November Internationals: England

What I will say positively about English Rugby is that the depth and range of the playing talent coming through at the moment is remarkable. This last month of Premiership Rugby has been as good as any domestic competition in the world.

I think the possibility of England being the next dominant Rugby power is underpriced.

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

@Catogrande I saw a Daily Mail article yesterday which called Guy Pepper "England's McCaw".

I thought that was meant to be curry.

He was going to be better than mccaw apparently

@DaGrubster I really wish UK Rugby writers could find a way to say "this guy is a good young player", without reaching for frankly ridiculous comparisons.

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

I'm a bit concerned about what those English flankers could do to the All Blacks at the breakdown and how much faster the English wings are going to be than the ABs.

Not if Caleb and Leon are selected.

@pakman I think the English wingers are all quicker, as are the Scottish and Rees-Zammit for Wales.

@Dodge

I have a feeling that the Aussie backs might just embarrass Steward by exposing his lack of manouverabilty.

Agree on Ford, he's been playing well and did very well on the summer tour but 1. he is not the future and 2. His lack of defence will be a liability against a "thinking" team like, oh for instance, Aus.

Plus it looks as though Earl is the replacement if anyone from 11-15 goes down. We are bare bones on the bench.

I've gone from being happy with the wider squad to thinking "oh fuck" with the match day squad. I think it is a very risky selection for all the wrong reasons.

agreed completely. don't know how many teams i would have had to write down before i got to that one. Bench cover for the backline seems insane. Front row is weird.

England have named their team to play Australia on Saturday.

England team to face Australia:

15Steward; 14 Roebuck, 13 Freeman, 12 Dingwall, 11 Feyi-Waboso; 10 Ford, 9 Mitchell;
1 Baxter, 2 George, 3 Heyes, 4 Itoje (capt), 5 Chessum, 6 Pepper, 7 Underhill, 8 Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Coles, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, F Smith.

It's a 6:2 bench. I gues Henry Pollock covers the 3/4s if there is an injury.

@sparky

I think the theory is that Earl will cover a 3/4 injury by going in at centre with Freeman going to wing or FB.

That is the theory.

The reality is that we're probably fucked if a 3/4 goes down injured.

I’d have Pollock playing in the backs before Earl

And a 6-2 bench is unnecessary against Australia

Just asking for trouble

Obano in, Lockett in, Caliouri out, Ojomoh out.

Two forwards in, two backs out. Borthwick leaning harder into the 6-2 bench and forwards covering Back injuries.

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: England:

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow

Will he win play Test Rugby 148 times? Will he will win 89% of those? Will he captain his nation to two World Cup victories? Will he win World Rugby Player of the Year three times? Will he win his hemisphere's Rugby Championship ten times?

If he does, then I'll accept comparisons to the GOAT.

I think they were comparing the start, not the finish

Will have to be a good start..

@nostrildamus said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: England:

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow

Will he win play Test Rugby 148 times? Will he will win 89% of those? Will he captain his nation to two World Cup victories? Will he win World Rugby Player of the Year three times? Will he win his hemisphere's Rugby Championship ten times?

If he does, then I'll accept comparisons to the GOAT.

I think they were comparing the start, not the finish

Will have to be a good start..

View embedded content

Was a wee bit funny that the first two highlights were errors - but pretty much all good after that.

Also, WTF was going on with his eyebrows in the interview at the end. It was like he was auditioning to play Andrew Saville reading the sports news.

@nostrildamus said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: England:

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow

Will he win play Test Rugby 148 times? Will he will win 89% of those? Will he captain his nation to two World Cup victories? Will he win World Rugby Player of the Year three times? Will he win his hemisphere's Rugby Championship ten times?

If he does, then I'll accept comparisons to the GOAT.

I think they were comparing the start, not the finish

Will have to be a good start..

View embedded content

May well have been awarded MOTM but nothing stellar in those highlights

@nostrildamus said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: England:

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

@MiketheSnow

Will he win play Test Rugby 148 times? Will he will win 89% of those? Will he captain his nation to two World Cup victories? Will he win World Rugby Player of the Year three times? Will he win his hemisphere's Rugby Championship ten times?

If he does, then I'll accept comparisons to the GOAT.

I think they were comparing the start, not the finish

Will have to be a good start..

View embedded content

Jonah The Great and Richie The GOAT in the same Rugby 15. I think it was the only time those two titans of New Zealand Rugby played together.

@sparky said in November Internationals: England:

Jonah The Great and Richie The GOAT in the same Rugby 15. I think it was the only time those two titans of New Zealand Rugby played together.

you might like this article then

Elliot Daly added to the wider squad. Cue anther change at full back?