6N Tournament 2018 (non-Irish TT)

prawnsambo

England team for Wales has two changes from the Italy game:

Backs
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins 65 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 29 caps)
13 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 36 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 54 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 30 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 41 caps)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins 77 caps)

Forwards
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 45 caps)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints 90 caps)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 78 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 48 caps)
5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 15 caps)
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 62 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 60 caps)
8 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 4 caps)

Substitutes
16 Jamie George (Saracens 21 caps)
17 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs 1 cap)
18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs 6 caps)
19 George Kruis (Saracens 22 caps)
20 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 4 caps)
21 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens 27 caps)
22 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors 9 caps)
23 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs 24 caps)

prawnsambo

joseywhales wrote: »

Boring but I think field position and not giving away penalties is the key to beating anyone but particularly England, they love their lineout and their set plays.

I'd also think Wales would need to tighten up their defence. I know Scotland can be a handful, but 84% tackle completion is not a stat you'd want to carry into Twickenham. If Scotland had been more clinical, they'd have punished those lapses.

Elvisjuice

Surprised Brown is getting a start again he was awful against Italy , he loses the head very easily and then starts doing dopey stuff.

prawnsambo

Elvisjuice wrote: »

Surprised Brown is getting a start again he was awful against Italy , he loses the head very easily and then starts doing dopey stuff.

I think the only options England have in camp for full back are Harry Mallinder or Nathan Earle. Not exactly guys you'd be wanting to depend on against Wales. Probably could slot Jack Nowell or Johnny May in there too, but then you're giving up wing options.

mogwai81

prawnsambo wrote: »

I think the only options England have in camp for full back are Harry Mallinder or Nathan Earle. Not exactly guys you'd be wanting to depend on against Wales. Probably could slot Jack Nowell or Johnny May in there too, but then you're giving up wing options.

Anthony Watson plays fullback for Bath, leaving Jack Nowell to come in on the wing.

prawnsambo

mogwai81 wrote: »

Anthony Watson plays fullback for Bath, leaving Jack Nowell to come in on the wing.

You're still giving up wing options though. Because then you're looking at Mike Brown on the bench who very rarely (if ever) plays wing or a choice of Nathan Earle or Denny Solomona who have two caps between them.

prawnsambo

Here's the Scotland squad for France. Six changes from the Welsh game.

razorblunt

Focking Laidlaw. This is going to ruin my Sunday.
If the French keep their focus as well as they did last week, they could really suffocate the Scots with Laidlaw standing at the rucks.
I don't think he's an "organised chaos" player.

Toolis dropped is another strange one, not sure what they think Gilchrist offers over him. Toolis is Mr Reliable.

mogwai81

prawnsambo wrote: »

You're still giving up wing options though. Because then you're looking at Mike Brown on the bench who very rarely (if ever) plays wing or a choice of Nathan Earle or Denny Solomona who have two caps between them.

Solomona to bench. He's been playing well this year scoring tries for fun. Plus he's only going to gain experience with game time.

prawnsambo

mogwai81 wrote: »

Solomona to bench. He's been playing well this year scoring tries for fun. Plus he's only going to gain experience with game time.

Yeah, it's a possibility alright. But I don't see Eddie Jones taking that kind of risk against Wales. And clearly he hasn't.

razorblunt

razorblunt wrote: »

Focking Laidlaw. This is going to ruin my Sunday.
If the French keep their focus as well as they did last week, they could really suffocate the Scots with Laidlaw standing at the rucks.
I don't think he's an "organised chaos" player.

Toolis dropped is another strange one, not sure what they think Gilchrist offers over him. Toolis is Mr Reliable.

Ali Price had one of the worst scrum half performances I've seen at this level in a long time against Wales. He was at fault for so much that went wrong.

mogwai81

prawnsambo wrote: »

Yeah, it's a possibility alright. But I don't see Eddie Jones taking that kind of risk against Wales. And clearly he hasn't.

Yeah, fair call. I just think Watson would add a bit more going forward so I'd be happier to see Brown start against us on Paddy's day.

razorblunt

Deleted User wrote: »

Ali Price had one of the worst scrum half performances I've seen at this level in a long time against Wales. He was at fault for so much that went wrong.

Yes, but he was integral to what Townsend's game plan / ethos was. Russell was equally as shambolic and bird brain. Price hasn't really started ahead of Laidlaw when there's not been an injury so I thought he would have been afforded the opportunity to go again.

jr86

I really don't get all the criticism Brown gets over here pretty much every 6n

I'm guessing it's down to his play-on-the-edge persona because as a player he's extremely solid, holds his position very well, big left boot, is a dangerous counter attacker from deep and is good in the air

His best days may be behind him, but stuff like explicitly hoping he's in the team against Ireland is madness. He's done far more at International Level than Jonny May ever will

Honestly, putting a raw player at this level like Solomona over Brown in such a key match could be a recipe for disaster

Sangre

jr86 wrote: »

I really don't get all the criticism Brown gets over here pretty much every 6n

I'm guessing it's down to his play-on-the-edge persona because as a player he's extremely solid, holds his position very well, big left boot, is a dangerous counter attacker from deep and is good in the air

His best days may be behind him, but stuff like explicitly hoping he's in the team against Ireland is madness. He's done far more at International Level than Jonny May ever will

Honestly, putting a raw player at this level like Solomona over Brown in such a key match could be a recipe for disaster

He is the English Rob Kearney?

I recall Brown had a MOTM performance the last time we played in Twickenham.

prawnsambo

jr86 wrote: »

I really don't get all the criticism Brown gets over here pretty much every 6n

I'm guessing it's down to his play-on-the-edge persona because as a player he's extremely solid, holds his position very well, big left boot, is a dangerous counter attacker from deep and is good in the air

His best days may be behind him, but stuff like explicitly hoping he's in the team against Ireland is madness. He's done far more at International Level than Jonny May ever will

Honestly, putting a raw player at this level like Solomona over Brown in such a key match could be a recipe for disaster

He hasn't got the nickname 'Mr. Angry' for nothing though.

Even Conor O'Shea calls him that and he was his coach at Harlequins. He's an excellent full back though, will always remember his goalkeeper's dive to stop the ball and prevent a certain try. But he can be wound up and that's when he can become a bit of a liability.

Yeah_Right

Sangre wrote: »

He is the English Rob Kearney?

I recall Brown had a MOTM performance the last time we played in Twickenham.

Was that the game where he kicked an Irish player in the head? Was it Conor Murray?

razorblunt

His short fuse is crazy though. It wouldn't even need to be anything that 'big' to set him off, he flies off the handle at the slightest of things.

Trojan

He's a thug. I don't like him.

Mind you, I said the same about Nathan Hines... up until 2009. After that, he became an "enforcer".

jr86

I don't understand May's constant selection however and fail to see Jones' fondness for him

He's gone out of his way before to give him special praise, and had him still close to the squad when he was injured.

He's meant to be a phenomenal trainer but bar a worldie try v NZ and running over Tommie Bowe to nab a try in the corner from an insanely tight space I think he's been well below international standard any time he's played.

I've seen him feck all for Leicester this year, granted, but he was a very solid club player for Gloucester and it never translated over to international.

He's one of the only players in that English 23 I could never really see pushing for an Irish Squad place, and Ireland are hardly blessed with world class wingers. I'd doubt he'd start for Leinster, Ulster or Munster

He's prepared to keep Nowell - a Lions tourist and League winner - on the bench? I don't get it

Sangre

jr86 wrote: »

I don't understand May's constant selection however and fail to see Jones' fondness for him

He's gone out of his way before to give him special praise, and had him still close to the squad when he was injured.

He's meant to be a phenomenal trainer but bar a worldie try v NZ and running over Tommie Bowe to nab a try in the corner from an insanely tight space I think he's been well below international standard any time he's played.

I've seen him feck all for Leicester this year, granted, but he was a very solid club player for Gloucester and it never translated over to international.

He's one of the only players in that English 23 I could never really see pushing for an Irish Squad place, and Ireland are hardly blessed with world class wingers. I'd doubt he'd start for Leinster, Ulster or Munster

He's prepared to keep Nowell - a Lions tourist and League winner - on the bench? I don't get it

He was tearing it up for Leicester early this year. I agree with the above though. English wingers often flatter to deceive in the Avici Premiership.

razorblunt

Sangre wrote: »

He was tearing it up for Leicester early this year. I agree with the above though. English wingers often flatter to deceive in the Avici Premiership.

Not just English, McGuigan came crashing back to earth for Scotland last weekend too.

prawnsambo

Eddie Jones trying to get at Rhys Patchell. If I was Patchell I'd be taking it as a compliment.

Every time Rhys Patchell looks up, he's going to see Jonathan Joseph in his vision - it's not a great sight. Wales have to get the ball wide and Patchell hasn't played much Test match rugby. He's a young guy, he's inexperienced and is their third-choice 10. He's got to get the ball wide and that's going to be a big job. It will be different to playing against Scotland. Scotland couldn't cope with the expectation and now he's got to cope with the expectation of playing well.

:rolleyes:

I'm not sure how Jonathan Joseph likes being called 'not a great sight'.

sydthebeat

prawnsambo wrote: »

Eddie Jones trying to get at Rhys Patchell. If I was Patchell I'd be taking it as a compliment.


:rolleyes:

I'm not sure how Jonathan Joseph likes being called 'not a great sight'.

Im sure most 10s are used to seeing the opposition 13 in their vision when they look to play the ball.....

Clegg

jr86 wrote: »

I don't understand May's constant selection however and fail to see Jones' fondness for him

He's gone out of his way before to give him special praise, and had him still close to the squad when he was injured.

He's meant to be a phenomenal trainer but bar a worldie try v NZ and running over Tommie Bowe to nab a try in the corner from an insanely tight space I think he's been well below international standard any time he's played.

I've seen him feck all for Leicester this year, granted, but he was a very solid club player for Gloucester and it never translated over to international.

He's one of the only players in that English 23 I could never really see pushing for an Irish Squad place, and Ireland are hardly blessed with world class wingers. I'd doubt he'd start for Leinster, Ulster or Munster

He's prepared to keep Nowell - a Lions tourist and League winner - on the bench? I don't get it

May is blisteringly fast. He's easily faster than any Irish winger and indeed most back 3 players in world rugby. I agree that he's never really stood out at test level, but I think his speed is so great that it's worth getting him into the side to try and get the most out of him.

pickarooney

Clegg wrote: »

May is blisteringly fast. He's easily faster than any Irish winger and indeed most back 3 players in world rugby. I agree that he's never really stood out at test level, but I think his speed is so great that it's worth getting him into the side to try and get the most out of him.

It's all very well running fast but when you're going sideways it's not much use to anyone.

prawnsambo

pickarooney wrote: »

It's all very well running fast but when you're going sideways it's not much use to anyone.

It does stave off that awkward getting tackled moment though.

Sangre

Clegg wrote: »

May is blisteringly fast. He's easily faster than any Irish winger and indeed most back 3 players in world rugby. I agree that he's never really stood out at test level, but I think his speed is so great that it's worth getting him into the side to try and get the most out of him.

He's an excellent scrummager as well.

prawnsambo

Sangre wrote: »

He's an excellent scrummager as well.

I wouldn't say excellent. Sticking your head between a prop's legs is slightly unorthodox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS9OTXqRhbE

irishbucsfan

prawnsambo wrote: »

I wouldn't say excellent. Sticking your head between a prop's legs is slightly unorthodox.

I was once called out on this forum by someone who claimed I must never have played in the back row if I thought that a flanker binds onto a prop. So this sort of thing may well not be as commonly understood as we think!