England 23

[Rossm]

England: Furbank; May, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), Daly; Ford, B Youngs; Marler, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Ewels, Lawes, Underhill, Curry.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Kruis, Ludlam, Heinz, Devoto, Joseph

Daly on the wing. Is the FB experiment over?

[WaspsUpNorth]

Wow, back line consisting of uncapped FB and the rest from the bottom two clubs in Premiership! Think I'll go on a winter break from watching rugby for a couple of weeks.

[Peej]

I just don't get why we force ourselves into positions like this in the back row, at scrum half and in the back three

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Wow, back line consisting of uncapped FB and the rest from the bottom two clubs in Premiership! Think I'll go on a winter break from watching rugby for a couple of weeks.

I shall be out at Knowle tomorrow enjoying the weather. England bore me to tears.

[WaspsUpNorth]

A week of golfing in Turkey will ensure I miss the first two rounds

[DGP Wasp]

Well at least he's selected a fullback at fullback.  Very un-Eddie.  Reverts to type elsewhere though.

Think most on here would agree that Daly is a centre first and foremost, so that leaves one fullback, one winger and 5 centres (inc Farrell) in the 23.  Just screams at pre-determined changes around 60 mins with Ford off, Joseph / Devoto on and Farrell to 10.  And this will happen irrespective of the match situation at that point.

And in the forwards, 3 flankers and 0 no 8s in the 23.

And is there really such a dearth of talented English scrum halves??

[wasps]

Well at least he's selected a fullback at fullback.  Very un-Eddie.  Reverts to type elsewhere though.

Think most on here would agree that Daly is a centre first and foremost, so that leaves one fullback, one winger and 5 centres (inc Farrell) in the 23.  Just screams at pre-determined changes around 60 mins with Ford off, Joseph / Devoto on and Farrell to 10.  And this will happen irrespective of the match situation at that point.

And in the forwards, 3 flankers and 0 no 8s in the 23.

And is there really such a dearth of talented English scrum halves??

I'd definitely agree that Daly WAS a centre first and foremost.... but I honestly can't remember the last time he played more than a handful of games at centre.

For me now, he's a winger, or an emergency full back.
at international level, has he ever played more than a few minutes at centre?


is the whole 2nd row / flanker thing because Billy is injured so we're looking to add bulk with 3 locks and move a flanker to 8?
For someone who hated the whole "6.5" stuff on the flanks and was desperate to find some proper traditional 7's, Eddie sure is making a mess fo the back row

[mike909]

Agree with most of the above.

Jones went on about not needing a 7, England played like wank through the 2018 6Ns and suddenly, the SA tour had a proper 7 and conventional backrow. So given the range of players available, wtf is Laws doing at 6?

His last start at 6 was with Ewels in the SR in that tugid game vs Japan that needed the "first team" bench to come on and rescue a leaden team and leaden performance

I don't get the selection really, England do need FB cover - so great, England have crocked Joe C so I suppose Daly is the wing option and 55m penalty option, but its a pretty predictable backline and potentially a banana skin selection as a whole.

Its a selection that lacks bottle for me.  And doesn't appear selected with any particular aim.

[egg shaped man]

 
So we have : -

5 EA's  ( who haven't played much club rugby)
5 Tigers
4 Bath
3 Saints
2 Quins
2 Chiefs
1 Shark
1 Glaws

Doesn't represent the current table does it,  no wonder people question EJ's selection criteria !!

 

[westwaleswasp]

What is more disheartening, the back row or Youngs ? For me it is Youngs.

[Shugs]

Uninspiring stuff indeed. Can't believe we're seeing Lawes at six. Young at SH is terribly slow of thought and do we really not have more than one 8. At least the calamity of Daly at full back has been fixed. In addition to all this I'm finding it hard to get enthused about a team with so many Sarries in it.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I'm struggling to get excited about this 6 Nations. Not a lot to inspire with the England team, and the others all seem much of a muchness.

I think I might be secretly supporting Rafa's France this year.

[Trevs Big Tackle]

I was planning on supporting the French too. More exciting brand of rugby. Not sure I can stomach watching their first game though.

[Willie]

Tip for anyone doing the Guinness fantasy league, if you sign up as a saracens fan you get an extra 200 points to spend on players.   

[westwaleswasp]

I'm struggling to get excited about this 6 Nations. Not a lot to inspire with the England team, and the others all seem much of a muchness.

I think I might be secretly supporting Rafa's France this year.

My second team, I grew up admiring our French compatriots and simultaneously resenting their  nonchalance and seemingly effortless elan. They could beat anyone on their day, and not just with muscle but with real rugby, as it was meant to be played. Boy these last few years have been harsh. Just over ten years ago a waning France nabbed a 1-1 in NZ, since then they have been a sixty minute team who struggle in the big games and look ponderous. At the WC they showed signs of recovery, I hope for NH rugby they recover and be a world force. Even although I want England to win, I think England benefit when France are strong.
When France lost in 99, I remember vividly how many of my Welsh friends supported...the Aussies. That was probably the day I started supporting them when England are not involved.