England Squad - Anyone played themselves out of contention?

Following England's dominance of territory and possession, but total inability to generate quick ball or do anything incisive in attack against Wales, I was wondering what this might mean to the final 30 man squad Johnson will take, especially given that the final cut happens before the match in Dublin.

Of course there are still question marks over the likely fitness of Moody, and Youngs and Sheridan haven't played since yet surgery, so both can only be considered as provisional picks for the squad (although if fit enough, all will undoubtedly travel and probably be first choice selections at the start of the tournament).

I think before Saturday the probable squad looked something like:
Sheridan, Corbisiero
Hartley, Thompson, Mears
Cole, Stevens
Lawes, Deacon, Palmer (Shaw*)
Croft, Wood
Moody, Fourie*
Easter, Haskell

Youngs, Care, Wigglesworth
Flood, Wilkinson
Hape, Flutey
Tindall, Tuillagi
Ashton, Cueto, Banahan
Foden, Armitage.

* I think Fourie or Shaw get picked depending whether we go with 3 or 4 second row specialists, but because of Moody's knee think it likely we take the extra flanker.

However, after the debacle at the MS, who has played themselves into danger?

For me, Armitage should now be ahead of Banahan as the sub back 3 or 4 player, and with the emergence of Tuillagi at OC, could Banahan's place be at risk from a faster winger (Monye or Sharples?)

Could we possibly not include Hape in the squad, taking (maybe) Hodgson and relying on Flood/Wilkinson as cover for 12?

Did Fourie play himself out of the squad, and if so would it be Shaw or Robshaw coming in?

Similarly, did Corbisiero's mediocre game open up the possibility of a change in emphasis with Stevens becoming the (primarily) LH backup and opening up the possibility of Doran-Jones making the squad as TH cover?

Tindall, Hape and Banahan are not international standard, given the resources England have and the superb young players we see playing against us the HEC I really can't fathom out how they get in the squad.

Turk

Tindall's in because to drop him would be considered an act of treason .

More seriously, Tinds is in because he does what he does very well (take bad ball into contact, ruck like another flanker and tackle everything that moves). You need a couple of players like that in your team.

As for the other two though, I agree. Banahan is a huge lump, but is nowhere near as good a rugby player as he should be (witness the first kick-off, where he mis-judged the flight and went right under a ball that he should have won cleanly).

Hape I can only assume has some compromising photos of Johnson and Flossie (that year spent in NZ as a teenager having had an unforeseen effect on the Johnson libido).

Slippy hands from Corbs but apart from that I didnt think he played too bad at all. Cant see PDJ getting into the squad Think Sheridan, Corbs, Cole & Stevens are nailed on for the propping positions now.

Hape will go the world cup. Johnno wont drop him from the squad but Flutey should be given a chance against Ireland. Should be 10. Wilko 12. Flutey 13. Tindall for the world cup now.

Wasn't happy with Fourie's selection for the Wales game from the start. Robshaw should have been given a shot been cracking for Quins for 2 or 3 years now.

Out for me would be

Cueto (offers very little) Sharples in
Hape (predictable) Tuilagi
Mears (read Cueto)
Hodgson (what exactly is he doing there when you have some young alternatives - see Wales and Priestland)


Tindall will be retained on past form
Bananaman offers a degree of utility
Fourie is likely to go as Jonno would not want to be seen as being wrong and call up Robshaw

That's about it really - Not that much wrong in all honesty and easily corrected with some creativity in midfield.

Outside of the set pieces Englands forwards were pretty inept and ineffectual on Saturday around the park - They were bullied off the ball quite easily - what's that all about?

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Slippy hands from Corbs but apart from that I didnt think he played too bad at all. Cant see PDJ getting into the squad Think Sheridan, Corbs, Cole & Stevens are nailed on for the propping positions now.

Hape will go the world cup. Johnno wont drop him from the squad but Flutey should be given a chance against Ireland. Should be 10. Wilko 12. Flutey 13. Tindall for the world cup now.

Wasn't happy with Fourie's selection for the Wales game from the start. Robshaw should have been given a shot been cracking for Quins for 2 or 3 years now.

13. Tindall..........seriously? did you watch the game on Saturday? Tuilagi should be nailed on for 13 now purely because of Tindall's display on Saturday, I don't think I've ever seen a player make a clean break and then stop, I've seen players carry on running and look for support, but he stopped in his tracks, personally I was quite happy with it mind, but you as an England supporter must have been mortified?

Yes seriously Turkster!

Tindall's lack of hands may have butchered a few attacking plays but he carried pretty damn well and defensively he is still one of the very best around. Will do a job for us in the world cup. Tuilagi to come in post world cup but needs to work on his defense

Ruby

"Outside of the set pieces Englands forwards were pretty inept and ineffectual on Saturday around the park - They were bullied off the ball quite easily - what's that all about?"

That's been the problem when things have gone wrong for England in the last year or so - we are trying to play like NZ and win the breakdown while committing the fewest possible players. When it works, you get quick ball and lots of options, but when the opposition get a couple of players there quickly it becomes difficult to do anything with the ball especially if the half back wasn't close enough to take the laid back ball immediately.

dummy - you are spot on and it was pointed out by the commentators - it needs sorting. There was a lack of leadership and no mid game change of plan

Easter?
I know he's a given, but he had a very poor game. Too slow to the breakdown, didn't carry well, and where was the leadership to change approach to the breakdown?

Ruby

One of the things that would help us is that when the ball is laid back well (something both Easter and Tindall in particular do - stretching out to get the ball clear of the contact area), the first English player on the scene should pick and drive the ball and tie in further defenders, Instead they seem to dither and be not sure whether they should take the ball or commit to the ruck, which results in the second defender coming through and making a mess of everything.

I think this is one reason we are missing Youngs - he seems to be the best organiser of our SHs to make sure we get the ball moving quickly.

i havent seen any posts on this. first of all, well done wales, amazing defensive effort! thats what wins games at the RWC.

From an england point of view some people played themselves out of my 1st XV

Dan Cole, good in the scrum poor in the loose, stevens is better and he gets other players going
Deacon - good workhorse but is he better than palmer? no.
Flood - ive been a massive fan of flood and like his attacking style, he wasnt good enough at the weekend.
Hape - i feel sorry for what that d**k in the times said, 1/10 was harsh, but he was pants, cant pass or carry
cueto - usually the gain line breaker, great on the counter, but hasnt been so far in the 2 games, get delon on the wing!
Banahan - terrible saturday but good the week before, but wouldnt make my back 3 or centre

Other notes:
Tindall/Tuilagi - tries or defence basically, tindall will stop more, tuilagi will get more. i prefer manu though, just for entertainment
Danny Care - impressed me, been very zippy does things wigglesworth cant, also great dump tackle on shane last week
Hartley is still the best hooker
Tom Wood is better at 7 than moody


Bringing hodgson on was a mistake, kicked for corners zzzz

My Team:
Corbisiero
Hartley
Stevens
Palmer
Lawes
Croft
Wood
Easter
Youngs - i know his not played but on form still no.1
Wilko - but its close!
Armitage
Flutey
Tuilagi
Ashton
Foden


Will merge this with the existing article - KRD

Those who lets say have a lot to prove.

Centres:
Hape - Serious lack of creativity Higlighted.
Tindall - Lack of creative skills highlighted.
If we need a bosher in the midfield fine....but pick one...not both - and Tindall is ahead of Hape. .

Back Row:
Lack of breakdown skills is an issue. Need to find the right balance.
Robshaws continued absence is interesting.
Is Easter good enough....?
Is Croft too fragile for number 6?

For all Cuetos "all round " ability is good...his actual strike record is not.....

Banahan....how many times did he lose the ball in contact. Im actually as big fan of Banners.....BUT im not sure he's good enough.

Ok i pose you a question also.....

Is Ben Foden....TOO predictable / easy to read etc?

During the match, I watched Tindall get in behind the Welsh defence just once. I was watching him begin to goose step and dither and instantly realised he was going to boff it up. At the same time I was thinking, Tuilagi would have scored that. We can’t Flip have two centres who can barely Flip pass, it’s ridiculous. If we had one crash ball merchant, fair enough, but we have two very blunt objects, swung with no speed at all.

I’m trying not to be too reactionary/ knee jerk here. I’ve supported Tindal in the past because he often did the one thing England needed him to do, straighten the line/ break a few tackles. When was the last time he did this with any measure of threat? It makes you realise how well Youngs and Ashton have had to play to make some of those plodders look even half useful.

Do I even need to say anything about the wingers? I think we missed an opportunity to give Tuilagi more game time before the World Cup. He’s played wing for Leicester and I’ve seen him finish off moves for them. If Johnson was bound and determined not to actually play a winger why not give him a go? He’d have scored that one on one Banahan missed against Williams, Flip it, I’d have scored that!

I’m beginning to wonder about Flood too, the lad just doesn’t seem to have nouse. When things go wrong he goes into his shell. It’s not all his fault, he received little support from his centres or backrow and the service was so slow at times, but he needs to take a hard look at himself.

Is it me? Or is Easter fading faster than his original hair colour? I’ve been a big supporter, but I barely remember him carrying a ball on Saturday!

With any kind of penetration at all England could have recorded a handsome win in Cardiff, we had all the ball and all the pressure. Don’t get me wrong, Wales defence was impressive, but it’s all they really offered. The game was played in their half and it is pathetic that England scored so few points.

Don't drag Foden into this - The guy is pure class and IMO would feature in the SH teams.

"Don't drag Foden into this - The guy is pure class and IMO would feature in the SH teams.."

Ruby

I know i do agree...and its probably just that those around him are too inept to actually run some decent lines to take defenders away from him.....

Geordie, I think Foden became predicatable at the weekend because he had no support. He go the ball with no support and a line of Welsh defenders in fron of him yet actually made ground and didnt get turned over. Few of the hacks amongst the forwards could say that.

Geordie
Wait till Ashton is back to see Foden becoming more effective. I'm also starting to come round to the idea of playing Armitage on the other wing, as then we'd have 3 guys who run good support lines and play what's in front of them as the back 3.

Banahan - big, quick but lacking a brain. Should have had the beating of little Shane for his try, and his miss of the opening kick-off was embarrassing for someone who was previously a 2nd row forward.

Cumbrian agree one hundred percent with all you've said there.

I was stunned when Banahan didn't finish off that try against Shane, he even angled in towards the little sod! Any half decent premiership wing would have scored that.

Both Hape and Tindal only know how to look for contact, when we were 10 metres out i lost count of the number of times they either lost the ball or went to ground and didn't present.

What is Wells doing? Very good prem forwards are being made to look Poopie, does he think we're playing league here? Where the Poopie beans was the rucking?!

Foden to be honest couldn't do anything in that team, he had zero support, zero decoys and zero threats outside him.

Thank you Martin Johnson for wasting 80 mins of my life, that is one game that I can genuinely say has achieved nothing!

Let's look at some positives:

- Care is playing very well
- Tindall can do a (admittedly limited but it's all he's ever done) job, so we don't need a Hape shaped lump
- Our tight five can do their main job very well
- Our set pieces are good
- We can retain possession for long periods....

The problem, as ever, is at 12, compounded by Flood playing very badly.

screamingaddabs wrote:Let's look at some positives:

- Care is playing very well
- Tindall can do a (admittedly limited but it's all he's ever done) job, so we don't need a Hape shaped lump
- Our tight five can do their main job very well
- Our set pieces are good
- We can retain possession for long periods....

The problem, as ever, is at 12, compounded by Flood playing very badly.

That and the ruck situation and that without Ashton are back three looks slow and clueless.

4 things that need to change by the time we play Ireland. Especially the rucking.

12 is a serious problem for us. Hape is an utter donkey. He has only one line of attack - straight up the middle and fall over having been tackled, often losing the ball.

Quite why the likes of Barritt and even Turner-Hall aren't in the squad over him beats me. I don't think I've seen a worse international centre with the possible exception of ex-league one-cap wonder Barrie-Jon Mather!

yappysnap wrote:

That and the ruck situation and that without Ashton are back three looks slow and clueless.

4 things that need to change by the time we play Ireland. Especially the rucking.

Agree on the rucking, I think the slow and clueless back three is mainly caused by 10 and 12 not giving them any kind of opportunity, with a hint of Banahan playing badly added in for good measure.

SirJohnnyEnglish wrote:Yes seriously Turkster!

Tindall's lack of hands may have butchered a few attacking plays but he carried pretty damn well and defensively he is still one of the very best around. Will do a job for us in the world cup. Tuilagi to come in post world cup but needs to work on his defense

if you're happy, I'm exceedingly happy for England to play Tindall.

"I don't think I've seen a worse international centre with the possible exception of ex-league one-cap wonder Barrie-Jon Mather!"

Henry Paul?

In direct answer to the thread, Banahan and Hape are the two who've done themselves no favours. Tindall did as Tindall does, but I can't see him being left off the plane - it's just that combo of Tindall +1 that will need tweaking. Cueto has shown very little but I'd be very surprised if he didn't go. Flood had a poor game but he needs quicker ball and some creativity outside him to offer real game management - it's a shame he forgot to try a linebreak himself as this has been effective in the last year (although in his defence the Welsh defended in swarms). Backrow looked lost against a very useful Welsh trio but I guess that only Fourie is in danger of not making the trip. Other questions which need addressing:
Why can't we produce quick ball when necessary and repeatedly?
Why can't we do a proper rolling maul?

just one thought as a welshman, what about flood at 12?

so backline something like this?

9) youngs
10) Wilko
11) armitage
12) flood
13) tuilagi
14) Ashton
15) foden

welshy824 wrote:just one thought as a welshman, what about flood at 12?

so backline something like this?

9) youngs
10) Wilko
11) armitage
12) flood
13) tuilagi
14) Ashton
15) foden

that looks scary to be honest, let's hope Martin Johnson doesn't read this site.

FullBack wrote:My Team:
Corbisiero
Hartley
Stevens
Palmer
Lawes
Croft
Wood
Easter
Youngs - i know his not played but on form still no.1
Wilko - but its close!
Armitage
Flutey
Tuilagi
Ashton
Foden


Will merge this with the existing article - KRD

agree almost 100% with that - apart from the glaringly obvious...Easter??? Haskell over him everyday.

Turkster wrote:

welshy824 wrote:just one thought as a welshman, what about flood at 12?

so backline something like this?

9) youngs
10) Wilko
11) armitage
12) flood
13) tuilagi
14) Ashton
15) foden

that looks scary to be honest, let's hope Martin Johnson doesn't read this site.

lol thats what i thought, this is why i am glad england chose to be brutally honest a bit of a fool of a manager/coach in martin johnson

Interesting thought boys. At Newcastle Flood used to play 12 outside Jonny at 10. A combination that has worked. That would bring a lot more creativity to the backs. But would be an injury worry playing the two fly half options at the same time.

I think on the showings so far the two big losers are Flood and Hape. Both were pretty poor on Saturday and whilst Hape might get lucky based on (a) MJ's stubbourn refusal to admit his mistake and (b) the fact that Flutey didn't set the world on fire either, Flood was bested by Wilkinson the previous week, so despite having played well all season bar a game or two towards the end, now looks like 2nd choice on form.

My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage

welshy824 wrote:just one thought as a welshman, what about flood at 12?

so backline something like this?

9) youngs
10) Wilko
11) armitage
12) flood
13) tuilagi
14) Ashton
15) foden

I said this before the game (the flood at 12 option). Seemed that quite a few people would've been happy to see it tried. I suggest wilko defends the 12 channel though and Flood the 10 (i.e. swap when we don't have the ball). Unfortunately Floods poor form now even makes this a bit rubbish unless it was a blip. Probably still better than Hape at 12 though.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I think on the showings so far the two big losers are Flood and Hape. Both were pretty poor on Saturday and whilst Hape might get lucky based on (a) MJ's stubbourn refusal to admit his mistake and (b) the fact that Flutey didn't set the world on fire either, Flood was bested by Wilkinson the previous week, so despite having played well all season bar a game or two towards the end, now looks like 2nd choice on form.

My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage

Funny you say bar a game or two Flood played well. Unfortunately for Flood he cocked up in the latest two games that were arguably the biggest ones - the AP final and this Wales vs England match.

MJ has fallen flat on his face by picking Hape and Flutey as his inside centres. Barritt and Allen were the obvious choices.

Beshocked - regarding Flood I hear what you say, but it's undeniable that he played a big role for England in the AIs and the 6 Nations and that overall his season with Leicester and England was a positive one. As I say, I think the contrasting performances of Wilkinson (who had a good season at Toulon) and Flood in the two warm-up games now hand the starting jersey to Wilkinson. I'd give him the next game, and have Flood coming off the bench if things aren't going to plan.

As you know, I'm completely with you on the centre choices. The two best English-qualified inside centres throughout the season are not in the squad. Had Barkley finished the season in the manner he started, I'd push that to say three. Flutey has the abilities but not the form (and not for some time), and Hape has neither the abilities nor the form.

MJ has done some good things with England and brought in some good young players (Cole, Corbisiero, Lawes, Wood and Tuilagi in particular). He's also picked and stuck by some old hands in Thompson, Shaw and Palmer, and again he's getting good performances from those guys. He got criticised on here for taking Armitage but so far it looks like a gamble that has paid off. But I cannot cannot support him on, or even rationalise, his midfield selections.

I can follow his reasoning I just think it's poor reasoning.

He was basically saying that Hape has the shirt and has to come first up (in Johnson's mind he hasn't played badly).

For the second slot he took a gamble on Flutey finding form rather than on a new centre.

As I say, I disagree with his reasoning, but I think that was it.

funnyExiledScot wrote:My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage

I like this lineup. Gives one last chance to get the backs moving.

beshocked wrote:

Funny you say bar a game or two Flood played well. Unfortunately for Flood he cocked up in the latest two games that were arguably the biggest ones - the AP final and this Wales vs England match.

+ away against Ireland

Im not sure how much to blame the backs, its the forwards job to stretch the opposition defence first. By the time the backs got the ball the welsh defence was already set and often had extra players in it, wales didnt seem to have to commit that many players to the rucks in order to slow the ball down.

The forwards need to put their hands up and accept they are the first point of attack, where were the opportunities; off the back of scrums, driving at 5m lineouts and simple pick and go's, you dont have to use the backs to get over the try line.

Yes the forwards supplied lots of possesion but all of it slow. Possesion and territory are useless if the ball is that slow. Credit to the welsh defence they had englands number.

Whilst the backs didnt have that much to work with they were also poor, they werent able to finish the few chances they did create and lacked cohesion for me. There was not enough pace at all in that back line and I dont expect to see those players selected together again.

doctor_grey wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage

I like this lineup. Gives one last chance to get the backs moving.

I’d swap Sharples for Banahan (dropping out of the squad)
Robshaw for Wood (Straight swap)
Youngs for Care (Straight swap, assuming Youngs is fit & ready)

Trouble is though people that the Ireland game is a few days after the squad announcement, so there is no chance for further experimentation. There's no point playing people like Sharples or Robshaw (1 cap each) if they're not going to be in the squad, and can we put them in the squad on the basis of what we have seen so far?

G2,
I can certsainly agree with getting Sharples in this match. I have never been a Banahan fan. He has a lot of talent and is a big, strong lad, but he always gives me the impression of being one lunkhead play away from a big mistake.

Youngs and Care seem to swap which has better form on a regular basis. England can do fine with either one.

But, I do like Tom Wood, and want to see him in the squad.

My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage[/quote]

fES, you old rogue. I see what you are doing here. Bigging up clowns like Flutey and Bananaman so that they play them in the RWC. Nice one. Hope you are right !

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:My England team for the next game (which represents my current thinking for the 1st XV - the bench is more experimental for warm-up purposes):

1.Sheridan (if fit, if not Corbisiero) 2.Thompson 3.Cole 4.Deacon 5.Lawes 6.Croft 7.Wood 8.Haskell 9.Care 10.Wilkinson (c) 11.Ashton 12.Flutey 13.Tuilagi 14.Banahan 15.Foden

16.Stevens 17.Hartley 18.Palmer 19.Robshaw 20.Youngs 21.Flood 22.Armitage

fES, you old rogue. I see what you are doing here. Bigging up clowns like Flutey and Bananaman so that they play them in the RWC. Nice one. Hope you are right ! [/quote]

Well, we'd have no problems dispatching Scotland with our Saxons side, let alone with those "clowns". Maybe we'll experiment during that game and give the kids a run out

Dr Grey,
I wasn’t suggesting dropping Wood altogether, Wood is a certainty for me, but would like to see Robshaw have a start.

It will be a real test for our back row when we play Ireland so if he shows well then he has a chance to go to the WC

However it is probably wishful thinking on my part as I expect MJ has already dropped Robshaw but just hasn’t done it officially yet.

Robbo277
I was talking about dropping Banahan out of the squad altogether and out of WC reckoning and putting Sharples in his place however probably wishful thinking again

Tindall's in because to drop him would be considered an act of treason .


You mean because he is married to the queens grand daughter.

Hape, although i thought he was alright in the 6ns he must surely of played him self out of the starting team, along with Banahan.

Johnson should oif given Sharples moor game time....Would like to see Ashton and Sharples on the wings with Foden at full back.


Their needs to be a good look at the team for the next game and to make sure that the 30 players that go to the WC, are the best players that we have in their positions, and they are not in on reputation.

G2 and maj

The 30 man World Cup squad has to be named before the Ireland game. So although I would like to see both Sharples and Robshaw given a shot at least off the bench I would be reluctant to place them give them places in the World Cup squad based on games they haven't even played yet. And if they aren't picked in the squad, then there's no real reason to pick them against Ireland, as even if they have blinders they won't be able to be named in the World Cup squad and will only be used as injury replacements if necessary (as they would now).

I think Johnson and the RFU has missed a trick with only 3 games. 3 tests is fine, but maybe a game against one of the clubs (as Ireland are doing against Connacht) to give some of the players right on the fringes gametime. Before the squad was cut, we could have been looking at something like:

1. Wilson
2. Mears
3. Doran-Jones
4. Shaw
5. Botha
6. Robshaw (C)
7. Fourie
8. Waldrom

9. Wigglesworth
10. Hodgson
11. Monye
12. Flutey
13. Tuilagi
14. Sharples
15. Armitage

16. Chuter
17. Payne
18. ???
19. Worsley
20. Simpson
21. ???
22. Simpson-Daniel

Maybe the extra game would have encouraged Johnson to pick a slightly larger training squad as well (possibly Attwood and Allen who could have filled in those 2 bench spots).

This would have answered questions about the 5th choice prop, 3rd choice hooker, 4th choice lock, 6th choice back row, 3rd choice scrum-half, 3rd choice fly-half, 2nd choice inside-centre and the 5th choice outside back straight away, and then we could look at tweaking our 22 from the players who have been in the team the last year or so and the players who impressed in this match.

I think the attack coach might have played himself out of a longer contract along with the breakdown coach Wells

Matt Banahan (I hope). He is the classic Spanish Galleon. Time and again he gets driven backwards and as for that missed try...... Ah. I hope playing him in both games proved the point.

Hendry Fourie was totally anonymous and clearly did not do a job at 7.

Centres are a problem as at inside centre I can't see any good options in the squad.

G2 wrote:Dr Grey,
I wasn’t suggesting dropping Wood altogether, Wood is a certainty for me, but would like to see Robshaw have a start.

It will be a real test for our back row when we play Ireland so if he shows well then he has a chance to go to the WC

However it is probably wishful thinking on my part as I expect MJ has already dropped Robshaw but just hasn’t done it officially yet.

Robbo277
I was talking about dropping Banahan out of the squad altogether and out of WC reckoning and putting Sharples in his place however probably wishful thinking again

G2,
Gotcha mate. I misunderstood what you had said. I also would have liked Robshaw to have gotten a real run with the first team to see what he could do. I am a big Robshaw fan. Also, a real big Wood fan. Good thing about Ireland is we can measure England's back row against very good players. Hoping Robshaw is still in the running, but who would get dropped?

I really wanted to see Sharples get a run as well. I think he has real potential and would do well opposite Ashton.