Eng squad for Aus.

[Shugs]

Pretty much as expected. But how on earth can Malins be left out.

[coddy]

England squad to tour Australia

FORWARDS
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 34 caps)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 40 caps)

Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 30 caps)

Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 36 caps)

Jamie George (Saracens, 66 caps)

Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 2 caps)

Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps)

Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, 7 caps)

Maro Itoje (Saracens, 56 caps)

Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 93 caps)

Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)

Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 2 caps)

Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)

Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 20 caps)

Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 28 caps)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 61 caps)

Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 67 caps)

Jack Walker (Harlequins, uncapped)

Jack Willis (Wasps, 3 caps)

BACKS
Henry Arundell (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player

Danny Care (Harlequins, 84 caps)

Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 11 caps)

Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

Owen Farrell (Saracens, 94 caps)

Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, uncapped)

George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)

Will Joseph (London Irish, uncapped) *apprentice player

Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 12 caps)

Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 69 caps)

Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 39 caps)

Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)

Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 6 caps)

Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)

Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 10 caps)

Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)


Just Jack from Wasps, hopefully he will be returned to us in good shape.

[westwaleswasp]

Pretty much as expected. But how on earth can Malins be left out.

Because Eddie sees him as a tight-head, probably.

[Westy68]

Just can't believe Charlie Ewels is still in the squad. Looks like we still have issues at 12

[mike909]

Given that it's (my estimate) around/less than 10 months (post 6Ns) that the RWC squad needs to be pretty much sorted - am I alone in thinking wtf are "apprentice" players doing going to Oz when we're struggling at wing (surely you try out Radwan and/or Thorley, on SH fast surfaces and in a squad situation) and why not Malins - a better 15 than Firbank can imagine being....

And after the we Randall and Care at 9? Bets of game time before Joe C gets injured, again? And why Nowell? Can anyone see why?

I suppose Watson will return in the Autumn and you can construct a fairly competitive 23, especially if Billy is fit, but it says little for England when they are looking so widely, not fair off needing to finalise a RWC squad.

[westwaleswasp]

Most of the selections are ok, some are awful but many teams have this "accidental tourist" and "must have pictures of the coach in a compromising position" sysndrome.
It is what Eddie will do with the selections that is the issue- play players out of position repeatedly, over train (allegedly), not pick wingers/pick 5 centres or none, and generlly go against orthodoxy. Most importantly, it is losing. If he does his "I know better than the world" bullshit and wins, no problem. If he does it and loses, as we have in the 6n, then we have a huge issue. I think we have a huge issue, but these games are winnable.
 

[mike909]

These games are winnable - England can always win any game - especially if they select to their point(s) of difference/strengths. But not only did the 6Ns selections apparently fail to deliver "Eddie's brave new world of chaos" but it wasn't a surprise given the lack of pace and lack of go forwards in the pack (welcome back 2 x Vuni's...) and that was demonstrated with a lack of cutting edge/scores. We were really poor in attack.

But this 6Ns, we didn't play well in any game. We seemed to have no strategy vs Scotland, before looking limited vs Italy in winning and just got the Wales result but looked blunt. And those were the highlights. We looked far below Ireland and France who were scoring many times more tries and looked like they had a grasp of what they were trying to do.

The selection isn't so terrible - tourist selections aside - but the key question (as the Rugby Analyst on YT suggested) is if..there is fab plan, can the players deliver or are they being asked to play in a style they can't manage? Of course, that assumes a plan...

[Rossm]

Just can't believe Charlie Ewels is still in the squad. Looks like we still have issues at 12

Ewels the Undroppable

[JonnyD]

Just can't believe Charlie Ewels is still in the squad. Looks like we still have issues at 12

Guess we have Porter in there at 12. Really solid player this season for Leicester but is he really at this level yet?
Care coming back in from the wilderness is just baffling, he has been class for the last three seasons so why hasn’t he been in there. Mitchell was the heir apparent a few years ago, has been class this year in a decent Saints side but now is behind Randall who’s been poor in a struggling Bristol side, Quirke and JvP who’ve struggled for gametime and Youngs when he’s back in time for the 6 nations.

We look weak at TH, someone like Chessum needs the game time over Ewells now and despite the pace available in some of those players I can unfortunately see Eddie playing a slow backline with players out of position and us being off the pace against an attacking Aus team.

[InBetweenWasp]

Just can't believe Charlie Ewels is still in the squad. Looks like we still have issues at 12

Guess we have Porter in there at 12. Really solid player this season for Leicester but is he really at this level yet?

Is Porter a 12? I thought Dan Kelly had played most of the season there as the first choice until he got injured in the Semi-Final (or Final Round of the Prem). 

[Heathen]

A squad of 36 for just 3 games???

HTF does Eddie justify that (and the RFU afford it). There are going to be a lot holding tackle bags during the 3 weeks.

Probably 50 in total on the plane. Probably a total of £10K a head for air fares, at least 3 weeks hotels £100 a night. Total budget close on £1M. Now many £MMMMM are the RFU in debt?

[Shugs]

I really don’t get Randall and Furbank. Alex Mitchell, Dan Robson, Ben Spencer are all on a different level to him. And if Furbank is a better full back than Malins I’ll eat my hat.

[HDAWG]

I really don’t get Randall and Furbank. Alex Mitchell, Dan Robson, Ben Spencer are all on a different level to him.

I agree Mitchell instead of Randall. But after this season Robson should be nowhere near the squad. Robson this season is a massive drop-off from Robson last season.

[mike909]

I really don’t get Randall and Furbank. Alex Mitchell, Dan Robson, Ben Spencer are all on a different level to him. And if Furbank is a better full back than Malins I’ll eat my hat.

With Furbank - it's a bit like Daly at 15 - coaches get excited if a player can "multi task" especially if they are in "the numbers don't matter" camp......Forgetting that very few players can really do more than one position at top class, outside the usual suspects, wing and FB, perhaps 13 and wing in the backs....Furbank is 15 and occasional 10.

Furbank would be welcome at Wasps - I get he's a really good Prem player - but beyond being fit a lot of the time, I can't see his international attraction. And I really can't see why when Malins is fit. And how he gets in before Watson - when fit again. ch. Probably - like Daly - a great bench player. 

[JonnyD]

Just can't believe Charlie Ewels is still in the squad. Looks like we still have issues at 12

Guess we have Porter in there at 12. Really solid player this season for Leicester but is he really at this level yet?

Is Porter a 12? I thought Dan Kelly had played most of the season there as the first choice until he got injured in the Semi-Final (or Final Round of the Prem).

Think he’s been shoe horned in there since Kelly has been out. Was pretty good at 12 against us recently as well as in the final.

Know he was born in the UK but came through in Aus, potentially another one Eddie will cap once to block him playing for anyone else.