Joseph to 12?

What do you think the long term option is of having Joseph at 12?

I'm not saying that's where he should play now as he has been superb as a 13, but if Bath start to play him there (however unlikely) I believe he has serious potential in that position.

Lancaster likes to have a ball-playing 12, Joseph has developed exceptional handling skills of late and is constantly improving. He also has a very good and improving kicking game. For me, Manu Tuilagi is a once in a generation player who has to be in the team. However I feel he would be completely wasted at 12 and needs to be deployed in his natural position at 13, where with a run without injuries he will surely make his own for England, despite the copious challengers.

So with Joseph continuing his great form, and with what I believe is the required skillset in addition to fantastic feet and pace, could we see him playing inside Manu in the future?

Mary at 8,
Donkey at 15,
Shepherd at 10,
and yes, Joseph at 12 looks about right to me.

Wasn't the Joseph-Tuilagi combination attempted when Joseph first came into the England side (2012 vs SA)? IIRC it didn't go particularly well... Then again, Joseph is a far better player now than he was back then, but I just don't see him as a 12 personally, I think he can be world class at 13 but not sure he'll have the same space at 12, and not sure he quite has the distribution skills either.

Can we see how Joseph goes in the rest of the 6n before we he starts making the world XV....

He played well in an intimidating environment. Give him the rest of the 6n to see how he plays.

SecretFly wrote:Mary at 8,

Middle of the front row, not back - surely

ARRRGGGGGHHHHH, NOOOOOOO

He's a 13, he plays 13 week in and week out, play him at 13, the best thing about Joesph is his speed, footwork and outside break, skills of a 13. Tuilagi has to prove himself again before he gets near the starting team, he has a huge reputation (justified) but has been out for flipping ages and just like Corbs and Croft should only get back in when they show themselves excellent at club level first.

Joseph looks like the real deal, lets hope he settles into the team for a while, now just to genetically splice the defense of Barrit, the distribution of eastmond, the size of Burrell and the boot of 12trees and we will have a decent 12 to match him (or just get Exeter to bloomin play slade at 12 )

Agree, leave Joseph at 13 - Hes just prooved that its better to play people in their own positions. Isnt Burrell a 12 For Saints?
Both of them in position makes a huge difference.

I would much prefer to leave Joseph at 13 and then have a fresh Tuilagi perhaps coming on around the 60mins mark to run at a tired defence.

12 spot can be fought out by - Burrell, Eastmond, Twelvetrees and Barrett.

LondonTiger wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Mary at 8,

Middle of the front row, not back - surely

LT

She is a VIRGIN, never seen a virgin hooker.

Never seen a virgin give birth either. Joseph sure was gullible.

LondonTiger wrote:Never seen a virgin give birth either. Joseph sure was gullible.

Maybe the only documented case of human parthenogenesis?

There is a whiff of Brown about Joseph......No pun intended.
Gets a few caps, does OK and then dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Comes back a few seasons later and shows some real class and form. I am very happy with both players in an England shirt and I do hope that Joseph is given the chance to really show what he can do when given more ball.

I was concerned about some of the replacements being made by SL and team - particularly when Marler and Cole was taken off and Burrell for 36. But it worked this time.

Does anyone else remember a time in the late 90s when England were trying to work out how to use Carling, Guscott and de Glanville in the same midfield?

de Glanville was captain by that point, so he played 12 and didn't get subbed. Carling started the games at 13, and England laboured through them for 50-60 minutes before bringing Guscott on to tear the defence to shreds. With hindsight, a big part of it was using Carling to break down the opposition before letting Jezza strut his stuff.

Assuming Tuilagi is fit in time for the RWC, it gives Lancaster's England the option to do something similar. I would probably reverse the trick and start with Burrell or Twelvetrees and Joseph, then bring Manu on for the last 30. Far preferable to trying to shoehorn one or the other into a role they're unused to and unsuited for.