England team to face Argentina

First topic message reminder :

As we thought, just two changes from the starting line-up Vs Ireland, with Easter and Armitage coming in for Fourie and Cueto.

http://rfu.com/News/2011/September/News%20Articles/080911_Eng_team_vs_Arg.aspx

Foden, Ashton, Tuilagi, Tindall (C), Armitage, Wilkinson, Wigglesworth, Sheridan, Thompson, Cole, Deacon, Lawes, Croft, Haskell, Easter.
Hartley, Stevens, Palmer, Wood, Youngs, Flood, Banahan.

A big, nasty forward pack to fight Argentina's pack, 3 brick walls in midfield (and happily an attacking threat with Tuilagi in there) and an exciting counter-attacking back-three if Argentina kick loosely. Some dynamic forwards on the bench and Youngs and Flood to come on and unlock Argentina if we're chasing a bonus-point. Banahan offers cover along the rest of the back-line, and has a good try-scoring record against Argentina (3 tries in 3 appearances).

yappysnap wrote:Just a thought though. If Tins and Tui are our centres for the 2 big games (as it seems now) then we only have Banahan and Hape as center cover, both who really only play 12, so who is going to play 13 against the minnows? Cueto, Armitage? Really not a good set up.

Couple this with the backrow dilemma and you really have to question MJ's selection policy. Surely Fourie should be there. I think Johnson has gone for too many players who he feels are versatile and not enough specialists. I wouldn't be that concerned about a Hape/Armitage centre partnership, mind. That would work OK.

yappysnap wrote:Just a thought though. If Tins and Tui are our centres for the 2 big games (as it seems now) then we only have Banahan and Hape as center cover, both who really only play 12, so who is going to play 13 against the minnows? Cueto, Armitage? Really not a good set up.

As a centre Banahan primarily plays 13. He played well at 12 in the St George's day match this year, but I remember them saying it was one of the first times he'd ever played there for Bath.

England did give him a go at 12 vs the Barbarians though, so the idea is clearly in their minds.

Yeah bizzare comment there... All the centers England have cover or play 13, its only Hape who plays 12 most of the time (and theres always a big argument about whether he actually does or not for Bath)
The lack of speacilist cover is at 12, however since they tend to play pretty one dimensional center partnerships ( 2 big guys who look for contact and offload or make short passes and go for big hits in defence) its nort so hard for any of the regular 13s to shift over one place. Banahan can step off the bench to cover or cover in pool games.
If they get a significant injury Flutey comes out so then you have a specilist 12 and at least 3 players comfortable playing 13 in the squad still.


No need for Armitage to come into the discussion at all unless things go really crazy with in game injuries in which case Wilko and Flood have both played international rugby in the centers, Youngs can cover wing, Foden can be a scrum half, wigglesworth can cover 10 in a total disaster (Armitage another emergency goal kicker) etc etc
England have a very flexible set of backs.