England Team v Baa Baas

First topic message reminder :

Well the team is up. Inexperienced but certainly looks attacking.

Whats your thoughts

England XV to face Barbarians:

1 R Harrison (Sale),
2 R Buchanan (Harlequins),
3 K Sinkler (Harlequins),
4 M Paterson (Sale),
5 G Kitchener (Leicester) (capt),
6 J Gibson (Leicester),
7 L Wallace (Harlequins),
8 D Ewers (Exeter).

9 J Simpson (Wasps)
10 H Slade (Exeter) Vice Captain
11 C Sharples (Gloucester)
12 S Hill (Exeter)
13 J Joseph (Bath)
14 S Rokoduguni (Bath)
15 E Daly (Wasps)

Replacements: T Taylor (Sale), F Balmain (Leicester), W Collier, C Matthews (both Harlequins), J Gaskell (Sale), D Robson (Gloucester), O Devoto (Bath), R Miller (Sale)




Barbarians squad:

Backs: Jimmy Cowan (Gloucester & New Zealand), Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano & Argentina), Hosea Gear (Toulouse & New Zealand), Juan Martin Hernandez (Racing Metro & Argentina), Brock James (Clermont), James O'Connor (London Irish & Australia), Rene Ranger (Montpellier & New Zealand), Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand), Benson Stanley (Clermont & New Zealand), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier & France).

Forwards: Julien Brugnaut (Racing Metro & France), Schalk Ferreira (Toulouse), Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier & Georgia), Andrew Hore (Highlanders & New Zealand), Juandre Kruger (Racing Metro & South Africa), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont & France), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (Lyon & Argentina), Nahuel Lobo (Montpellier & Argentina), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster & Ireland), Ti'i Paulo (Clermont & Samoa), Sona Taumalolo (Perpignan & Tonga), Joe Tekori (Toulouse & Samoa), Roger Wilson (Ulster & Ireland), Davit Zirakashvili (Clermont & Georgia).

yappysnap wrote:How's Ewers gone in the final part of the season anyone?

I remember he struggled quite a lot last time he played for the Saxons, Gaskell as a replacement doesn't fill me with any joy!

 Everyone looked like they stuggled last time they played for the Saxons they have gone down hill a bit hopefully this team is the change of it.

 I miss the Churchill cup was a good experience for some  of the younger fringe players from what I heard. Playing the likes of Canada, NZ maori, USA, Argentina A, Scotland a.

 A new competition would be quite good. have newly growing teams like Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil etc etc would give teams good experience and other countries like Argentina, US, Canada, Romaina etc chances to field a 2nd/3rd team and slowly develop growth and international experiance with in the counrty.

yappysnap wrote:How's Ewers gone in the final part of the season anyone?

I remember he struggled quite a lot last time he played for the Saxons, Gaskell as a replacement doesn't fill me with any joy!

Much like Chiefs' season in general, peaked for LV= Cup final and less impressive thereafter - but not someone that will let you down

Good to hear, little bit of a shame he can't manage some proper Exeter hair like the other lads, I feel England aren't complete without at least one horrific hair cut in there.

England could send a side to the nations cup likE Ireland do

Has this kickeD off?

sickofwendy wrote:Has this kickeD off?

Yeah, we've just started the second half.

Score please

England 18-14 Barbarians
Tries from Ewers and Sharples for England, Stanley and Hernández for the Baa Baas.

C'mon BaaBaas...  

Another unusual TMO decision, the ball is grounded by Gorgodze, England pick it up and play on, and make their way to the 22m line before the ref goes to the TMO. Try awarded, 21-18 Barbarians

Thanks
Sounds like a game
I refuse to pay for it

sickofwendy wrote:Thanks
Sounds like a game
I refuse to pay for it

There are ways around paying.   

  

No9 wrote:C'mon BaaBaas...  

sickofwendy wrote:  

No9 wrote:C'mon BaaBaas...  

No Try... Short of line...that was the wrong call...  

C'mon BaaBaas

No9 wrote:

sickofwendy wrote:  

No9 wrote:C'mon BaaBaas...  

No Try... Short of line...that was the wrong call...  

C'mon BaaBaas

If yesterday's was a try  then that is too.

OMc wrote:

No9 wrote:

sickofwendy wrote:  

No9 wrote:C'mon BaaBaas...  

No Try... Short of line...that was the wrong call...  

C'mon BaaBaas

If yesterday's was a try  then that is too.

Comparison across games makes no sense at all...

BaaBaas showing talent they have... Considering many of them will need zimmer frames when they go off the field, they are showing the English youngsters how to play the game....  

Barbarians have been much more street-smart, but that's to be expected with about 3,000 caps in their starting line-up to England's 6 or whatever it is. England have shown some nice touches in attack but haven't been up to all that much in defence.

Ewers, Simpson, Hill, Devoto and Sharples have all been good and Slade and Daly have shown some very nice touches, but we've struggled in the set play and at the breakdown.

I don't think any of the players out there are test starters and none should be rushed to New Zealand, but some could go as cover and a lot of them should have an eye left on them as the new season starts.

10 minutes to go, England 29-34 down.

Good point well made Robbo

It's games like this that the youngsters learn what they need to do if they want to become test players

Two good tries by Gear look like being the difference here. Very good player and the Barbarians class has won out in the end. Deserved man of the match for Gear.

Some positives for England without being an unadulterated success. I agree with Morris, Slade has been our best player today. Shame there is no Churchill Cup or Saxons tour for him to go on.

Agreed....

Also, my banter apart, been more entertaining watching this on a Sunday afternoon than forced repeats of morons auditioning for the queen, a couple playing bat and ball, or women playing foopball...

Well done BaaBaas, and well done the English young guns...

Next week starts the the real competition...

Actually I was very pleased with England today. The Saxons have been shocking in the last couple of years (they just don't have time to establish their relationships, and things are not helped by playing in Newcastle in early February) but today 4th and 5th choice English players showed quite a lot. That the English system is now producing footballers like Daly, Devoto and Slade on a fairly routine basis is a massive step forward from where we were 5 years ago. I think it is difficult to exaggerate the progress over that timescale.

Looking at Slade I can imagine him being FH in 2019, and possibly even in 2015 (he looks the most well rounded of the English FHs), and the battle for the 12 shirt over the next years between Twelvetrees, Devoto and Stephenson will be even more interesting than the battle between Tuilagi, Burrell and Tompkins (the u20 player) for the 13 shirt.

Fair play to that England team, I predicted a smashing. They stood up to them up front and produced some great tries. At the end of the day the only thing that one the game was some magical plays by some experienced and magical players. I mean the try of Brock James' kick was immense.
Henry Slade looks promising, poor bugger took the hits and never let it keep him down. I'm still pi$$ed that we let Chris Paterson go.

    

No9 wrote:Agreed....

Also, my banter apart, been more entertaining watching this on a Sunday afternoon than forced repeats of morons auditioning for the queen, a couple playing bat and ball, or women playing foopball...

Well done BaaBaas, and well done the English young guns...

Next week starts the the real competition...

have to say, i've been impressed with Slades defence. Bringing down players 3 times his size

Slade has developed an awful lot since that JWC final, I thought he was okay then, nothing special. Long-term he is a good option but his goal kicking isn't that great. England might need another kicker in the team like Daly is Slade is in the team. Watching the game I was asking myself why isn't Daly playing for England, but then the two missed tackles on Gear came about, so I guess defence is his weakness right now?

I think we can put to bed Daly breaking into the full side anytime soon. His defence is well short of the minimum standard required

Playing at 15 instead of 13 backs that up

Very proud of the Exe boys in that England performance - didn't look in the slightest out of place, and still developing