Alternative England XV

An XV made up of players who are currently fit but not in either the EPS or Saxon Squad. Not counting retired players (e.g. J.Wilkinson, C.Hodgson) or players out of consideration (e.g. N.Easter, M.Cueto)

15. R.Miller (Sale) Uncapped
14. T.Ojo (L.Irish) 2 Caps
13. M.Banahan (Bath) 16 Caps
12. D.Waldouck (Saints) Uncapped
11. M.Tait (Leicester) 38 Caps
10. D.Cipriani (Sale) 7 Caps
09. K.Dickson (Quins) Uncapped
08. T.Guest (Quins) Uncapped
07. S.Armitage (Toulon) 5 Caps
06. C.Fearns (Bath) Uncapped
05. D.Attwood (Bath) 2 Caps
04. M.Garvey (L.Irish) Uncapped
03. R.Harden (Gloucester) Uncapped
02. R.Webber (Bath) 3 Caps
01. R.Harrison (Sale) Uncapped

16. M.Lahiff (L.Irish)
17. J.George (Saracens) Uncapped
18. K.Palmer-Newport (Bath) Uncapped
19. T.Savage (Gloucester) Uncapped
20. L.Wallace (Quins) Uncapped
21. B.Spencer (Saracens) Uncapped
22. S.Geraghty (L.Irish) 6 Caps
23. T.Homer (L.Irish) Uncapped

Rest of 30-man Squad

T.Varndell (Wasps) H.Trinder (Gloucester) L.Burrell (Northampton) J.Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester) A.Saull (Saracens) J.Gibson (L.Irish) K.Myall (Sale)

Swap guest for narraway

I'd probably change the backline to something like:

10. Goode
11. JSD
12. Burrell
13. Waldouck
14. Varndell
15. Miller

Bring Cips and Tait to the bench. Goode would control the team much better than Cips and reliably kicks well.

You could argue that Steffon Armitage is out of consideration as well as he is ignored despite great form in France.

In the backs I'd go for;

9.Dickson
10.Goode - People will mock but he's in good form, also there's a reason Ford's the only 10 in the Saxons currently...

11.Varndell
12.Waldouck
13.Hopper
14.JSD
15.Arscott

20.Spencer
21.Clegg
22.Tait

Spencer is a very good call as a nine

Has Matt Tait got 38 caps?

Yes http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/14700.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match

Half from the bench, but he was first choice in the 2007 RWC and during the 2010 6Ns - until last game when MJ got scared by the thought of a rampaging Basteraud and recalled Tindall.

Sadly due mainly to injuries it will always be a case of what could have been.

That "what could have been" team is starting to look reasonable...

7. Tom Rees
8. James Forrester
13. Matt Tait
14. James SImpson Daniel

Tait could still come back. I have heard a lot of people say that our back three at the moment lacks a little pace...

GF

Add Harry Ellis in as a scrum half.

Can we also include Cipriani on the grounds of 'what if he had a brain and the courage to match his skills'

Ah, Tom Rees. What a player.

dummy_half wrote:GF

Add Harry Ellis in as a scrum half.

Can we also include Cipriani on the grounds of 'what if he had a brain and the courage to match his skills'

Could you imagine Cipriani if he had had 10% of Lewis Moodys courage (madness?)

So as opposed to an alternative XV what about a WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN XV

1
2
3
4
5
6
7 Tom Rees
8 James Forrester

9 Harry Ellis
10 Danny Cipriani (Simply wasting undouted ability)
11 James Simpson Daniel
12
13 Matt Tait (Could still come back of course)
14
15

Controversial ....what about Courtney Lawes. Everytime he gets a bit of a run of games going and bit of form coming through he gets injured. Im begining to be concerned about him...only 23 so very young...BUT....

Thought Lawes' two appearance off the bench this Six Nations have been excellent. Needs to work on his tackling technique mind....

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN XV - I like this one -

1 Matt Stevens (could have been so much better if he hadnt screwed up his career)
2
3
4 Hugh Vyvian - think he got 1 or 2 caps
5 James Short - looked like a monster when playing for Bath.
6 Magnus Lund or Michael Lipman (if he hadnt been a naughty chap)
7 Tom Rees
8 Dan Ward Smith - (always started to show storming form then got injured)

9 Nic Duncombe - very sad
10 Shane Geraghty - Nearly scored the best try ever!
11 James Simpson Daniel
12 Fraser Walters (Great for Wasps - never had much of a run for England)
13 Matt Tait or Stuart Abbott (he was touted as the Greenwood replacement)
14 Marcel Garvey - Topsy Ojo
15

Olly Morgan at 15

Yup - agree - Olly Morgan may now have missed his chance through so many injuries.
I'm surprised that he is still on Gloucesters books.

Narraway is a could have been.........if it wasnt for Waldroms twice removed grandmother!

I guess you could include Matt Hampson too. Trevor Woodman's career was less than it might have been - even with the RWC.

This thread is getting sad

It could be premature, but I've got a feeling that we could be seeing Jamie George on a similar list as this in a fews years time.

David Flatman - never got the international recognition he deserved.

Olly Kohn? If he'd not missed a couple of years to injury, he might have worn the white shirt instead of a red one

Stuart Abbott...

The what could've been XV is looking strong unfortunately;

1.Woodman (achieved a huge amount but retired in a props prime...)
2.
3.Stevens
4.Blaze
5.
6.Forrester
7.Rees (what a player)
8.Wardsmith

9.Ellis
10.Hodgson (if he'd played in better England sides)

11.Ballshaw (achieved a lot but could've done even more in the right side)
12.Abbott
13.Tait (hopefully there's still something to come there)
14.JSD (as with Tait)
15.Morgan

If you put Kohn and Ward-Smith in the second row, you've got room for Forrester at 8.

You could make a case for Steve Thompson at hooker... think what he might have been if he'd not retired for 2 years in the middle of his career.

Poorfour wrote:If you put Kohn and Ward-Smith in the second row, you've got room for Forrester at 8.

You could make a case for Steve Thompson at hooker... think what he might have been if he'd not retired for 2 years in the middle of his career.

Kohn is a good shout in the second row, I was never sure about DWS when moved to second row though to be honest. Thompson's another like Woodman who achieved a huge amount but could've achieved more, there were several in that 03 side mind;

Cohen - went seriously of the boil after lacerating defences around the world
Ballshaw
Woodman
Thompson
Shaw - can't get much stiffer competition than Johnson, Kay and Grewcock but there will always be a question in my mind with his earlier career ....

Ollie Smith was a phenominal talent before injuries and off field issues hampered his game. I'll never forgive Loffreda for pushing out of Tigers. A Lion and very nearly went to the 2003 RWC in his early career.

Does Olly Morgan count yet? A class 15 who was brilliant under the high ball and impressed on debut. Unfotunately for him he seems to have biscuit bones.

Forgot about Blaze....

Harsh to say Cohen , Woodman etc..i think a WC winners medal is better than a what might have been...