What should Borthwick do next?

[Mellie]

Now Wasps appear to be saved I thought I'd start a different rugby thread.

So how will Borthwick find out which players and coaches he needs for the 6 Nations in 6 weeks time? What he needs to establish as soon as possible is a stable squad for the 6Ns with only fine tuning required from then to the World Cup.

The clubs are reported to be in agreement to ditching the ridiculous 'only 5 changes to the squad' rule, effectively giving him a blank sheet.

My idea, though it probably won't get past the RFU, is to select 2 squads of 38 at the next England session. He can ask the current coaches to select and coach one of these from any of the players used by Eddie in an international in 2022 minus the Leicester contingent. The other squad, which he and Sinfield coach with a Tigers like game plan, comprise all England qualified Leicester or recent Leicester players he deems good enough plus anyone else not selected for the alternative squad.

Play 2 games of Old England v The Rest and see who emerges. It will give current coaches the ability to use any tactics their squad have worked on, including Eddie's mystery 'something up our sleeves'. He will also find out which coaches are adaptable and have what's needed.

So by the the end of the session he should get a good idea of the players and coaches he feels will be suitable for the 6 Nations and ultimately the World Cup.

[Shugs]

He sees the pool of players he’ll be picking from first hand week in week out so I think he’ll already have names pencilled in. There’s lots to do but as very basics I’d love him to do two things 1) Play players in their strongest positions and 2) Inject some real threatening pace into the backs.

[Neils]

Resign??

[mike909]

He sees the pool of players he’ll be picking from first hand week in week out so I think he’ll already have names pencilled in. There’s lots to do but as very basics I’d love him to do two things 1) Play players in their strongest positions and 2) Inject some real threatening pace into the backs.

Me too

I really would like to see players - especially if changes to the selection is made - in their club positions playing like they played to get noticed. We saw that with Dan R, very much a controlling, running, putting players into space 9, being asked to box kick....(to precis lots)

[westwaleswasp]

Pick players with an eye to how they play at club level, not how they play in some  fantasy gut feeling league in your head.

Pick two locks at lock, and none in the back row.
Two fast wingers.
A balanced back row (Willis has two Ls)
Pick a 15 at 15, not at 11 or 14.
Forget the name Manu and start a list of those who need to be dropped and only picked in an emergency (Nowell has two Ls).

Teach Farrell how to tackle legally.
Decide on a ten and stick with it.
Stop looking for clever wheezes to neutralise opposition strengths by chopping off all of ours.
Keep some coaches longer than 10 minutes.
Win some matches.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

Key thing for me is sorting out the midfield.

Which isn't easy, as it goes. For me (and other opinions are available, although not always correct) the Smith / Farrell experiment hasn't worked, and one of them (or Ford fitness pending) should start, with the other on the bench offering something different.

This frees up the centre from having Faz shoehorned in at 12 - his merits as a 12 are long debated (and good enough there for the Lions...) - and allows a more varied midfield attack.

I'd like to see:

10. Farrell
12. Lawrence
13. Marchant

Although, of course, Joe Marchant is off to France having been roundly mistreated by EJ. So (and assuming Manu is injured because, well, he will be) I'd be looking at Lawrence in the 13 shirt and Kelly in at 12.

As for the rest, as other posters said: form players, in position, and real pace.

[InBetweenWasp]

From a selection perspective:

- Jettison Hill; I don't mind Coles/Ribbans but ideally Itoje, Lawes and Launchbury for me
- Balance out the back-row. I don't mind Lawes playing there for tactical reasons (vs SA for the lineout, for example) but not on a regular basis.  Wills needs to be involved for his turnover abilities.  I would also have Ben Earl back in the fold.  Dombrandt hasn't managed to match the magic at Club Level in an England shirt (but neither did Simmonds).  Personally, i'd be happy with a 6,7,8 or J.Willis, Curry and Earl with Billy on the bench, or Billy to start at 8 with Earl on the bench to provide cover.  Willis, Curry and Earl are all 80 minute players with a brilliant all-rounders
- Phase out Youngs and keep giving gaming to the string of talented 9s that we're producing; JvP, Quirke etc... If we want a 9 with a decent box kicking game, let's bring Spencer back into the hold
- Pick Farrell or Smith to start and the other on the bench
- The biggest conundrum is 12.  Who plays there? Lawrence/Slade not 12s but talented ball players.  Smith/Farrell hasn't really worked.  Dan Kelly is coming back from injury, but about all I can think of who is actually an English 12?
- Lots of options at 13 all who are very talented; can pick on form - Daly, Slade, Lawrence, Manu shows real depth
- Same with Wingers, pick them on form with an emphasis on pace.  I quite like Nowell, but not doing as much as he used to.  We've got an abundance of rapid wingers; May, Watson, OHC, Arundel, Radwan, Loader and that's before we get to the likes of Freeman, Nowell and Cokanasiga.  Steward is solid; but perhaps we keep Arundel on the bench to come on and frighten the life out of teams

[Bloke in North Dorset]

For me its quite simple. He knows who the players and coaches are so doesn't need a Possibles v Probables game of anything like it. In the short term he just needs to:

1. Respect the fans.

2. Respect the opposition.

3. Respect the 6N.

From that should flow playing players in the best positions, no mind games with the press and opposition, a winning mentality and rebuilding fortress Twickenham.

[Rossm]

At least Borthers doesn't do snide.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Agreed, and that's the sort of thing I mean.

[wasps]

I suspect one of his first announcements will be to confirm his captain.
That will say something about the make up of his squad.


Will it be Farrell, or will it be someone else?


If it's Farrell, I'll immediately feel that it's more of the same for the next few years, and whether or not it turns out that way, I'm sure that it'll taint my first impressions

[WonkyWasp]

Will he be brave enough to make changes?  I don't see him as a Callum or a Stokes.  Hopefully I'm wrong.

[backdoc]

London Irish's win tonight over the cheats may influence him.

[WonkyWasp]

Just watched the second half  -  thoroughly enjoyed it!!!!!  First match I've watched since ''You know when''.

[Shugs]

I see he’s jettisoned Gleeson.