The Official English Rugby Thread

[epwc]

Dunno but Johnno looks like he should be a geography teacher now

[Mahoney]

Is that Mike Catt between Lewsey & Back? Fucking hell if so.

[Mahoney]

Oh no, it’s a slimmed down Vickery, isn’t it.

Cohen & Regan I reckon on the left.

[inactionman]

Josh Lewsey still looks like he could do a job at 15

[sockwithaticket]

Front row: Regan, Grayson, Lewsey, Vickery, Back, Robinson, Gomarsall, Worsley, Moody, West,
Back row: Cohen, ?, Balshaw, Johnson, ? (possibly Luger), Kay, Thompson, Shaw, Dallaglio, Abbott, White, Tindall, Wilkinson, Leonard, Bracken, Corry, Dawson

[SaintK]

Front row: Regan, Grayson, Lewsey, Vickery, Back, Robinson, Gomarsall, Worsley, Moody, West,
Back row: Cohen, ?, Balshaw, Johnson, ? (possibly Luger), Kay, Thompson, Shaw, Dallaglio, Abbott, White, Tindall, Wilkinson, Leonard, Bracken, Corry, Dawson

Trevor Woodman is probably one of the question marks. I’m not sure which one though

[Mahoney]

It’s Danny Grewcock beside Cohen

[Mahoney]

There are 4 missing: Greenwood, Catt, Woodman and Hill.

[SaintK]

There are 4 missing: Greenwood, Catt, Woodman and Hill.

Good call!
Hill would have been in the England changing room. Catt is in Australia coaching Waratahs.
Guessing Woodman stayed with Gloucester for their Premiership Cup match.
I wonder what Greenwood was up to?

[SaintK]

So the only changes to the England squad for Australia are on the bench where Sleightholme replaces Ben Curry and LCD replaces Dan

[Paddington Bear]

There are 4 missing: Greenwood, Catt, Woodman and Hill.

Good call!
Hill would have been in the England changing room. Catt is in Australia coaching Waratahs.
Guessing Woodman stayed with Gloucester for their Premiership Cup match.
I wonder what Greenwood was up to?

Media of some sort?

[Hal Jordan]

Team vs Australia, if anyone cares.

Furbank
Feyi-Waboso
Lawrence
Slade
Freeman

M Smith
Spencer

Genge
George (capt)
Stuart
Itoje
Martin
Cunningham-South
T Curry
Earl

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Sleightholme.

Ben Curry dropped, Slade and Lawrence trade numbers.

[SaintK]

England A squad v Australia A
Should imagine a few will drop down from the main squad to play. No idea what Shillcock is doing there, shouldn't be anywhere near an England shirt.
Makings of a decent backrow with Pearson, Hill and Willis in there. Great reward for the underated Batley who is having a very good start to the season not sure who he'll partner with in the row as he's the only lock there!
England A squad
Forwards: Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Ted Hill (Bath), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins), Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints), Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears), Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Tom Willis (Saracens)

Backs: Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks), Fraser Dingwall (captain, Northampton Saints), Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears), Archie McParland (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Will Porter (Harlequins), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)

[Oxbow]

Disappointing to not see Hendy given a chance given how he's been tearing up the place the past couple of seasons, this would have been an ideal game to get him involved in the England setup. Weirdly McParland is included after a fair amount of dross and a couple of reasonable performances.

[inactionman]

England A squad v Australia A
Should imagine a few will drop down from the main squad to play. No idea what Shillcock is doing there, shouldn't be anywhere near an England shirt.
Makings of a decent backrow with Pearson, Hill and Willis in there. Great reward for the underated Batley who is having a very good start to the season not sure who he'll partner with in the row as he's the only lock there!
England A squad
Forwards: Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Ted Hill (Bath), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins), Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints), Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears), Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Tom Willis (Saracens)

Backs: Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks), Fraser Dingwall (captain, Northampton Saints), Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears), Archie McParland (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Will Porter (Harlequins), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)

Ibitoye has looked very lively for an adventurous Bristol, keen to see how he goes.

As you note, Batley has also put in some very impressive performances for them as well, and looks to have a good engine. Suspect Hill might cover lock alongside him, unless someone from the main squad is evicted.

[sockwithaticket]

England A squad v Australia A
Should imagine a few will drop down from the main squad to play. No idea what Shillcock is doing there, shouldn't be anywhere near an England shirt.

Leicester mafia.

[JM2K6]

Quins looking like they'll lose Anyanwu and Will Evans to France and Jibulu to Sale. All three are big losses but it's Jibulu that pisses me off the most, I'm convinced he's going to be a serious international quality player and someone in the setup has clearly dropped a bollock

[SaintK]

Quins looking like they'll lose Anyanwu and Will Evans to France and Jibulu to Sale. All three are big losses but it's Jibulu that pisses me off the most, I'm convinced he's going to be a serious international quality player and someone in the setup has clearly dropped a bollock

Is Anyanwu French qualified?
Can't understand Jibulu going to Sale as he will undoubtably be 1st choice hooker by next season, why would he want to be behind LC-D at Sale?

[JM2K6]

Quins looking like they'll lose Anyanwu and Will Evans to France and Jibulu to Sale. All three are big losses but it's Jibulu that pisses me off the most, I'm convinced he's going to be a serious international quality player and someone in the setup has clearly dropped a bollock

Is Anyanwu French qualified?
Can't understand Jibulu going to Sale as he will undoubtably be 1st choice hooker by next season, why would he want to be behind LC-D at Sale?

LCD's fitness record isn't great tbh.

No one knows about Anyanwu, really. The suggestion is it's a big money contract which is wild for a guy still trying to make a starting shirt his at club level

[sockwithaticket]

I saw £300k being mentioned for Anyanwu which, even with the higher, though recently reduced, French salary cap seems like a lot for a 23 year old centre with 27 first team appearances. That's international player money.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

If they get 20+ games out of him that's actually pretty good value in France, even more so for player who'll not go missing on test duty. We're actually making our players more attractive to French clubs by saying we'll not pick them in case it benefits the England side

[JM2K6]

It's only good value if he's a better bet than a sub international French qualified equivalent, of which there seem to be many. It's a high price to play for a guy who even he wouldn't say is a guaranteed starter at club level

[duke]

Does anyone know whether the A game is being televised anywhere?

[inactionman]

Does anyone know whether the A game is being televised anywhere?

Premier Sports are apparently showing it. It doesn't show up on Discovery/TNT - they've got Wales Fiji at that time.

https://www.quins.co.uk/article/premier ... -the-stoop


Having read the article, I had no idea Lee Blackett was/is acting as the England A attack coach. Slightly nervy from a Bath perspective, but good luck to the chap, he's brought Bath's attack on a fair bit.

[duke]

Does anyone know whether the A game is being televised anywhere?

Premier Sports are apparently showing it. It doesn't show up on Discovery/TNT - they've got Wales Fiji at that time.

https://www.quins.co.uk/article/premier ... -the-stoop


Having read the article, I had no idea Lee Blackett was/is acting as the England A attack coach. Slightly nervy from a Bath perspective, but good luck to the chap, he's brought Bath's attack on a fair bit.

Thanks for this. Agree re Blackett, he’s another really important part of the backroom at Bath.

[SaintK]

Does anyone know whether the A game is being televised anywhere?

Premier Sports are apparently showing it. It doesn't show up on Discovery/TNT - they've got Wales Fiji at that time.

https://www.quins.co.uk/article/premier ... -the-stoop


Having read the article, I had no idea Lee Blackett was/is acting as the England A attack coach. Slightly nervy from a Bath perspective, but good luck to the chap, he's brought Bath's attack on a fair bit.

Thanks for this. Agree re Blackett, he’s another really important part of the backroom at Bath.

He or Vesty should be England attack coach instead of the journeyman Wigglesworth. Not that Borthwick would appreciate the flair either of them would bring to the party!!!

[petej]

Another close loss for borthers. Is it time for him and/or wigglesworth to go?

[JM2K6]

Neither will, so it's probably not worth discussing. Glad to see that the previous fawning over the England defensive system has belatedly turned into criticism when the bleeding obvious becomes impossible to ignore. We were saying this stuff from the start - any system this high risk simply is not worth it and it's an easy calculation to make.

Unfortunately for us, it is the basis of this England team. Without it, this team has zero identity.

[petej]

Neither will, so it's probably not worth discussing. Glad to see that the previous fawning over the England defensive system has belatedly turned into criticism when the bleeding obvious becomes impossible to ignore. We were saying this stuff from the start - any system this high risk simply is not worth it and it's an easy calculation to make.

Unfortunately for us, it is the basis of this England team. Without it, this team has zero identity.

True on both the lack of identity outside of defence and borthwick/wigglesworth going.
I thought this defence system progressively improved under Felix Jones but has regressed since he left.

[Yeeb]

Wait a second... how old are WE now?!!?



... not sure I recognize the two on the ends, unless Luger and Cohen? And the wee fella with Johnson?

Link to the larger image if you can't embiggen: https://rfu.widen.net/content/c674dab6- ... k=BWFfKlNS

Bump so I can look next to the list of names post

[Yeeb]

Front row: Regan, Grayson, Lewsey, Vickery, Back, Robinson, Gomarsall, Worsley, Moody, West,
Back row: Cohen, ?, Balshaw, Johnson, ? (possibly Luger), Kay, Thompson, Shaw, Dallaglio, Abbott, White, Tindall, Wilkinson, Leonard, Bracken, Corry, Dawson

Bump

[Yeeb]

Real mix there of those who have hardly aged (lewsey, moody, wilko , Robinson) , those who appear to have a slow puncture (Vickery , dallaglio), and fucking hell they look like they will croak in five years (Thompson, Reagan, Worseley , Luger if that really is Luger because by gum I’d never had got that)

[JM2K6]

Neither will, so it's probably not worth discussing. Glad to see that the previous fawning over the England defensive system has belatedly turned into criticism when the bleeding obvious becomes impossible to ignore. We were saying this stuff from the start - any system this high risk simply is not worth it and it's an easy calculation to make.

Unfortunately for us, it is the basis of this England team. Without it, this team has zero identity.

True on both the lack of identity outside of defence and borthwick/wigglesworth going.
I thought this defence system progressively improved under Felix Jones but has regressed since he left.

He hasn't left yet, surely

[Niegs]

If the little guy with Johnson is Luger he seems to have gotten a bit pudgy in the cheeks the last year?





Link to large image of the group shot if you can't enlarge: https://media.gettyimages.com/id/180951 ... FWZK095lc=

[Slick]

Meant to say on the other thread, I really like Austin Healey on comms. Is that an unpopular view? Never heard much of him before

[JM2K6]

Meant to say on the other thread, I really like Austin Healey on comms. Is that an unpopular view? Never heard much of him before

Fairly unpopular, but I can see why someone new to him would like him. He's addicted to trying to referee the game from the commentary box and influencing the tmo, he's a real whiner, and his banter is awful. When he's good he's incredibly insightful, though.

[Hal Jordan]

Back from Twickenham, lucky enough to get tickets. I was up in the gods in the North Stand, so I had a really good view of the space and gaps during Australia's attacks. It was clear that we were absolutely all over the shop once the ball went though a couple of pairs of hands, and they ran riot down our right hand side for some reason.

England's entire plan seemed to be "Give it to Marcus and see if he can work some magic". The amount of pointless cutbacks to players standing still in the deep, running diagonally to eat up space or just shipping down the line was horrible at times.

Someone (Freeman?) absolutely butchered a breakaway, two men outside and he just ran into virtually the last man to kill the move stone dead.

[Niegs]

Meant to say on the other thread, I really like Austin Healey on comms. Is that an unpopular view? Never heard much of him before

Fairly unpopular, but I can see why someone new to him would like him. He's addicted to trying to referee the game from the commentary box and influencing the tmo, he's a real whiner, and his banter is awful. When he's good he's incredibly insightful, though.

I don't watch many other broadcasts to compare, but think he's one of the best at analysis. Seems like a lot of the ex-pro colour guys just describe what we all just saw with little insight beyond the basics.

[sockwithaticket]

Meant to say on the other thread, I really like Austin Healey on comms. Is that an unpopular view? Never heard much of him before

Consensus seems to be that his analysis is top notch, it'd be nice if he stuck to doing just that.

[geordie_6]

Neither will, so it's probably not worth discussing. Glad to see that the previous fawning over the England defensive system has belatedly turned into criticism when the bleeding obvious becomes impossible to ignore. We were saying this stuff from the start - any system this high risk simply is not worth it and it's an easy calculation to make.

Unfortunately for us, it is the basis of this England team. Without it, this team has zero identity.

True on both the lack of identity outside of defence and borthwick/wigglesworth going.
I thought this defence system progressively improved under Felix Jones but has regressed since he left.

He hasn't left yet, surely

From memory, he's gone and Joe El-Abd is temp defence coach. Similarly, we have a temp coach in replacing Aled Waters as strength and conditioning coach.