The Rugby Thread

[Paddingtonwolf]

Seriously, the test team as it stands should be

Hogg
Watson
Davies
Farell
North
Sexton
Youngs
M Vunipola
Best
Furlong
AWJ
Lawes
Stander
Tipuric
Itoje / B Vunipola

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

This is the problem with some coaches (across all sports), they build a team, have major success with it...then never, ever move on. Tactics stay the same, they keep the same players way past their sell by date, not realising that the game perpetually moves on, they've been worked out, you need to tweak it, you need fresh blood, you need a different type of player in there somewhere. There's more than a whiff of Woodward's Lions tour/Fletcher in the 06/07 Ashes/Wenger since 2009 about this.

 

[Nando]

Warburton confirmed as captain via another leak out of the camp.

 

[Jabbawolf]

Seriously, the test team as it stands should be

Hogg
Watson
Davies
Farell
North
Sexton
Youngs
M Vunipola
Best
Furlong
AWJ
Lawes
Stander
Tipuric
Itoje / B Vunipola

Youngs is the only one I would question in there - got to be Murray or Webb for me, with Youngs as 3rd choice.

 

[Tredman]

Biggar and Joseph in so far

 

[Nando]

No Roberts.

 

[Jabbawolf]

No Roberts.

BBC are going to look silly then - they were Roberts in, Joseph out. Their other biggies were Launchbury and Hartley out...

 

[Tredman]

Sam Warburton captain. Hope he's on form, as currently I don't think he should be in the team.

 

[Nando]

Vunipola, Marler, McGrath, Cole, Furlong, Sinckler

Best, George, Owens

Kruis, Itoje, Lawes, Henderson, Wyn-Jones

Stander, Tipuric, Warburton, O'Mahony, Moriarty, O'Brien

Vunipola, Faletau

Murray, Webb, Youngs

Sexton, Biggar

Farrell, Joseph, Henshaw, Daly, Te'o, Payne, Davies

North, Williams, Seymour, Watson, Nowell, Hogg, Halfpenny

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

2 Scots, 11 Welsh. Ok then.

 

[Tredman]

Jim White trying to cover rugby on talk sport is laughable.

 

[Dinowolf]

2 Scots, 12 Welsh, 11 Irish, 16 English = 41 total

 

[Tredman]

Some very unhappy Scottish supporters on twitter. I thought at least one of the Greys would get in and I always like fin Russel.

Personally I would have found a place for Christian Wade, but can see why he doesn't go as he's always overlooked for England too.

 

[Nando]

Would have preferred Robshaw and Watson over Moriarty and SOB.

Ford, Russell or Jackson over Biggar.

Ringrose over Davies

 

[jd1981]

Can't understand the Biggar selection, Russell for me would be a far better choice.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Ringrose????

Seriously?

Moriarty is a surprise. Biggar is a surprise. Neither will get near the test team. Apart from that, it is a good squad. The Grays had no chance. Enormous competition in their positions. Finn Russell is very unfortunate though.

 

[Nando]

Ringrose is a special talent. Would happily see him there over Davies (or Te'o).

 

[Dinowolf]

Must have picked Farrell as a fly-half? Only Biggar and Sexton otherwise. Seems a bit light. Should have taken another.

Who will play 12? Henshaw? Te'o? Can see that channel being targeted by ABs. If Farrell is the third IC cover, then again he is short a fly-half, or a 12.

Launchbury's omission is unforgivable and with AWJ injured and Kruis just coming back, he should be included additionally.

So add 2 players to the squad, and it rises to 43, which considering the number of games, is not unreasonable.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Launchbury is behind 3 other ENGLISH players in his position.

Unfortunate.

 

[Tredman]

It's unlucky and launchbury was in great form, player by player though, imo, he's not as good as they others can be. Shame.

Daly can also cover both centres positions and fly half at a push.