England

[wasps]

Tuilagi was/is a uniquely gifted athlete. Power and pace pretty much unmatched in English rugby.
He's a very difficult to stop sightly blunt instrument who will cause defences problems under the right circumstances.
He's not a scalpel to cut defences apart without assistance.


Put him directly outside Smith so that he can choose when to feed him or when to use him as a dummy and Manu may be a different beast.
Put him outside farrell so that the ball is just fed on predictably and modern defences will bring him down every time

[Andywasp50]

Tuilagi was/is a uniquely gifted athlete. Power and pace pretty much unmatched in English rugby.
He's a very difficult to stop sightly blunt instrument who will cause defences problems under the right circumstances.
He's not a scalpel to cut defences apart without assistance.


Put him directly outside Smith so that he can choose when to feed him or when to use him as a dummy and Manu may be a different beast.
Put him outside farrell so that the ball is just fed on predictably and modern defences will bring him down every time

This being when he’s not injured of course.

Given the amount of times he’s out injured only a fool like Jones would seriously factor Tuilagi into any longer term plans.

[Shugs]

The prospect of anyone outside Smith other than Farrell is more than extremely remote.

[mike909]

When i saw the selection what struck me was a) the fragile nature of so many players and b) the lack of pace. The problem created by England is that they've managed to not select the sort of player that modern rugby needs and have reverted to thinking they can run through walls. It's in part why they lost at Murrayfield last 6Ns - they kept  running unimaginably straight towards a team happy to tackle and compete at breakdown.

The headlines that "May and George" ready to lift England suggest how badly they have lost their way. A slow back three when you have (just as examples) Malins, Radwan and Thorley, 13's such as Lawrence and Marchant and a myriad of 9's and Ford. Problems at 12, but not insurmountable and then playing a pack that doesn't seem to know whether it's coming or going and playing a SR at 6 just lacks ambition.

On form, Japan are no one's fools and pushed AB and France teams at home this summer....it might do England good to lose this one....

[westwaleswasp]

They won't nerf Eddie though. What would do England good is they sack him/he leaves after 2019. That ship has sailed, and they keep on quoting his win rate as evidence of success, which is like saying Liz Truss did fewer u turns than Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher or that Norway's army ws undefeated by the Nazis, totally lacking context but technically true. In the context of tier one, Eddie's record is middling.  To be fair Eddie has a good win rate vs Australia, but only two games vs NZ, but his win rate vs Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France is poor. Considering his poor 6n win pc record his trophy rate is excellent, a worse win PC than Lancaster but actual trophies of note is laudable, but they are front loaded towards the start of his reign.

He cares about the WC too much, fundamentally he is prepared to sacrifice everything on an event where we have a decent draw but where we normally make the semis on average anyway. One bad red card in the quarters and 4 years goes up in smoke. His refusal to countenance the Wades, Ciprianis of yesterday will be matched by the Malins and Thorleys of today, whilst straight jacketing players like Smith. Losing vs Japan will make us feel justified, but I doubt it would help one bit.

I will be cheering England on through the most gritted of teeth.

[FishingWasp]

I think I've worked out why EJ continues with OF. It's so that in postmatch interviews, in comparison to OF who seems unable to look at either the interviewer or the camera whilst mumbling "we've got to get better" (oh so perceptive!!), EJ appears the eloquent spokesman

[Shugs]

…………and…….it’s the same lot for the Japan game. 

[Rossm]

…………and…….it’s the same lot for the Japan game. 

England: Steward; Nowell, Porter, Farrell (capt), May; Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Ribbans, Hill, Itoje, Curry, Simmonds.

Replacements: George, M Vunipola, Heyes, Coles, B Vunipola, Youngs, Slade, Tuilagi.

Tweet from Bobby Bridge.

Every ounce of joy gained by England starting van Poortvliet is deleted by Jack Willis’s omission v Japan. What more can we possibly learn from the Curry/Itoje back row combo? I’m bored of myself typing this, I just feel like England are missing out on a one-of-a-kind player.

And just what did Jack do wrong in the 5 minutes he was on the pitch?

Come on the Brave Blossoms.

[JonnyD]

Glad he’s got 4 locks in the 23 just in case….



I know we like to criticise Tuilagi but I’d rather have him in there than Porter. The last time Porter played outside Smith and Farrell his job was a dummy runner for an hour until he then dropped a few passes and fell off a few tackles. May, JVP and Simmonds bring some much needed pace but that’s counteracted by no zip on the bench at all, Jamie George is probably the quickest.

Good old Eddie!

[mike909]

Another opportunity passes by.....Firstly, wtf does JW need to do, to get a game? As Bobby notes - nothing to learn from playing a SR at 6, and for all Maro's good points - he sure ain't Richard Hill (per '03) and vs Japan you need pace...as per most other team tbh. And you need game time, especially when playing so poorly so often only one year out from a RWC.

Guy Porter? We have more 13's than anything - that we've wasted their inputs so often doesn't mean we need to try yet another one. Surely time to take a risk at 12, (no not Manu or Slade) and allow Smith to run the game. Jack Nowell, why? We have excellent wingers in May and Watson when fit - so play similar players that fit the plan (making assumption there..)

Regardless of the Aus tour, England have had two poor, seemingly pointless and directionless 6Ns where newer players haven't been developed/supported and all it seems Jones wants is to play OF and MT at centre and bash with SR's at 6. All supported by a pack that can be awkward and strong, but isn't going to outwit anyone.

Shame really given the players who could play!

[Shugs]

Just the normal BS from Jones. A relentless irritant. Apparently Willis doesn’t cover enough positions to make the bench - which has Billy Vunipola on it. I suppose we should be glad JVP gets in ahead of Youngs but it’s tempered by the fact we all know full well that will just be for the one game. Cockanasinga has obviously been dropped for daring to score a try (although he should never have been in for me). Basically it’s just the normal shambles. I think he’ll get away with it v Japan but I think we’ll get vaporised in the next two games.

[MarleyWasp]

Willis has played across the back row for Wasps. Which other position does Eddie want him to cover?!

[westwaleswasp]

Willis has played across the back row for Wasps. Which other position does Eddie want him to cover?!

Eddie's arse.

[wycombewasp]

like it

[mike909]

like it

+1

I'd never hoped England lose until Jones took over. Post RWC, whilst disappointed by the final, I hoped we'd look to update and move on. But England seemed to carry on with "EA's plus" style of play. Demonstrated by the selecting of out of form/practice EA's in 2021 and "tactics" of running into tackle lines and hoping. This showed a poverty of thinking exemplified in the loss to Scotland that year.

We also seemed to want to go back, when possible, to the same players. It still looks like the preferred backline would be that of the RWC Final plus a different 15. And an unimaginative pack. Whilst being dull isn't a deal breaker - the arrogance and sheer BS spouted was my deal breaker. And I'm now hoping reality comes to face England this AI's.