England v Wales - Sunday

[Rossm]

England: Daly; McConnochie, Slade, Francis, Watson; Ford, Heinz; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Cole, Launchbury, Ewels, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Singleton, Marler, Williams, Kruis, Ludlam, Youngs, Marchant, Cokanasiga.

Wales: L Williams; North, J Davies, Parkes, Adams; Anscombe, G Davies; Smith, Owens, Francis, Beard, Wyn Jones, Wainwright, Tipuric, Moriarty.

Replacements: Dee, Jones, Lewis, Ball, Shingler, T Williams, Biggar, Watkin.

Lets hope there are no injuries for either side.

[Neils]

Strong Wells team. Hope Joe gets through uninjured. Not bothered about the rest.

[InBetweenWasp]

Nice to see Watson back.

No fly-half on the bench, guessing that EJ has Francis/Slade to cover with Slade able to shift into 12 if need be and either Marchant or Daly to come in to 13.  A little odd though.

It’s a team that I think has the ability to cut-loose.  But they’re up against a very settled, powerful, well-drilled Wales team.

Not sure what we’ll be able to take from it if we lose and frankly, not sure what we’ll be able to take from it if we win as it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing McConnochie, Francis, Ford, Heinz, Cowan-Dickie, Launch (Think he’ll be the third choice lock on the bench with Itoje and Kruis starting) or Ewels in the ‘First’ XV

[Raggs]

If Genge goes well in the scrum, we're in a fantastic place.

Watson proving fitness will be good too.

[Shugs]

Team is ok. I just don't know why we are playing these friendlies. SH teams are busy taking lumps out of each other at the moment and I think we could really have used that to our advantage by just staying off the field.

[Raggs]

If Eddie is happy to use Tonga and usa as warm-up games he may mostly use the 2nds in these. Gives them game time and match fitness.

[BG]

Team is ok. I just don't know why we are playing these friendlies. SH teams are busy taking lumps out of each other at the moment and I think we could really have used that to our advantage by just staying off the field.

I don't see the point in mid August friendlies either but the bean counters at the RFU and WRU probably see an upside in trying to balance their books... or is that just me being cynical?

Twickers won't have the AI's this season. That's a massive hole in their finances.

I wonder how the World Cup money is distributed? You would think the host nation pockets most of it.. followed by World Rugby and then is there a pecking order of who gets a slice of the pie?

Do unions get paid depending on where they finish?

[Chunky24]

I think EJ is relying on the motivation of potential selection for some of those 50 / 50 players picked this week to get a win if they don't then he can use that as his excuse.
 I also think he will target a win in Cardiff next week more as a greater psychological strike, his squad will be picked by then so will probably be as close to a first team as possible.

[westwaleswasp]

Can see a defeat, easily, if this were Wales at full strength. Probably should have put out a strong team with one or two of the fifty fifties for the home leg. As it is he has gone with more lower likilihood picks for the home game and has weakened more than Wales.
Don't want to consider what will happen if we lose this week and next.

[Old Geezer]

Personally i think it is a bit late to be trying new boys out, so close to the RWC.  I would have hoped we would have a settled squad/first XV by now.  Smacks of trying to make up for missed opportunities to me.  This is not saying anything against the new boys, all of whom are quality, but more about our plan and approach to the RWC.  As for quality, I just don't rate Francis at this level and doubts remain about ED at FB for me.

[mike909]

Personally i think it is a bit late to be trying new boys out, so close to the RWC.  I would have hoped we would have a settled squad/first XV by now.  Smacks of trying to make up for missed opportunities to me.  This is not saying anything against the new boys, all of whom are quality, but more about our plan and approach to the RWC.  As for quality, I just don't rate Francis at this level and doubts remain about ED at FB for me.

I'll probably be proven wrong, but its rare for new boys to make a RWC impact - the changes to squad and players was indicated post first GS - and it was post SA last summer before changes were made. I'd have hoped it would be obvious who were 1 and 2 for each postion by now

Or its some sort of strange psychology....

[westwaleswasp]

I think it is very much psychology........

[mike909]

I think it is very much psychology........

Do you think anyone else "gets" it?

Just watching the aussie/nz game...no psychology here! Least not like that

[BG]

I think it is very much psychology........

Do you think anyone else "gets" it?

Just watching the aussie/nz game...no psychology here! Least not like that

Just in case you weren't aware there was a little bit of a angst on here when someone announced the resut of a game that someone had recorded but not watched. Then again some thought it was unreasonable for a result not to be mentioned on a rugby forum though.

An opportunity to use the "Spoiler" function that Vesp created if someone wants to announce the scores of SH Championship games

[mike909]

Trust me, no score will pass my keyboard - my main interest being in the intensity.....