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Bath RFC	InTheFastLane
Exeter Chiefs	Driver - RIP 606
Gloucester	Anonmattyt
Harlequins	Steven_Sharks
Leicester Tigers	LukeLovesLuka
London Irish	stnick88
London Wasps	Arry
Newcastle Falcons	Sgt_Pooly
Northampton Saints	Dammit_Chris
Sale Sharks	SirJohnnyEnglish
Saracens	Ozzy3213
Worcester Warriors	prop_lyd

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Waiting List
1. pullthestrings
2. Bathite

Rory Best 29....looks about 50!

George Smith 31 - made his Aus debut in 2000

After a good lineout lock. Got Russow amongst other available

AP team of the year:

1. Joe Marler
2. Schalk Brits
3. Dan Cole
4. Samu Manoa
5. Geoff Parling
6. James Scaysbrook
7. Chris Robshaw
8. Nick Easter

09. Haydn Thomas
10. Toby Flood 
11. Alesana Tuilagi
12. George Pisi
13. George Lowe
14. Horacio Agulla
15. Mike Brown

Has Pisi played 12 at all this season?

likewise scaysbrook 6?

cant leave out mafi for me.

Has Thomas really been better then Care and Peel ove the course of the season at scrumhalf? Think the ESPN team had 12. Tuilagi 13. Pisi just to get Manu in there?

Quite surprised Farrell got discovery of the year as well. Surely kicking the winning goals in last years final means he was already discovered!

wouldnt have tuilagi in there to be honest. dont think he as been as good as last season for tigers.

would take peel over thomas. care 2nd.

JTH at 12??

They always have some awful calls. Some of the stuff the pundits write you'd think they'd never watched a game all season.

Rugby Paper had Tuitupou at 12. Not for me though.

Very contentious position this year.

Mafi, wood and peel biggest players missing. Miller for me had to be young player. Can't believe he didnt get short listed.

Barritt got short listed for player of the year, maybe most obvious choice...

12 is tight between Barritt and JTH for me either man would be deserving for me

Not for me. Naquelavuki has been brilliant everytime ive seen him but unsure how much he;s played

naqa had a broken arm so missed around 3 months, which is quite a big chunk. but he started and finished the season superbly.

I think JTH has been better than Barritt.

"I think JTH has been better than Barritt"

In the AP Id agree with that. Sarries have stuttered most of the season, especially the 2nd half. Losing a chunk of players to England seemed to halt their momentum.

I think Barritt is probably a better player and did well for England, but for an AP team of the season think JTH had more of an impact.

All will be revealed ahead of the summer tour tomorrow with England Squad announced at 12.

Interesting.
With so many players missing there might be some unexpected faces in there.

Andy Saull and Matt Kvesic are being mentioned...

SAull would have toured but is injured

Kvesic looks a talent but would get ruined in S.A.

Don't get me started on Saull!!

Robshaw to start at 7 but with no Wood, Armitage, Fourie available, back up is bare.

Tom Wood's injury "career threatening"....bloody hell. I know he's struggled to play this year but didn't realise it was that bad. Only his toe!?!?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/9253382/Chris-Robshaw-to-retain-England-captaincy-for-South-Africa-tour-as-fears-grow-for-Tom-Woods-recovery.html

I disagree with you on Saull massively.

Mind you i am the same with Steffan in that i dont rate him at all.

Kvesic nowhere near physical enough yet

Heard of many nast toe injuries like Wood's Matt? Surely can't be career threatening

There was someone a few years ago who retired due to one. cant think of it now but will remember.

It says something that players like wood etc take so long to get estbalished.

He is 26.

Look at Pocock, Mccaw etc and the number of Caps they have at that age

Shame Fourie got injured. he was a decent back up 7 and really physical

Bit surprised that they arent naming the squad until after the semi finals, as expect those games to injure a few more as they are going to be brutal!

Launchbury has been told he'll tour, reckon he will do well out there as conditions will suit his style - wouldnt take him as second row though, as not quite developed enough yet.

I wonder if Lancaster might be tempted with taking James Craig from Saints, last 6 games he's been fantastic - with Croft out, could be good to have someone with his lineout skills too. Leeds do produce some talent!

If Mullan isnt injured I hope he gets to tour, think he's very good.

I think you would be in a large minority of people that dont rate steffon, especially the form he is in right now. absolutely dominating the top 14.

I've seen Saull have some good games but I've also seen games where has been dominated on the deck and been very anonymous. For me not physical enough or good enough at the breakdown. He is a good link player though.

My problem is i have seen Armitage get smashed and dominated quite a few times.

Qera for example has humiliated him on numerous occassions and he seems to have no plan b.

He is playing excellently in Top 14 but i reckon he will go missing at the business end of the season as he always does. thats why he is not an international>

Pooly made a valid point earlier about the top players having extra gears. never seen armitage having those gears or extra class.

Steffan is a good club player and is was pretty dominant in AP. just went missing when it went to the crunch. His brother is the exact opposite in that he can often look disinterested and then in the big games come alive.

Delon may be a twot of a human being but he is some rugby player and has so much ability

It also depends what time of game you want to play.

Launchbury looks quality every time i ever see him.

Want to see him at next level. looks a mighty carier/.

I always liken Armitage to Peter Buxton when he was in his prime. Man of match almost every game got selected for england but went missing in the big games.

It may be the same with Nick Wood in all honesty who is quality and dominates his opposite number was in the running for Ap player of the year but the full england team never go near him. Every fan at glos would have him in full squad and many other fans around the country would but management for england see it differently
Bux will go down as one of our greatest players

Lets be having the 40 man squads

Hookers: Dylan Hartley , Joe Grey , Tom Lindsey , Lee Mears

Props: Alex Corbisero , Joe Marler , Dan Cole , Matt Stevens , Matt Mullen , Paul Doran Jones

Locks: Geoff Parling , Mauritz Botha , Tom Palmer , Joe Lauchbury , Dave Attwood

Flanks: Chris Robshaw (c) , Phil Dowsen , Ben Morgan , Luke Narraway , Thomas Waldrom , Matt Kvesic

Half backs: Ben Youngs , Danny Care , Lee Dickson , Owen Farrell , Toby Flood , George Ford

Centres: Brad Barritt , Manu Tuilagi , Jordan Turner-Hall , Elliot Daley , Henry Trinder

Wings: Chris Ashton , David Strettle , Topsy Ojo , Jonny May ,

Full backs: Ben Foden , Mike Brown , Freddie Burns , Alex Goode

They will not lindsay near england with his darts. Ford being left at home to bulk up. Burns may go as back up ten

Is Hodgson not going??

Apart from that not a million miles away.

HArd work picking a 40 and ours dont even matter

Forgot about Hodgson , could be a great experience for Lindsey - would pick up all sorts from Lee Mears with his work at the lineout.

Wood's injury is apparently due to nobody really knowing how best to treat it.

I am no fan of Launchbury as a 6 I don't believe he is dynamic enough. Much like James Gaskell (I die a little in side each time he plays as a flanker) I simply don't think he will ever become international class as a back row.

Let him Launchbury develop as a lock as I think he would be excellent there and easily an international.

Players I really want to tour are Marler, Thomas, Garvey, Welch, Gibson, Fearns, Lowe, Joseph, Brady, May and Jess.

Agree on Lindsay. Think he has a great all round game but throwing still an issue.

Forgot Garvey , I'd take him over Attwood who is just a big fanny. Will Welch isn't a bad shout.

Driver - RIP 606 wrote:Forgot about Hodgson , could be a great experience for Lindsey - would pick up all sorts from Lee Mears with his work at the lineout.

Maybe he could work on Mears scrummaging lol

Maybe they could forge and become......super hooker!!!

My 42 man squad is (edited for Injuries)

Props - Alex Corbisiero, Joe Marler, Nick Wood, Dan Cole, Matt Stevens, Henry Thomas

Hookers - Dylan Hartley, Lee Mears, Joe Grey, Jamie George?

Locks - Mouritz Botha, Geoff Parling, Matt Garvey, Tom Palmer, Joe Launchbury.

Backrow - Chris Robshaw, James Haskell, Carl Fearns, Jamie Gibson, Phil Dowson, Will Welch, Nick Easter.

Half Backs - Lee Dickson, Danny Care, Ben Youngs, Toby Flood, Owen Farrell, Freddie Burns.

Centres - Brad Barritt, Jordan Turner-Hall, Billy Twelvetrees, Manu Tuilagi, Jonathan Joseph, George Lowe

Wings - Chris Ashton, David Strettle, Jonny May, Tom Brady, Tom Biggs.

Full Backs - Ben Foden, Mike Brown, Rob Miller

Webber is inured

Forgot the hask

Isn't Brooker cropped aswell?

Brooker is out for another 12 months steve if he ever comes back at all.

Brady is an interesting shout. do you think he is up to it??

Defo think Lowe and Joseph will tour.

ggoing to be an exciting tour

Hooks: Hartley, Mears, Gray
Props: Cole, PDJ, Stevens, Corbs, Marler, Mullen
Locks: Botha, Parling, Garvey, Palmer, Attwood
Flank: Robshaw, Wallace, Armitage, Dowson, Launchbury
8: Morgan, Waldroum

9: Youngs, Dickson, Care
10: Flood, Farrell, Burns
Centre: Tuilagi, JJ, Barritt, JTH, Lowe
Wing: Ashton, Strettle, May, Benjamin, Wade
FB: Foden, Brown

Starting.....

1. Corbs
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Botha
5. Parling
6. Robshaw
7. Armitage
8. Morgan

9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Strettle
12. Barritt
13. Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Foden

16. Mears
17. PDJ
18. Palmer
19. Dowson
20. Dickson
21. Farrell
22. May

As you all know I'm a bit of a biased Wasps fan but Lindsay is a long way from international rugby at the moment - his lineout throwing and decision making isnt there and he's already 24/25.

Gray's a good shout Pooly. Wonder if they will consider any of the Exeter pack, thinking Johnson especially? Armitage can't tour due to Toulon commitments though.

Ford's not going to tour and Elliot Daly has been left out of the u20s because he has a bad knee that needs to be fixed over the summer - why he hasnt been kicking for Wasps.

Driver, Kvesvic is out injured and has withdrawn from u20s WC.

Would definitely take Haskell and Easter for this tour as South Africa isn't exactly a place where you want to blood youngsters without experience.

I love Brady. I think he could become the perfect winger. defended brilliantly against Tuilagi, absolutely rapid and is like Ashton with his idea of where to be.

Hopefully he can make a splash in the HC

I forgot about Tom Johnson and Matt Jess. I;d take them both to SA.

Lindsay's throw isn't quite ready but decision making? Apart from when he kicked v Falcons I struggle to see what you mean.

Forgot about Haskell, I'd def take him.

Steven is Henry Thomas playing again? Really liked the look of him at start of the season.

Wouldnt be surprised if Sheridan gets named in the squad, purely for his experience but not sure if he's retired from international rugby?

If not I'd quite like to see a midweek team of:

1. Sheridan
2. Mears
3, PDJ (think Stevens will be on bench for main team).
4. Attwood
5. Garvey
6. Johnson
7. Dowson (not a fan, but think he will cover gaps here)
8. Easter
9. Youngs (for me Care&Dickson better form).
10. Flood (Farrells shirt to lose atm).
11. May
12. JTH
13. Jonathan Joseph
14. Wade
15. Brown

Launchbury definitely on the bench, alongside Lowe - not sure who they will take as replacement 10 - hopefully not Clegg! Funny if Cipriani was asked, especially as he's cut short his time at Rebels - experience of playing in SA too.