The Official English Rugby Thread

[Hal Jordan]

Quins sign Jack Walker from Bath to complement our growing stable of injury replacements when Joe Gray breaks again.

[Hal Jordan]

Meanwhile, Jack Kenningham and a backroom boy have been advised to self-isolate, so given the Lions experience, the Canada match will be in doubt.

[Raggs]

Maybe I won't be watching tonight, mini golf is back on.

[sockwithaticket]

First opportunity in the Welsh 22 and our forwards bully their Welsh counterparets first with a maul and then a couple of pick and gos to grab a try.

For some reason a bunch of our lads seem to have bleached their hair at some point since the last game. The 90s really are back in style.

[sockwithaticket]

England looking much better than Wales, but a few handling errors and silly mistakes plus dogged Welsh scramble is stopping them from putting points on the board.

[sockwithaticket]

England comfortably dominant without ever really looking like they're out of second gear.

A bunch of recent subs have really killed the game's rhythm and here come even more.

[Raggs]

Who threw the daft miss pass when we had something like a 7 on 2. Commit and short pass, rinse and repeat. Instead, huge pass, halt momentum and gave the defence time.

[sockwithaticket]

Who threw the daft miss pass when we had something like a 7 on 2. Commit and short pass, rinse and repeat. Instead, huge pass, halt momentum and gave the defence time.

It was not a great decision.

Well, job done. Triple Crown in the bag and a healthy victory with plenty of room for improvement. Grandslam game against a fairly strong looking Italy team next.

[geordie_6]

Who are the particular ones to watch in this crop of u20s?

[notfatcat]

I've just noticed on the official U20 6N site they produce some fantastic match stats - way more than anywhere else I've seen.

[notfatcat]

Although weirdly they don't show meters made per team. A quick tot of the players meters and it appears England made 994m with the ball.

[sockwithaticket]

Who are the particular ones to watch in this crop of u20s?

Don't know that van Portvliet counts seeing as he's already become a Prem regular this season, but he is class and will surely pull on a senior white shirt in the future.

Sam Riley looks like Cowan-Dickie 2.0. Ewan Richards and Jack Clement have looked impressive on the flanks, the former's name makes him sound like a potential poach for Wales.
Alex Groves in the second row is some physical specimen and played like it, ditto Harvey Beaton at tighthead.

The backs haven't been that impressive tbh, but I don't know how much of that is game plan. That said Arthur Relton looks a lightning quick and slippery runner on the wing and Dan Lancaster's been fairly impressive at 12 (did you know he's Stu Lancaster's son? The comms teams don't seem to think anyone does so they mention it every single time he does something).

[Brazil]

Is Raffi Quirke injured or is it just that VPF is ahead of him? Odd that he's not featured.

[JM2K6]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

[SaintK]

Who are the particular ones to watch in this crop of u20s?

Don't know that van Portvliet counts seeing as he's already become a Prem regular this season, but he is class and will surely pull on a senior white shirt in the future.

Sam Riley looks like Cowan-Dickie 2.0. Ewan Richards and Jack Clement have looked impressive on the flanks, the former's name makes him sound like a potential poach for Wales.
Alex Groves in the second row is some physical specimen and played like it, ditto Harvey Beaton at tighthead.

The backs haven't been that impressive tbh, but I don't know how much of that is game plan. That said Arthur Relton looks a lightning quick and slippery runner on the wing and Dan Lancaster's been fairly impressive at 12 (did you know he's Stu Lancaster's son? The comms teams don't seem to think anyone does so they mention it every single time he does something).

Highly impressive, pick of the England forwards in the matches I've watched.. Reckon he could become a beast of a lock if he continues to develop

[Margin__Walker]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

[JM2K6]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

Cheers. I have an innate distrust of props who swap sides. Good to know.

[duke]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

What are Riley's darts like usually? The couple of times I have seen him they've been inconsistent which is in contrast to the rest of his game which looks top notch.

[Margin__Walker]

If I had to put my money on just 5 players to play international rugby at some point from this crop it would be

Riley
Baxter
Groves
JVP
Bailey (toughest pick as could see any one of him, Atkinson or Smith coming good in a playmaking role).

[Margin__Walker]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

What are Riley's darts like usually? The couple of times I have seen him they've been inconsistent which is in contrast to the rest of his game which looks top notch.

Good question. I may have overlooked some shockers, but they've seemed serviceable so far.

[sockwithaticket]

Didn't watch the game but I hear Fin Baxter got MOTM? Playing at loosehead instead of tighthead...

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

What are Riley's darts like usually? The couple of times I have seen him they've been inconsistent which is in contrast to the rest of his game which looks top notch.

They're definitely a work on. Fine most of the time, but a bit more prone to going awry than you'd like. Makes the Cowan-Dickie comparison even more apt!

[sockwithaticket]

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

What are Riley's darts like usually? The couple of times I have seen him they've been inconsistent which is in contrast to the rest of his game which looks top notch.

Good question. I may have overlooked some shockers, but they've seemed serviceable so far.

I think it was the Scotland game where it seemed like neither he nor his Jock counterpart could hit their jumpers for love nor money.

[Margin__Walker]

Ah yeah, Sock. Completely forgot about that.

[duke]

I was surprised to see him at LH.

It was a bit of a generous MOM award for me. He did well, but didn't stand out a huge amount. Thought Riley especially looked great again and would have been my choice

What are Riley's darts like usually? The couple of times I have seen him they've been inconsistent which is in contrast to the rest of his game which looks top notch.

Good question. I may have overlooked some shockers, but they've seemed serviceable so far.

I may have just been unlucky as there were a few against Scotland where he overthrew the jumper (difficult when it's a unit the size of Groves) and another last night

[Margin__Walker]

Team for Canada. So confident, that we are playing without a 8

15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 39 caps)
12. Dan Kelly (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
11. Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 1 cap)
9. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 1 cap)

1. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 29 caps)
2. Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons, 1 cap)
3. Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap)
4. Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
5. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 22 caps)
6. Lewis Ludlow (C) (Gloucester Rugby, 1 cap)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 23 caps)

FINISHERS
16. Curtis Langdon (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)
17. Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)
18. Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
19. Callum Chick (Newcastle Falcons, 1 cap)
20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 9 caps)
21. Dan Robson (Wasps, 13 caps)
22. George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 3 caps)
23. Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 5 caps)

[duke]

Per Facebook, Alex Dombrandt is the invisible man

[ASMO]

[Brazil]

Really disappointed for Ben Curry.

[notfatcat]

If I had to put my money on just 5 players to play international rugby at some point from this crop it would be

Riley
Baxter
Groves
JVP
Bailey (toughest pick as could see any one of him, Atkinson or Smith coming good in a playmaking role).

Which Bailey? I think they've both looked good.

[ASMO]

Ewels needs to up his game, he was gash last weekend.

[Margin__Walker]

If I had to put my money on just 5 players to play international rugby at some point from this crop it would be

Riley
Baxter
Groves
JVP
Bailey (toughest pick as could see any one of him, Atkinson or Smith coming good in a playmaking role).

Which Bailey? I think they've both looked good.

Orlando. The wing looks decent too though.

[duke]

Ewels needs to up his game, he was gash last weekend.

Amen to that, too often he flatters to deceive and I say that as a Bath supporter - his ratio of good games to anonymous ones is way too low for someone of his size and supposed ability.

[sockwithaticket]

About what was expected, Eddie cycling through the players who haven't had a game yet. The tight 5 in general need to step it up from last week, but Ewels in particular as the senior figure there. I haven't re-watched the game, but I can't really recall Ludlow doing much. He's still there and with the armband no less. Clearly Eddie was happy with what he did.

Very interested to see how Kelly and Dombrandt go. We might get more out of Smith with one of his main partners in crime on the field and a backline full of guys playing in their proper positions.

Thankfully we're back to a 5-3 bench.

[JM2K6]

Who's covering second row? Dombrandt?

[sockwithaticket]

Who's covering second row? Dombrandt?

Chick? Think he's played some of his club rugby there.

[JM2K6]

Who's covering second row? Dombrandt?

Chick? Think he's played some of his club rugby there.

Seems a bit lightweight? Dombrandt at least has the, uh, ballast

[sockwithaticket]

Who's covering second row? Dombrandt?

Chick? Think he's played some of his club rugby there.

Seems a bit lightweight? Dombrandt at least has the, uh, ballast

Not all Eddie's plans are winners. Case in point, we were discussing Shields in the second row just the other day.

[notfatcat]

Really disappointed for Ben Curry.

Yeah, Ludlow was a strange choice from the off. An honest toiler but not in the same league as Curry and Ludlam.

[Brazil]

Ewels needs to up his game, he was gash last weekend.

I'm trying to think of a good game he's had for England, it's alarming that he's only got one cap less than Underhill. I'd have gone for Ben Curry over Underhill to see what he can do with a start, if he's not injured then I'm not sure what you gain with the known capacities of Underhill and Ludlam. Pleased that Dombrandt is starting at least, and can look forward to going to Quins to "look at aspects of his game" after destroying the Canucks...

[sockwithaticket]

Ewels needs to up his game, he was gash last weekend.

I'm trying to think of a good game he's had for England, it's alarming that he's only got one cap less than Underhill. I'd have gone for Ben Curry over Underhill to see what he can do with a start, if he's not injured then I'm not sure what you gain with the known capacities of Underhill and Ludlam. Pleased that Dombrandt is starting at least, and can look forward to going to Quins to "look at aspects of his game" after destroying the Canucks...

Bloody hell, hadn't noticed that. Obviously Underhill's injuries have limited his tally, but I genuinely can't remember having seen Ewels in enough games to be rivalling everyone's favourite Orc. Which sort of makes your point.

We've been spoiled for the last several years with some of the second rows available, but he really is quite mediocre by comparison.