England v Australia - Match Thread

[westwaleswasp]

Farrell is key. Eddie wants him. I get why, but it means we play like we did today. Great for beating some teams. Who should be outside him? It matters not.one.jot. Smith plays unlike Smith with Farrell at 12, or he plays like Smith and it fails to fire. Thirteen is of no consequence in a Smith Farrell 10-12 axis.
The other issue is wingers. We have not enough wingers who will score with one to beat from say a cross field kick on the 22. Eddie wants a minimum of one beefy guy like Nowell who can dance around someone from five yards, bulldoze over, but lack actual gas.
Rees Zammit would not get in the Eddie show. Again, fine for arm wrestling, but look at the Irish. You are not arm wrestling them out of it.
SA can perhaps be arm wrestled on an off day, but France and Ireland cannot, and NZ can score 3 in 5 mins vs anyone which wrecks the whole arm wrestle plan.
We need a plan B.

[InBetweenWasp]

A win's a win, but we've seen nothing new - Perhaps the deeper analysts of the game will spot something emerging.  When was the last time we score from a decent strike attack or some decent backs play?

The Arundell try against a tiring team who already had it in the bag doesn't really count.

Does Freeman normally play on the wing or at Full-Back for Saints? Wondering whether he might turn out to be pretty solid like Steward, without losing much by the way of size but adding an injection of pace from Full-Back.

I'm sure Eddie feels he can't win and a lot of that is his own making - Last week we lost miserably for the second time in a row to a heavily disrupted/scratch team that went down to 14 men.  This week we win fairly convincingly, it never really looked in doubt and yet we're still all moaning.

To be honest, I think i'd rather see us score some tries and show some more attacking fluidity even if we lost narrowly knowing that we can always tighten up a touch. 

It's a real shame for Jack that he's injured again - He has the all-around game that Curry has where he can carry, is dominant in the tackle, can jackle and jump in the lineout. 

Wonder what we'll do for next week with Itoje out.  Does Lawes move up and Jack come in (if fit?), or does Chessum get the nod to pair up with Hill?

[DGP Wasp]

Willis apparently back training after his rib injury.  Underhill ruled out with concussion, so not many back row options left. (No replacements called up)  Anyone hoping to see Lawes at lock with Itoje out is sure to be disappointed, since that would leave even fewer options in that back row.

Back rows still in the squad: Ludlam, Willis and Billy V.  Then there's Lawes and Isiekwe, both of whom are comfortable at 6 as well as 2nd row.  Hill, Chessum and Ewels the only other 2nd row options.