If Lancaster gambles on Burgess and it goes horribly wrong will he fall on his sword?

Lancaster seems determined to take Burgess, he is quoted in todays times as having told Burell he has to step up this week.So,the guy is great all season,Burgess has a curates egg of a game and still goes? Go England…Oh and I think you should start with LCD,Corbs,Clark and The Hask(tm)and Burgess.But then I am Scottish, so would say that.

Crikey, pretty much a first team named for England. Not sure what this means, I thought Lancaster would wait for Ireland for that. Looks like Billy V will get a full 80, and Burrell and JJ are back in the centres- an established pairing and in my mind Burrell is Having to prove Burgess is too green but needs a solid game to do so. Nowells on for Watson whom I believe had secured his place, Brown for Goode. Test also for the two Youngs brothers. Haskell at 6, Robshaw, Cole and Marler back.

Playing on prior form, we should nail France with this team and to not do so would be self defeating.

I think this sees 12 trees, corbs, lcd, and perhaps Burgess potentially out, although Burgess could be a good impact player.

It won’t be good enough for that team, which doesn’t mean the French can’t win in Paris. For confidence, we need to beat them and Ireland and if that momentum happens, Wales and Australia will face a strong confident England’.

Burrell has the skills but needs to revert to form and match a Burgess defense – both he and JJ can score but it’s his to lose. Frankly it’s a horrible decision if Burrell plays well – consistent experience vs new boy with skills vs the Blunt instrument.

May obviously didn’t do enough – catching and scoring is not the same as play making hence another look vs Nowell required. Haskell can cover 8 – can Wood? So there we have Billy V probably a cert, but a choice between Haskell/wood/Morgan? Morgan is the best 8 of those three for 60, Haskell can cover 8, so a good game could relegate Wood.

36, Burgess, Cips, LCd, Goode, Wood/Morgan, Webber, Easter, George would be my bet. I realise that’s 9, so I’d gamble on Goode and Morgan staying in.

Only taking one hooker Kryton?? Youngs and…

Im sure Moore would step up….

That’s the point. He isn’t big, he offers nothing other than scoring ability when put into position by other players, will get bowled over by Julien Savea and fails to support a FB well. Not a patch on Watson and needs a better show of ability hence he’s out again. Nowell needs to support Brown and out play May in any other than a easy scoring position to secure his own position tbh.

Shirley his assist for Watsons second try belies the theory that he fails to support other players, it was in the opposite wing looping right round the back, a nice little show and then a well timed pass out.

If we weren’t capable of creating holes in opposition defences I’d completely agree with you because nowell and Watson are better in traffic. But with ford pulling the strings if May can hit those gaps he’s gone, in situations like that there’s no substitute for raw pace.

I think all three will go anyway tbh.

i think it could be last chance saloon for 12ts myself, he’s had chance afte chance to prove himself and then Slades come in and done everything the want from 12Ts on his debut.

Ok. I’ll stay on the fence though as I don’t disagree with the above either.

Looks close to a first XV to me, perhaps not surprising as the first match was a second XV and he wants to give everyone a run out. My guess is France do much the same.

I think 36’s time has passed, he never really grabbed the opportunity. JJ had to wait a long time but has excelled, Slade has grabbed his chance too.

Oooh Samson is having a run is he, pleasegod don’t let him break.

Corbisero unable to train due to sciatica,not looking like he is going to make the cut,is it? Cole can play on both sides,can’t he?

Don’t think so. Certainly only plays one side for Leicester.
Shame about Corbs, but if he’s not the player he was, then need to look elsewhere.

aa
fair play on naming a squad
– it takes a bit more effort than just picking holes in others like i’m about to
will try to put one up when more time for you to comment.

think they look short on prop cover in that squad – specially if one’s carrying an injury that means he can’t start the early games. Early injury to one of them 5 and there’s trouble. Not sure on back row either – there’s the obvious 4 who are in every 23 then a youngster (can he cover 6,7,8 ?) who makes The Hask look disciplined.

Lot’s of decent cover 9-15 but may need more forward cover IMO.

Healy, Mcgrath,
best, cronin , Strauss,
Ross, moore, bent
POC,Toner, henderson, Ryan
POM, SOB, heaslip, Murphy, Henry

Murray, reddan, marmion
Sexton, jackson,
Henshaw, madigan
Payne, earls,
Bowe, Trimble, RKearney, Zebo, (Jones/Gilroy/Fitzgerald/DKearney)

If the backs are all fit and not carrying injuries then I’d love to see Gilroy make the squad as he’s the most dangerous tryscorer of the 4, but he is an out and out winger – and at the moment looks the least likely as he’s not being given the chance to claim it. jones probablly in pole position as he’s the FB, but Zebo put his hand up to cover 15 well.
If Trimble or Bowe ( who could both move inside if needed) are carrying knocks then it may be that Fitz or Kearney’s versatillity may put them back ahead covering 13 as needed.
Admit there’s a distinct lack of decent specialist 12 cover but that does seem to be a hard problem to solve at the mo’.
if only Slammin Sam had an Irish Granny .

Might not even be a fifth outside back spot availableanyway, if it turns out they need to take 6 props ‘cos of injury – healy and Moore still not proven fitness.
And there’s an outside chance they may not even take the 5th Back row forward, that’s the other option to find space for another prop. Murphy’s likely to be in the 23 bench, but Henry was great last year and would make a cracking “Midweek Team” captain.

Eli Walker hasn’t progressed as far as I thought he would.

Ryan Jones bows out, great player.