England Vs Scotland

[hookender]

Looking ahead, what will Eddie do?
I hope he moves Farrell to 12 (he won't ever drop him). Youngs I can't see him changing either. Who will pay the price for the display?  Change at 13 or 15? Can't see him dropping Billy, no matter what happens on the field. Will he pick the same players and change tactics or new players for the old game plan....?

You’re right about Faz.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiurL2i6d3uAhX1weYKHf1wA_0QlO8DegQIDhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fowen-farrell-england-scotland-eddie-jones-six-nations-b919194.html&usg=AOvVaw3h2BZjQXV-6PQARkG0tZWj

[Heathen]

That just confirms what some of us think about Eddie. Our game plan is stagnant. Most of our players are stereotyped. Eddie clearly has not learned (or chooses not to) the lessons of the RWC final in 2019. We were lucky to win the 6 Nations last year. I fancy that we might win 2 games out of the 5 this season.

[westwaleswasp]

Thanks for that, hookender, confirms what I feared.

Absolutely,  well said Heathen, and no surprise I think?
I  think nothing will remove Farrell, no matter how he performs. He seems to have big name supporters. McGeechan called him the ultimate "test match animal' or similar, Woodward said he was England's best ten, prior to Sat but I, like many here, have difficulty seeing it. Maybe it is me.
I think 3 out of five, but can see 2 as a floor. I would be pleasantly surprised with 4 from 5.

[DGP Wasp]

Looking ahead, what will Eddie do?
I hope he moves Farrell to 12 (he won't ever drop him). Youngs I can't see him changing either. Who will pay the price for the display?  Change at 13 or 15? Can't see him dropping Billy, no matter what happens on the field. Will he pick the same players and change tactics or new players for the old game plan....?

What he should do (within the constraints of the squad he has selected to operate with) is lose George, Billy, Youngs, Farrell and Daly from the 23 completely, and Wilson to the bench.  Bring in LCD, Earl, Willis, Robson, Ford and Malins to start and Odogwu and Randall onto the bench with Dunn promoted from the shadow squad.

What he will almost certainly do is move Faz back to 12, Ford in at 10, and everyone else as they were, with Lawrence the unfortunate fall guy.  Otherwise as you were.  They'll turn Italy over comfortably and Eddie will feel vindicated.

Edit:  Just seen the news on the prop changes in the squad, so we'll have 2 unfit Vunipolas in the starting XV this weekend instead of just the one.

[mike909]

It matters not who is selected to stat if the tactics are the same.

We've got two props back - we won all our own ball in the scrum.....so it's not a big matter - compared to having 35% possession and doing sod all with the ball other than kicking it to a v comfortable back three and a team happy in possession

We only had 36% possession vs Aus in the RWC QF and 32% vs Ireland in the Autumn Cup and yet managed to win both games happily. What happened Saturday appeared an extension of the strategy vs Italy last 6Ns many were confused by (well I was....) when we kicked the ball away 44 times in play...a real high water mark. And looked like we weren't allowed to move the ball in hands. Farrell faced with a 6v 3 looked up and kicked...It's surely playing under orders?

[baldpaul101]

It matters not who is selected to stat if the tactics are the same.

exactly. I fail to understand the slagging off Farrell & Youngs get, they are doing exactly as they are told. Its not their fault.
If they were not, the wouldn't keep getting selected.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

It matters not who is selected to stat if the tactics are the same.

exactly. I fail to understand the slagging off Farrell & Youngs get, they are doing exactly as they are told. Its not their fault.
If they were not, the wouldn't keep getting selected.

They were losing and never looked like scoring. If that didn't make them think "sod this for a game of soldiers", get the team together and tell them, we're doing something different, they don't deserve to be internationals, or at least internationals in a winning team.

Does obeying the boss and being selected really trump changing and trying to win? I hope not.

[baldpaul101]

England is a team picked to play to a game plan. If players don't follow that plan, and they've had different ones to follow, do you think they would still be there?

Look back of the last few seasons, how many times have England lost games because the team didn't change the way they were playing?

[JonnyD]

It’s a shame that Lawrence has the bite the bullet for not getting a pass in a system that doesn’t allow him to play the game that got him picked in the first place.
He has the poor stats because of those inside him yet he’ll be dropped to reaccomodate Farrell.
Whereas Lawrence outside Ford, even in the same system, would prove instantly more fruitful.

[mike909]

England is a team picked to play to a game plan. If players don't follow that plan, and they've had different ones to follow, do you think they would still be there?

Look back of the last few seasons, how many times have England lost games because the team didn't change the way they were playing?

England's current position looks a lot like a reaction to 2018 and 5 losses in a row (Jones saved by Danny....) when we needed to change - as show in the 6N's, in SA we attacked like never before - but lost. And more and more looked to a negative game plan that minimised the chances of losing.

That's fine - unless it's done to the nth degree and you end up like on Saturday. When the plan is to kick to get inside the opposition 10m line and minimise giving away penalties and possession in your own half and that's failing....then carrying on kicking to a team happy ball in hand and with a class back three just looks clueless.

And on Saturday - someone must have said at HT "all's going well, keep it up"

We had less possession vs Ireland in the Autumn Cup but two May breaks made it a win. Nothing really created - but just like the RWC QF vs Australia, it was hailed a success. If Australia had offered what Scotland's pack did on Saturday - no way would we have been in a SF vs NZ....