England *EPS 2014* and 6N Squad

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EPS

Forwards (17)
David Attwood (Bath Rugby) Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints) Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers) Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby) Joe Launchbury (London Wasps) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) Joe Marler (Harlequins) Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby) Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers) Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) Billy Vunipola (Saracens) Mako Vunipola (Saracens) David Wilson (Bath Rugby) Tom Wood (Northampton Saints) Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs (16)
Chris Ashton (Saracens) Brad Barritt (Saracens) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby) Danny Care (Harlequins) Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints) Owen Farrell (Saracens) George Ford (Bath Rugby) Ben Foden (Northampton Saints) Alex Goode (Saracens) Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby) Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby) Christian Wade (London Wasps) Marland Yarde (London Irish) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)


England RBS 6 Nations squad (35)

Forwards (18)
David Attwood (Bath Rugby) Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby) Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs) Joe Launchbury (London Wasps) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) Joe Marler (Harlequins) Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby) Matt Mullan (London Wasps) Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers) Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks) Billy Vunipola (Saracens) Mako Vunipola (Saracens) Rob Webber (Bath Rugby) Tom Wood (Northampton Saints) Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs (17)
Chris Ashton (Saracens) Brad Barritt (Saracens) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints) Danny Care (Harlequins) Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints) Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby) Owen Farrell (Saracens) George Ford (Bath Rugby) Alex Goode (Saracens) Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby) Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints) Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs) Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby) Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby) Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)


England Saxons squad:
Forwards (17): C Clark (Northampton), J Crane (Leicester), P Doran Jones (Harlequins), W Fraser (Saracens), J Haskell (Wasps), T Johnson (Exeter), G Kitchener (Leicester), G Kruis (Saracens), K Myall (Wasps), D Paice (London Irish), G Robson (Harlequins), E Slater (Leicester), H Thomas (Sale), T Waldrom (Leicester), L Wallace (Harlequins), R Webber (Bath), N Wood (Gloucester).

Backs (15): A Allen (Leicester), L Burrell (Northampton), E Daly (Wasps), G Ford (Bath), J Joseph (Bath), J May (Gloucester), U Monye (Harlequins), S Myler (Northampton), J Nowell (Exeter), C Sharples (Gloucester), J Simpson (Wasps), D Strettle (Saracens), M Tait (Leicester), J Tomkins (Saracens), R Wigglesworth (Saracens).

munkian wrote:Not hugely, was sober. We won the 2nd half though   

Stop the press!

Newport fan sober!

Maybe thats where you went wrong fella. Well done on the 2nd half performance btw but I got the feeling Bath were already on their way home.   

Lost our 10 and winger fairly early and our Captain got his nose broke - started way to slow though so can't really excuse it.

Lynn is doing an All Blacks and blaming illness in the squad. Well, blaming himself for selecting ill players

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/10931960.Lyn_Jones_sick_at_his_Dragons_selection_errors/

munkian wrote: and our Captain got his nose broke

Maybe he called Bath by our real name?   

Ha, its possible, hes a big scary ginge.

This thread got weird...

With Care potentially out injured for the start of the 6Ns does that mean it'll be Dickson with Youngs off the bench or Youngs with Dickson covering?

Are there any other decent SH's in the league?

Youngs frustrates me so much. He has unreal ability but he just seems so inconsistant. He could be the best 9 in the world...

Is it that he's not fit...carrying injuries etc? I'd love to know what the answer is.

Post Lions burnout +/- niggling injury. As with every other lion

Other good SHs- Wriggles, maybe Robson

I can accept that a little bit CJ, but for me this has been an issue with Youngs since he came on the scene. There hasnt really been any long periods where he has been consistantly very good, and played to the level we know he can...well for Egnland anyway...maybe he has for the Tigers.

Apparently he loves sweets... Not sure if that doesn't have an effect but he does look like Andy Goode at times.

In all honesty we have to remember that Youngs is A. Still very young and B playing behind an England pack that up until now have been one of the worst top tier sides at the breakdown. It's difficult to just judge him and worth noting that EVERY scrum half has looked pap under Lancaster.

Again, Yappy i accept that despite seemingly having been around forever he is still young...and yes (ill go further) no back has really looked good under lancasters regime...however my point still stands...hes yet to really set the world alight, like most of us think he could.

I'll put Care in that bracket aswell Yappy...in any other country in the world Care would be hailed as a revelation we'd be screaming oh for a SH like him a playmaking 9 in the french mould...etc etc. Well we have one and ....ppft we waste it...

Even more ludicrous is the thought that Care is a big part of Quins creativty ...and when England have a ten with barely any, should we not be utilising this...!!!

I want to see huge improvments in the back play this 6n...or ill be asking for Lancs head now...personally this is the time we need to see where he's taking this England team...and he's had long enough now.

I think that's fair

What if!

England have a dreadful 6 Nations under SL.

Should he stay or should he go?

Dreadful like wooden spoon or like 3rd in the table?

Scrumpy wrote:What if!

England have a dreadful 6 Nations under SL.

Should he stay or should he go?

Yes

Mathematician's answer, PSW

ChequeredJersey wrote:Dreadful like wooden spoon or like 3rd in the table?

3rd or lower whilst playing poor rugby.

I think he has had long enough to settle into the role, I want improvements and results not what we got last year where by as the 6N went on we went backwards, I know the players have their share of responsibility but I keep looking at that squad and I think we should be in a position to win the 6N this year.

We were in a position to win last years

Then he goes or certainly has a huge warning...sorry, he's had 2 years now...2 and a half by the end of the 6n...he's not a novice anymore...

Yes he's sorted a lot of rubbish out...he's done very well...HOWEVER there's still a huge amount of unanswered questions. And i dont buy the arguement that he's had injured players etc...so do all teams...they get on with it.

The two main areas being:
Selections issues (That dogged MJ also)
Tactical issues

by Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler Today at 16:38

.We were in a position to win last years.


That we were, but we were getting worse as the pressure was building.

We were there for the taking against Italy.

England always get worse as the pressure builds, hoisted by their own hubristic petard and overwhelmed with Grand Slam T shirt signings, This tourney defines SL's reign and in my view the next game is literally the most important, get beaten in Paris and it is all off again, even Scotland will feel confident.

If England get worse as the tourny goes on then perhaps losing their first match could mean they win the thing?

yappysnap wrote:If England get worse as the tourny goes on then perhaps losing their first match could mean they win the thing?

i honestly think it improves their chances this year…it will be close, is always close, and i for one do not think france after this dismal year, will capitalize on this being post Lions comp, england always get overwhelmed by the press when they start off well, the GS hype builds and builds as it did last year

perhaps if that is gone in week 1 then they can just play for the championship as wales did last year

Im the first to applaud what Lancaster has done..he's built a young squad with growing experience considering their ages. They're strong in the scrum, general defence and the breakdown (something we were atrocious at). The recent AI's also showed that maybe we were starting to get to grips with the lineout as well.

We've beaten Australia, NZ and run NZ close again this year after being way behind (showing great attitude and determination), so maybe i'm being too overly critical ...if I am please say so.

My problem is that bar a few brief moments, we've showed absolutely nothing ball in hand offensively. Its all very well being solid and dogged...but against the top sides that's not enough. You have to take your chances (you don't get many), and you can guarantee the AB's, Aus or SA will get a chance or two and they WILL take those chances.

Burns' is confimred as leaving Gloucester then. Hope this lifts the weight from his shoulders and he can put in some good performances now rather than be completely dropped and made to sit the rest of the season in the stands!

7 1/2

I commented on another thread on my thoughts on Burns. I appreciate things affect people..uncertainty over work etc...but for it to affect Burns so much shows a serious mental weakness to me. Ford has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order for me due to this.

Any one else stunned by just how poor Ashtons tackling was against Toulouse?

Gear is a big wing (102kg) but not exactly huge compared to a lot of the others out there now days. I count two absolute howlers of missed tackles both that put Sarries under a mass of pressure and lead to 3 pointers.

Yappysnap was a bit stunned. Unfortunately I must concede that if he tackles like that - he can't start for England - even though he did score the only try.

I just don't feel comfortable about any of the other options with Wade and Yarde out though.

Ashton is and will remain untouchable with SL around.

For an ex-League player his tackling is a joke.

May ok on one wing, bit of a risk with either Nowell or Watson though

Scrumpy wrote:Ashton is and will remain untouchable with SL around.

For an ex-League player his tackling is a joke.

No he isn't.

Wade was due to start ahead of him in the AI before injury.

Would have been nice to see them tested defencely against a back three of Medard, Hosea Gear and Huget.....

I'd rather have Strettle on the wing than Ashton.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Ashton is and will remain untouchable with SL around.

For an ex-League player his tackling is a joke.

No he isn't.

Wade was due to start ahead of him in the AI before injury.

But he didn't did he.

No because he was injured.....

SL stated Wade would have started ahead of Ashton but he picked up a knock.

That hardly says that Ashton is untouchable, actually the opposite and SL is interested in alternatives.

I think SL already knew Wade was injured and used it to motivate Ashton.   

Northener conspiracy. #JobsforArrKids

Well you can think that but it's not correct.

Ashton is far from untouchable, he needs a big game to nail his place.

Sgt_Pooly wrote: he needs a big game to nail his place.

Never going to happen   

If May is fit, and on form then id give him a spot on the wing...

GeordieFalcon wrote:If May is fit, and on form then id give him a spot on the wing...

You'll never make it as an England coach, when do we pick players on form?

I think we should just continue with the hope that Ashton will score another try like the one vs Aus all those years ago.  

Ashton is in form for Saracens, I fail to see your point.

You don't know how a player will perform till tested. Ashton doesn't suit the way we're playing at the minute, it doesn't take much to understand this.

I imagine May will get a shot but he plays left wing not right.

Thats the critical part Sarge...Englands currently tactics dont suit Ashton. This is where one of my big issues is with Lancaster and his selection policies.

Surely he must select players that are going to suit the style he wants to play...even though its barely more entertaining than watching the Falcons play  

If you ignore all the past history and had to select wingers on form in the AP and HC, and on fitness Ashton would be right up there. Then if you add in the fact that he has 30+ caps in a team as inexperienced as England then its hardly surprising that he does get picked.

I dont think he is first choice anymore, as I and plenty of others have said you didnt need to see much of Wade and Yarde and what they offer to put them as 1st choices - but they are not available. I hope they both manage to come back to full fitness soon.

My opinion of Ashton is getting a bit schizophrenic. I’ve been critical of him, but I find myself wanting to defend him too. We need to remember that he is actually a good attacking winger. I know his recent international record isn’t up to much, but England haven’t exactly been playing an attacking style of rugby.

To muddy my position further. I’d like to see fresh blood on the wing for England and if Ashton continues to defend the way he did against Toulouse his credit will rapidly run out, but for now I think we have to stick with him.

Aside from that I think Lancaster will pick him regardless of public opinion, so we need to get used to the idea. My hope is that we will have two actual wingers on the pitch at the same time….

With Wade and Yarde out, Ashton will start.

The question is who plays on the opposite wing?

Strettle has been scoring tries...May not so many but looks a cracking talent that can make things happen..something that we need our wingers to do under these current tactics.

It'll probably be down to Strettle v May and you can argue for both...

I read that Ashton missed a shocker of a one-on-one tackle last weekend. When is this man going to learn how to defend properly???

Strettle isn't in the training squad GF

'Wingers' in the 6N Squad:

Chris Ashton
Jonny May
Anthony Watson
Jack Nowell

Cumbrian that's how I feel too. I can't really defend Ashton after his defensive performance on the weekend. Took his try well though. If he is dropped I can see why.

Mr Bounce unfortunately none of us have the answer to that one.