Billy Vunipola's replacement

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Assuming Billy Vunipola will be out for the Wales game, who will come in to replace him in the squad?

There's an obvious replacement at starting 8—Ben Morgan. I sincerely hope Lancaster starts with Morgan. I heard someone speculating on BT Sport the other day that he might move Wood to 8 (  ) and bring in Tom Johnson at 6.

But if he does start Morgan at 8, who comes on to the bench? It would make sense for it to be another 8, as both Launchbury and Lawes can cover 6 (Launchbury better than Lawes on last season's evidence) and Wood move to 7 if need be.

So, if an 8 does come on to the bench, who would that be?

Eustace H Plimsoll wrote:Assuming Billy Vunipola will be out for the Wales game, who will come in to replace him in the squad?

There's an obvious replacement at starting 8—Ben Morgan. I sincerely hope Lancaster starts with Morgan. I heard someone speculating on BT Sport the other day that he might move Wood to 8 (  ) and bring in Tom Johnson at 6.

But if he does start Morgan at 8, who comes on to the bench? It would make sense for it to be another 8, as both Launchbury and Lawes can cover 6 (Launchbury better than Lawes on last season's evidence) and Wood move to 7 if need be.

So, if an 8 does come on to the bench, who would that be?

Morgan 100%

i would start him anyway. I think Morgan has the rough end of the stick and will be glad to see him start.. Gains alot of yards.. and decent off loader. I am not the biggest fan of Billy any way

Yes, Easter scored 4 tries at no 8.Saturday, 4 August[edit]2007-08-04
16:00 BST
England 62 – 5 Wales
Tries: Easter (4) 14' m, 20' c, 46' c, 50' c
Borthwick 30' c
Dallaglio 66' c
Perry 74' c
Robinson 78' m
Tait 80+1' c
Con: Wilkinson (7)
Pen: Wilkinson 34' (Report)

If it was good and right to have two 8s in the match day squad then it is still right. Bomber must select another 8. More flankers would be a massive error. Dickinson and then Ewers must be the next cabs in the line. Easter good but too retro, as is Haskell.

I wouldn't mind Easter on the bench but at 35 (36 in August), he's hardly anything more than another patch to this already patched-up side.

How many injuries do we have now to serious contenders for the top squad?

Still we have to keep our upper lips stiff and remain calm and phlegmatic.
We're English.
The chosen ones   .

yes:
Keep Calm, Carry On,

we are English.

Surely there is another 'BIGGER' Vunipola out there?

Scrumpy wrote:Surely there is another 'BIGGER' Vunipola out there?

yep he will be morgans bnench option

Thomas Waldron ?   

I'm sorry but look at Easter's performances for Quins then look at Dickinsons for his club. Easter blows every other 8 in the league out of the water.

Now look at what the other on form Quins boys have brought to the England side, that's right pace, handling, actual attacking threat and yes 3 of the last 5 tries! Why not get Care's club mate into the side now too just to finish the 6N's. Then try a new guy on the summer tour.

Eustace H Plimsoll wrote:Assuming Billy Vunipola will be out for the Wales game, who will come in to replace him in the squad?

There's an obvious replacement at starting 8—Ben Morgan. I sincerely hope Lancaster starts with Morgan. I heard someone speculating on BT Sport the other day that he might move Wood to 8 (  ) and bring in Tom Johnson at 6.

But if he does start Morgan at 8, who comes on to the bench? It would make sense for it to be another 8, as both Launchbury and Lawes can cover 6 (Launchbury better than Lawes on last season's evidence) and Wood move to 7 if need be.

So, if an 8 does come on to the bench, who would that be?

If he moves Wood to 8 and starts TJ, can I suggest that all England rugby fans walk over to the training camp and give him an openhanded slap to the face each?

yappysnap wrote:I'm sorry but look at Easter's performances for Quins then look at Dickinsons for his club. Easter blows every other 8 in the league out of the water.

Now look at what the other on form Quins boys have brought to the England side, that's right pace, handling, actual attacking threat and yes 3 of the last 5 tries! Why not get Care's club mate into the side now too just to finish the 6N's. Then try a new guy on the summer tour.

Persuasive !

No, Yappy, Easter is awful and definitely, definitely should not play for England any time soon, at least certainly not until we start getting some other players back...

We need to take 5 points from Wuss if possible, certainly 4. That means our pack must play much better than they have recently. Without Easter playing somewhere, that will not happen

Bring back The Brand

Out of curiosity, why isn't Steffon Armitage not being mentioned here, he is arguably the best forward in Toulon and one of the premier players in the Top14.

Players in France won't get picked. Also he doesn't really help it's at 8

Morgan starts at 8, with Johnson on the bench. Quite straightforward I think.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Players in France won't get picked. Also he doesn't really help it's at 8

Well since Stewie is already quoted "The encouraging thing is we have got Ben Morgan and other back rows such as Matt Kvesic and Tom Johnson." I'd have thought a flanker would be right up his street. Mind you we already have Tom W ready to step in  

Can TJ play 8 any better than Wood?

If we must stay within the EPS, Kvesic at least has played a lot of AP level 8, albeit not for a while

If Lancaster wasn't inclined to consider Easter last year when both Morgan and Vunipola were injured; when the next game up was against Italy; and when his clubmate Care was going to make a rare start at scrum half, then he's not going to do so one year on.

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Eustace H Plimsoll wrote:Assuming Billy Vunipola will be out for the Wales game, who will come in to replace him in the squad?

There's an obvious replacement at starting 8—Ben Morgan. I sincerely hope Lancaster starts with Morgan. I heard someone speculating on BT Sport the other day that he might move Wood to 8 (  ) and bring in Tom Johnson at 6.

But if he does start Morgan at 8, who comes on to the bench? It would make sense for it to be another 8, as both Launchbury and Lawes can cover 6 (Launchbury better than Lawes on last season's evidence) and Wood move to 7 if need be.

So, if an 8 does come on to the bench, who would that be?

If he moves Wood to 8 and starts TJ, can I suggest that all England rugby fans walk over to the training camp and give him an openhanded slap to the face each?

I won't be walking

For all their merits Lancatser isnt going to suddenly turn to Armitage or Easter, they havent trained with the england squad in years.

The bench spot is between the two flankers who have been part of the 6 nations training squad and the two 8s whove been playing for the saxons.

Part of the question will come down to what needs more cover : the 8 position with a fresh player or the two flanks where both have played 3 full games.

The 8, let's be honest.

Let's say we were to go with Dickinson on the bench, if Wood/Robshaw pick up an injury 20 mins in do you have faith in Dickinson playing flanker for 60 mins?

I would probably put Launchbury at blindside and let Attwood come in to the second row, but we could really struggle if the Welshies go with a Warburton/Tipuric combo

BamBam wrote:Let's say we were to go with Dickinson on the bench, if Wood/Robshaw pick up an injury 20 mins in do you have faith in Dickinson playing flanker for 60 mins?

I would probably put Launchbury at blindside and let Attwood come in to the second row, but we could really struggle if the Welshies go with a Warburton/Tipuric combo

Launchbury is a good flank option IMO. It's not ideal, but I'd MUCH rather it than Wood or Captain Robshaw at 8. MUCH. That's why I kind of like the idea of Kvesic: he can definitely play 8, shame he hasn't for a while.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:For all their merits Lancatser isnt going to suddenly turn to Armitage or Easter, they havent trained with the england squad in years.

The bench spot is between the two flankers who have been part of the 6 nations training squad and the two 8s whove been playing for the saxons.

Part of the question will come down to what needs more cover : the 8 position with a fresh player or the two flanks where both have played 3 full games.

Well that's obviously Morgan - excellent no 8, but let's be honest he can only last 40 before needing a lie down with a fag and a pie.

Look, I'm biased, I'm a Quins fan, but I would love for Easter to get the call up purely because I think he would leave nothing on the pitch. Possibly his last international game, possibly the springboard to a RWC call up, definitely a Triple Crown decider against Wales at Twickenham. He'd be up for it like nobody else, and with enough other Quins in the squad that he'd fit in.

Easter's age is a bit of a red herring, really. He didn't start playing professionally until he was 26, so in terms of miles on the clock he's got no more than Johnson. He also covers lock and 6 at a pinch.

I don't think Lancaster will do it, though I am sure he's learned his lesson from last year and will have a specialist 8 (or at least someone who plays it regularly at club level) on the bench.

76 posts on this...impressive. Doesnt Billy have a large cousin or something that you guys can draft in.

The biggest clue that it isnt going to be Easter is that he hasnt been called up to the training squad. Ditto Dickinson.

Its looking pretty certain to be one of Kvesic or Johnson on the bench and Morgan starting.

More muddled thinking from Stewie. All series he's been playing one big carrying SOB followed off the bench with another one. Now he'll choose the skinniest backrower he can find. My money's still on Wood getting the call.

Still time PSW ?

If it's one of TJ or Kvesic let it be Kvesic. He can play 8, though I'd rather he did not

Or play mike brown at 8...

I am hoping to see Morgan start and keep the intensity long into the second half- I am sure he will be on that treadmill day in day out for the next 10 days..

Looks like Vunipola will recover without surgery, which should see him feature again for his club later this season.

Has kvesic shown any kind of form at all this season?

Our own Mark Wilson has been outstanding every game and plays the entire back row...I'd rather play him!!

Have to agree with the consensus that it'll be Johnson or Kvesic. My choice would be Dickinson but heaven forbid we'd have a logical solution to a vacant No.8 spot.

Johnson did pretty well on the w/end against Sarries with some nice handling but he's never made a huge impact at Test level and has the unfortunate habit of being bumped off sometimes.

Kvesic put in a very good performance against Quins and similarly did well at Tigers the week before. He's defence is better than Johnson's and that'll go well with General Farrell.

I can see Kvesic getting the 20 shirt and I don't think that's a bad thing at the moment. He can carry very well from 8, has played there enough times for Warriors and he's a flank option as well.

Stewie has adopted a certain (and new, for him) gameplan for his no 8 position. Big carrying from Billy followed by more big carrying with fresh legs from Morgan who also adds more speed (useful as the game slows down). This has worked pretty well. Now he has to rethink his plan and he appears to favour moving away from carrying to what? Or are Kvesic and Johnson big carriers? What is the plan with either appearance off the bench? It’s ironic that this problem may surface with the Wales game, after last year conclusively proved how wrong his approach had been. Does he want a carrier or does he want to counter the turnover threat? Could be a measure of how effective his strategy is.

Barney McGrew did it wrote:Stewie has adopted a certain (and new, for him) gameplan for his no 8 position. Big carrying from Billy followed by more big carrying with fresh legs from Morgan who also adds more speed (useful as the game slows down). This has worked pretty well. Now he has to rethink his plan and he appears to favour moving away from carrying to what? Or are  Kvesic and Johnson big carriers? What is the plan with either appearance off the bench? It’s ironic that this problem may surface with the Wales game, after last year conclusively proved how wrong his approach had been.  Does he want a carrier or does he want to counter the turnover threat? Could be a measure of how effective his strategy is.

Absolutely, he seemed to have learned from the Wales game and whilst some selections were made through injury (Attwood), he's gone down the road of a very powerful bench. That seems to me the right way for England to go.

Kvesic is actually a reasonably good carrier. Not in the mould of Ben or Billy though. I think the issues Lancs has with bringing someone in from outside is them learning the systems. He's referred to it a number of times re: Ford and also today with Tuilagi. Virtually ruling out one of your major back-line weapons is quite a step and it's not just concerning fitness.

I'd like to see Dickinson or Ewers there but I think the summer tour is the only way they'll force a place.

gregortree wrote:Still time PSW ?

I generally assume youd call them up as early as possible so they can at least meet their teammates, not wait till wednesday afternoon.

BBC report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26360457

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has hinted that Exeter back-rower Tom Johnson is in pole position to fill the vacancy on the bench created by Billy Vunipola's injury. Ben Morgan is set to start at number eight, giving Johnson - whose last cap came in 2012 - the chance to become part of the 23-man squad to face Wales.

"Tom has been excellent," Lancaster told BBC Radio 5 live. "He was outstanding at the weekend and he brings a different dimension." Johnson can cover all three back-row positions, making him a valuable option to have on the bench in the absence of Vunipola - who suffered an ankle injury against Ireland. If 31-year-old Johnson is picked in the squad to face Warren Gatland's side on 9 March, the Chiefs could have two players in England's Test squad for the first time in their history.

"He's a lot quicker than some of our back-rowers, he's very powerful and a great ball carrier. "You can't cover all the bases with your bench, and you need enough cover to cover six, seven and eight. Matt Kvesvic is different again and then you've got the Saxons guys like Dave Ewers and Sam Dickinson.

"But I think the lads who have trained with us so far, Matt Kvsevic and certainly Tom Johnson, have earned the right to challenge first and foremost and we'll see how they go at the weekend in the Premiership. I haven't decided yet. We'll see how the weekend goes. From experience, you make a plan and then that changes because someone picks up an injury."

Urgh. Gonna add another bead to my pray we don't make subs necklace...

Can TJ actually cover 8? Or does he cover it like Wood and Robshaw do?

Perhaps if Bomber thinks we need to replace Morgan with another ball carrier, he'll bring on Tom Youngs as a No.8.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Can TJ actually cover 8? Or does he cover it like Wood and Robshaw do?

He plays from the base now and again for Exeter but he's not a gain line breaker.

I'm baffled how we haven't discarded him tbh

From what Lancaster said I think he'll go for Kvesic.

Really? I read the interview as Johnson first kev sic second then well someone's bound to get injured anyway

I didn't see/hear the interview but the written one seemed to be the reporter asking about Johnson. Then when naming the possibilities he mentioned Kvesic first. That's all it's based on

interesting decision for lancaster, kvesic and johnson are very different players.

Whilst they are both good players england do not have the depth at flank that other teams do.

Johnson isnt an international player. Hes an excellent club player.

Im really not impressed with that call.

What other options? How has their form been?

Fearns?
Mark Wilson - Excellent...and consistant!
Garvey - Is a 6 or Second row

What about others like Gibson, Nutley etc? Have none of these kicked on?