Eddie's 31.

[BG]

Very risky selection IMHO.  Two SH's and two TH's for a long gruelling tournament.  Did you see that moron Marler not singing the NA at Twickenham.  he made a point of being noticed.  Singing the NA at a national sporting event has nothing to do with being a monarchist or republican - it is the team's song.  It shows patriotism to the country and unity with the team you are representing.  Why am I surprised Marler does not get it.  Silly attention seeking child!!!  Well, he got my attention, didn't he!!!!

Marler sees it as a job... so I suspect he doesn't want to get caught up in the moment.. much as Wilkinson never sang the national anthem.. people go about their work in different ways

[wasps]

Only 2 tight heads is ridiculous.
It means you can't even rest one if they just get a sore shoulder.

Who got in the squad in place of a 3rd tight head?
Presumably Ludlam or McConnochie (I confess that I have no idea who he is)

It concerns me that we're not taking a 3rd tight head, just to bring in a surprise player who likely won't play.
The 3rd choice front row options will all play some part because I don't believe you'll go a whole tournament without a prop needing some treatment

[Heathen]

Are replacements allowed if a player gets injured during thr tournament?

[mike909]

Are replacements allowed if a player gets injured during thr tournament?

Yes, but if they recover, they can't come back if they have been replaced.

[Neils]

Are replacements allowed if a player gets injured during thr tournament?

Yes, but if they recover, they can't come back if they have been replaced.

And boy with three more matches there will be a few switches of players!

[Shugs]

Yes, agree, going in with two TH's is an extreme risk. One that most other coaches simply wouldn't consider. Personally I'd have taken another TH and left a winger out.

[mike909]

Yes, agree, going in with two TH's is an extreme risk. One that most other coaches simply wouldn't consider. Personally I'd have taken another TH and left a winger out.

Me too. We've probably got too many back three players, and prop really is high risk in terms of injury - and you need both every game.

The other thing I noticed - being in the West Country - is whilst there is justifiable pride in the Bath backs in the squad - its slightly odd given Bath didn't punch above their position in the table in terms of tries scored. Probably means very little - but stood out given the players selected - you'd have thought Bath were scoring for laughs! 

[Shugs]

Yes, agree, going in with two TH's is an extreme risk. One that most other coaches simply wouldn't consider. Personally I'd have taken another TH and left a winger out.

Me too. We've probably got too many back three players, and prop really is high risk in terms of injury - and you need both every game.

The other thing I noticed - being in the West Country - is whilst there is justifiable pride in the Bath backs in the squad - its slightly odd given Bath didn't punch above their position in the table in terms of tries scored. Probably means very little - but stood out given the players selected - you'd have thought Bath were scoring for laughs!

Agreed. For me it's just a further reflection of what should have been at least two years of simply finessing and coping with the odd inevitable injury descending into a series of last minute picks, punts and gambles. Still mystified as to why we've seen so little of the likes of Heinz, Ludlam, McConnochie, Francis and Singleton if they were always part of the plan.

[mike909]

Well - I guess Eddie fans would suggest it takes a bold coach to make late changes to a squad - if the people there weren't proving up to it. Eddie critics would suggest a gambler making a late roll of the dice

I'd feel, for instance, a little pee'd off if I was Hughes - I'd feel a bit aggrieved that I had played when not fully fit, fitted in at SR when required and have been dropped for a tyro flanker (it seems) who'd not done the hard yards in internationals

But what do I know!

[westwaleswasp]

It is such an open world cup England could win it or crash out early. Who knows?
Anything is possible.
I do think there will be so many changes after three warm ups that naming the squad now means almost nothing. Any of the excluded parties - bar thosetwo most deserving - Cipriani and Robson- could get a look in.

I must admit I think even if fit I would not have picked Shields, whose time with England should have started after some time with Wasps. Starting him early in SA did him no favours, it was a disrupted season and three to four months with us getting to know NH rugby would have served all parties better.
Hughes- well the smashing Nathan that turned up one in four to six games for us was worth a punt, but the one who did not was not. The one who played for us three years ago, well that is a different story. Maybe both us and England did him no favours either because he has never hit those heights again.

[mike909]

Three things that are of passing interest..

1) England's squad has high representation from Sarries, fair enough, but lots from Tigers and Bath, but only one from Glaws who were easily third best last season
2) The squad appears overloaded, with 6, back three players whereas the highest injury rate is backrow with only 5 dedicated players, one with one cap - you'd expect the reverse of that?
3) The teams selected have lost the old heads and that's been apparent - least to me, when the need to "put a foot on the ball" has arisen (vs SA x2, Scotland, Wales in the 6Ns and most of the 2018 6Ns tbh)

My view is that England are trying to play at too high an intensity, and when they drop off that level, inevitably - they are more vulnerable than a team that plays a more balanced game.

[Rossm]

Apparently, Eddie has a cunning plan.........George Ford has been designated as emergency cover at 9!

More details in an article in The Indie.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/rugby-world-cup-2019-george-ford-scrum-half-warm-up-games-team-selection-eddie-jones-experiment-a9056486.html

Who has been designated as emergency TH cover?

[BG]

Apparently, Eddie has a cunning plan.........George Ford has been designated as emergency cover at 9!


Who has been designated as emergency TH cover?

Most likely Daly

I have seen Ford play 9 and I think he will be fine if he has to cover for 10 mins.

If he has to put in a long shift he will most likely come unstuck as the fringe players  around the ruck and scrum will quickly work out the chink in his armour.

Playing SH is quite a claustrophobic experience.. you play half the game with your head 3ft from the grass.

I'm not sure what EJ or any of the other coaches can do though. They are effectively restricted to 2 players per position. I'm surprised the squads are limited to 31 players.

In other positions EJ has included players that have been part of the summer training camps and even played last Sunday (Ewels, Williams) but he hasn't done that at 9 which means he had planned using Ford as a backup 9 from the very beginning.

I read a story about Dawson and Bracken feigning potential injuries midweek during the 2003 WC to force Woodward to fly Healey out to Oz as emergency cover.. who on arrival was then told he probably wasn't going to be needed. Genius!

Apparently because he wasn't then added to the squad he wasn't allowed to stay in the team hotel etc or take part in any squad activities.

I wonder if they just did that to wind Healey or Woodward up?

[Raggs]

Once a player is replaced, he cannot be recalled. I'd guess any callup will be determined on just how bad an injury is. If it's a week, it's perhaps worth the risk of maybe having Ford cover. If not, then they'll call someone immediately.

Marler has been training at tighthead to cover if needed. Both our other tightheads have played 80 minutes in the past, so whilst it'd not be perfect it'd be OK. I suspect if Cole got an injury, even a short one, he'd probably just get dropped for Williams.

[Shugs]

Take the point that at 31 you have to be a bit cute but I think we're a bit unbalanced and I don't know why we're going in with 3 hookers and 5 wingers. You can argue Watson covers Daly at FB (which is a different argument). Surely you'd not take Singleton or one of the wingers to put a TH in.