Wilko & Farrell start for England

mikedragon32

England team to face Scotland:
I Balshaw (Gloucester); J Lewsey (Wasps), M Tindall (Gloucester), A Farrell (Saracens), J Robinson (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester); P Freshwater (Perpignan), G Chuter (Leicester), P Vickery (Wasps, capt), L Deacon (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), M Lund (Sale Sharks), M Corry (Leicester).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), J White (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), P Richards (Gloucester), T Flood (Newcastle), M Tait (Newcastle).

IMHO that's a huge gamble having a soft midfield like that... Wilko is hardly going to be making the bone crunching tackles needed up the 9-10 channel and then Farrell trying to pick up the pieces. Granted he was a superb tackler in League, but I've not seen anything to convince me that he's up to international standard in Union yet.

thirdmantackle

and you are saying Ireland have good tacklers in the 9-10 channel? They were made look like little boys by Leicster

It is why I suspect Boss may get his chance if Stringer doesn't do the business against Wales

Diamondmaker

I suppose the Ire 9/10 channel is weak with wee man Strings and revolving door Rodge but they are backed up by the most efective 12/13 defensive unit out there.
Wing forward turn over specialists that will impact a game on broken ball!:cool:

buck65

Surely you mean 10 - 12 channel?
Ok O Gara was targetted in Thomond but where was his cover, at least he tried to tackle.
Anyway a fit Wilkinson is unlike most no. 10s because of his strength but an unfit Wilkinson is probably a weakness as England will expect the world of him remember the Lions debacle with 2 outhalves??!!
Anyway I know where I'd send my no 7 and 8 all day, straight into Jonny.
Good to see him back I hope he lasts a few more years.

Crash

Aye its weird, I kinda want to see johnny play well - the guy kinda deserves it.

mikedragon32

Buck, you're right, I did mean the 10-12 channel, but I guess I was hinting too at the fact that Farrell would be backing up a weak 9-10 (or weakened 9-10).

Diamondmaker is spot on about our 9-10 channel and what's there to support it. That's why it's not such an issue for us.

mikedragon32

7mountpleasant wrote:

It will be interesting to see if Farrell is able to hold on to the ball in the takcle , I mean after just 7 games of Union coming up against the Irish Back row and midfield I think it could lead to a lot of turnover ball

I wouldn't worry about his ability to hold on to the ball in a tackle, that's what league is all about. I'd worry more about him making sure to release!

Paul Tergat

Andy Farrell will hold his own, definitely...a class act.

can't wait for the 6 nations!!!

7mountpleasant

I guess i misphrased my point apologies, what I was trying to say is that with O driscoll and Darcy almost like auxilary back rowers it is definitlly a big chance of him conceding turnover possession when going into contact. I mean the contact area is much different in league and body positioning and releasing are obviously much more important in Union

zAbbo

Balshaw didn't look too clever under the high ball a few weeks back (Gloucs v Leinster), Robinson back at wing is always a threat, and Lewsey is still a class act.

Most of those players have too much experience to be rolled over, but there are too many suspect players in there at once.

Still can't see them getting disgraced, even it is against Scotland.

davyjose

&#231 wrote: »

Aye its weird, I kinda want to see johnny play well - the guy kinda deserves it.

I do too.
I think Ashton is very brave with the team he picked, but he's being clever too. They are playing against the 2nd weakest side in the tournament and as such are likely to win anyway. This will not only part-vindicate his selection but give Farrell/Wilkinson confidence and game time at a high level.
Apparently Wilkinson has been impressive since being declared fit (something which only half surprises me) and surely if he can keep it together for 60 minutes, he's a better choice than Flood/Geraghty - this is a very weak position and I think Ashton chosen risky but experienced and brilliant over fit but inexperianced and unproven.
I'm surprised he didn't play Catt at 12 though - this would have been solid enough backup for JW and a player he knows well. But as I said I think it's about gametime for the people who Ashton will want to be there in September. I would say England have written off this 6N but either way, this is still a weak (if improving) team they are playing.

Chucky the tree

The only way Egnland will find out if Farrel is good enough is by playing him. Since its a world cup year this is the best time to pick him.

The Rooster

Absolutely - Andy Farrell had to start. His time is now or never.

Picking Jonny has taken a lot of pressure off Farrell, who would have had all the media attention otherwise. I presume that didnt play a part in Ashton's thinking. Personally I would have played Toby Flood v Scotland. There's every chance Wilko will break down again and then come the world cup, it'll be "why didnt we give Toby more games". Not that Flood looks all that scary.

Astonished that Balshaw is playing. Talented with the ball in his hand, but he never has been nor never will be up to top level international rugby. I thought he was poor for Gloucs v Leicester. Maybe they just dont have the options at full back. Personally I'd go with Lewsey there. Certainly Robinson isnt up to it at 15 anymore. He'll still be dangerous on the wing, but he's not the player he was. Again, it highlights the lack of young talent in the backs among the English.

il gatto

I'm really suprised at these inclusions. Wilkinson basically hasn't played for years at this stage. The 6N is a tough, physical competition to come back to if he's not been playing much rugby.
Farrell, whilst he is a amazingly talented player, may find it a shock to the system to find himself pinned in a maul, buried under a huge ruck, or taking a few massive hits from Neil Best or the Italians. I wouldn't be so stupid as to say League is a soft game. It's not. But the 6N is a high intensity competition and a hard way to learn a new code. It really is the deep end.
I'm shocked to see Robinson back. I suppose Ashton likes to attack, and that's what Robinson does, but I feel Robinson was past his best long before he finished up. Every time he received the ball, Brian Moore and Eddie Butler nearly wet themselves with excitement, followed by that little shimmy, two steps, and being driven back past where he started and landing on his ar$e sans ball. With a few notable exceptions where he was sublime, he so often put in a non performance for England. He always tried though.
All in all it's a brave selection, but what have they to lose? Can't be much worse than what Andy Robinson had done with them.

tHE vAGGABOND

as soon as I saw the english team I put 100 quid on Scotland to win

Agree with comments about Farrell, you have to throw him in there and see what he does. [I think he will be a nightmare tbh]

I would also start Wilko tbh, he needs games and time under his belt - they need him for the world cup and without him they will struggle to get out of their group - and they know it..

Playing Balshaw is a joke, and as an Irishman, I hope he keeps his place until we face them

il gatto

Unless Balshaw has a road to Damascas style conversion, I can't see him starting against Ireland. He hasn't played well for England, and his club put in a poor showing in the HEC. Despite Gloucester being third in the GP, how he plays against European teams is what matters in the 6N, and he didn't play well. In fact, he scored one try for Gloucester in this years HEC, compared to the four a year he was scoring for Bath a few years ago.
Vickery has been made captain. He's got the right sort of mentallity for an England captain (arrogant, ignorant and stubborn:D ) and he'll probably be good at it. I do feel it was harsh on Corry though. All part of the fresh(er) start policy. I thought Corry was a good leader, a big hearted player and a decent talker in interviews. Andy Robinson just left him leading a directionless pack of losers. With the right team and management, he could have emulated Dallaglio and Johnston.

damnyanks

He was always in tears when england lost. He's probably on death watch by now - this might push him over the edge!