decisions / break of the ball from winning the game last Saturady quite comfortably, 10 or 20 points even. A further high pressure game to come but still favourites for it and then all the pressure is back on Wales to beat a side the e proven incapable of beating.
A further high pressure game to come but still favourites for it
Really? Is that you not displaying any of that English arrogance that doesn't exist?
to be fair, not his words but Cheika's.
england are favourites????
Really? Is that you not displaying any of that English arrogance that doesn't exist?
To be fair, if you look at the whole picture England should be favourites - home advantage, player resources, bookies odds, the fact that England are so confident that they can play with 14 men and A N Other from a completely different sport*. However they seem to have forgotten about actually winning the game.
*rumour is that they've found a world class badminton player who can slot in at 9. Or maybe prop. Money may have changed hands.
😆
Engaland are 4/6
Oz are 5/4
That makes Engaland favourites.
And Cheiks' says so.
But it's not that fact that matters.
It's the fact that Engaland fans* feel the need to boast of being favourites, remind everyone that they nearly didn't lose, and claim the pressures's back on Wales.
*discaimer - not all of them
loum - Member(probable)
Speculation.
Well the DT seem to have an inside track on England selections....
Carling again? 😉
The Dt seem to always know the "probable" team waaay before selection. It's not for me to suggest that Cleary is a mouthpiece for the england to justify their selections......
So, do we like Matthew Morgan or not?
I like Morgan. Because he's so short 6 Fijians will be sent off for high tackles before half time. 😀
😀
And to paraphrase Jiffy, he could side step you in a phone box.
Morgan at full back fills me with dread. He does some great things sometimes but he cannot tackle that is a full backs first job.
Harsh words from Darcy, but probably correct. If we lose the only way out of this for Robshaw and Lancaster is:
a) Lancaster coughs up that Burgess was paid by the RFU to play, whereas he wanted Burrell but the decision was out of his hands.
b) England win with a bonus point, and go on the at least be in the Final, if not win it, if England are winning vs Aus, Slade comes on and scores, JJ can't continue in the RWC so Burrell is called up to pair with Slade. Barriet falls down the stairs in a training accident and Hartley is called up.
I note Mike Catt has been quoted of saying that the best way to beat Australia is to keep hold of the ball. Shit the bed Mike, you remembered that from all those years ago...?
Sorry, but I have zero sympathy for Steffon. He knew the rules, and still signed for Toulon again. I do not remotely believe that he would suddenly turn England into a good team. I can see an argument for him at 7 and robshaw at 6, but I'm not convinced it would make a huge difference.
Morgan at full back fills me with dread. He does some great things sometimes but he cannot tackle that is a full backs first job.
I was expecting him to go on the wing...
molgrips - Member
Morgan at full back fills me with dread. He does some great things sometimes but he cannot tackle that is a full backs first job.
I was expecting him to go on the wing...
He is because, responding to the English trend, Wales are playing Kimi Raikonnen at full back.
I never thought I'd say this, but Wales have a good looking bench for tomorrow
I really hope they switch on again and put in a dominant (and bonus point winning) performance
Well when the Aussies beat England it won't be pretty
I'll be on the train during tomorrow's match...
... If the signal is as poor as tonight I'll be off down the market to buy a dozen carrier pigeons 👿
He is because, responding to the English trend, Wales are playing Kimi Raikonnen at full back.
😀
ever thought I'd say this, but Wales have a good looking bench for tomorrow
You think. Two tightheads and two 10's who have also played fullback a bit. Apparently Anscombe (another 10/15) is not fit despite being called up to replace someone or other. Huge match for Tyler Morgan at 13 too. He may be up against Kuridrani in a few weeks .... gulp...
A poundshop Mitchel brother!!
[img] 
[/img]
I've just read that owing to a typesetting error in the match program, the All Blacks aren't going to perform their traditional prematch challenge and will instead be throwing it down in the form of a traditional Japanese poem.
We are the All Blacks
Rising out of the darkness
To rip your heads off
Austrailia team to face England.
Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu; Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock.
The England back row are going to get mullered and the backs will have to make their tackles, otherwise it will be a try fest.
England as predicted:
Mike Brown; Anthony Watson; Jonathan Joseph; Brad Barritt; Jonny May; Owen Farrell;Ben Youngs; Joe Marler; Tom Youngs; Dan Cole;Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 26 caps); Geoff Parling; Tom Wood; Chris Robshaw; Ben Morgan;
Replacements
16. Rob Webber (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 25 caps)
18. Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints, 14 caps)
19. George Kruis (Saracens, 8 caps)
20. Nick Easter (Harlequins, 52 caps)
21. Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 25 caps)
22. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 15 caps)
23. Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
The England back row are going to get mullered
They've gone public via Sky Sports to state the Robshaw is a weak link, hows that for knocking a man when he's down!
Ex Farrell its the right side and will get the job done. Wales will face the knockout match v Aus in a week or so's time
Welsh hat - England will get thumped. Wales to beat Fiji
English hat- England will get thumped, would help if Wales lost..
TBH I reckon England will nick this one, setting up a Wales / Aus nailbiter next week.
Good to see Launchbury back in
Funny that Aus have what 3 or 4 fly halves and still probably not any one of them is quite *perfect*.... but what a selection to chose from.
I've just read that owing to a typesetting error in the match program, the All Blacks aren't going to perform their traditional prematch challenge and will instead be throwing it down in the form of a traditional Japanese poem.
Very good 😉 😀