The Rugby Thread

[Tredman]

Faletau is a certainty to be the test no 8 now. Which is a mistake - he is a shadow of two years ago.

Agreed there Paddy, what about Moriaty instead? We would be far too lightweight with faletau and Warburton plus one other in the back row.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Moriarty is an excellent player, could do Moriarty, Tipuric, Warburton I guess, but surely CJ Stander has to be in the test side - he has been tremendous.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Stander did play well against England when he was No 8, Heaslip got injured in the warm-up) and many in Ireland think that is his best position and should have been there ahead of Heaslip for a good while.

 

[Dinowolf]

Starting England team to face Barbarians:

Mike Brown (Harlequins, 60 caps), Nathan Earle (Saracens, uncapped), Sam James (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Alex Lozowski (Saracens, uncapped), Jonny May (Gloucester, 25 caps), George Ford (Bath, 35 caps), Danny Care (Harlequins, 71 caps), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap), Jack Singleton (Worcester Warriors, uncapped). Will Collier (Harlequins, uncapped), Charlie Ewels (Bath, 3 caps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, uncapped), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 55 caps), Sam Underhill (Bath, uncapped), Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks, uncapped).

Replacements:

George McGuigan (Leicester Tigers, uncapped), Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Jamal Ford-Robinson (Bristol, uncapped), Tom Ellis (Bath, uncapped), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, uncapped), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 27 caps), Mike Haley (Sale Sharks, uncapped)

 

[Dinowolf]

Barbarians squad

Alex Goode (Saracens & England), Horacio Agulla (Castres & Argentina), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Bordeaux Begles & Australia), Yann David (Toulouse and France), Kahn Fotuali'i (Bath Rugby & Samoa), Robbie Freuan (Bath Rugby), Rory Kockott (Castres & France), Ian Madigan (Bordeaux Begles & Ireland), Timoci Nagusa (Montpellier & Fiji), Waisea Nayacalavu (Stade Francais & Fiji), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster & South Africa), David Smith (Castres), Frans Steyn (Montpellier & South Africa), Patricio Albacete (Toulouse & Argentina), Steffon Armitage (Pau & England), Schalk Brits (Saracens & South Africa), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse & France), Corey Flynn (Star RFC & New Zealand), Ben Franks (London Irish & New Zealand), Gillian Galan (Toulouse), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester & Wales), Facundo Isa (Lyon & Argentina), Census Johnston (Toulouse & Samoa), Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier & Georgia), WP Nel (Edinburgh & Scotland), Mike Ross (Leinster & Ireland), Joe Tekori (Toulouse & Samoa), Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester & New Zealand).

 

[Tredman]

Brilliant game of rugby so far in the final. Nathan Hughes is playing amazingly.

 

[Tredman]

4 mins left in extra time and then it's going to place kicks...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

EXETER HAVE DONE IT!

 

[Tredman]

Well done Exeter, probably deserved it on the balance of play. Pretty gutting though.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Always good to see the West Country 4ths doing well...

 

[Dinowolf]

Eddie Jones has named his squad to tour Argentina

Forwards: Don Armand, Will Collier, Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Dylan Hartley (captain), Nathan Hughes, Nick Isiekwe, Joe Launchbury, Matt Mullan, Chris Robshaw, Nick Schonert, Tommy Taylor, Sam Underhill, Harry Williams, Mark Wilson

Backs: Mike Brown, Danny Care, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Devoto, Nathan Earle, George Ford, Piers Francis, Sam James, Alex Lozowski, Harry Mallinder, Jack Maunder, Jonny May, Henry Slade, Denny Solomona, Marland Yarde

Don Armand included after his MOM performance for Exeter in the AVP final and Mark Wilson added too after Haskell is called up to the Lions and Wood is excluded because of his disciplinary hearing.

Underhill and Lozowski included despite their injuries against the Barbarians. Solomona will travel later if he recovers from his injury; if not then Yarde is included as cover. Piers Francis will join the squad direct from New Zealand.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Fair play t Llanelli Scarlets, went to Dublin for the PRO12 Semi Final last week and comfortably beat Leinster, this week back in Dublin against Munster and gave them a right stuffing in the Final running in 6 tries playing attacking expansive rugby, improved massively over the 2nd half of the season

 

[Dinowolf]

Two changes for England.
Taylor and Schonert injured, so replaced by Ford-Robinson and Singleton.

 

[Dinowolf]

Lions team to face NZ Prov. Barbarians on Saturday

Team: Hogg; Watson, Joseph, Te'o, Seymour, Sexton, Laidlaw; Marler, Best, Sinckler, Jones, Henderson, Moriarty, Warburton, Faletau.

Replacements: George, Vunipola, Furlong, Kruis, Tipuric, Webb, Farrell, Daly

 

[Tredman]

Very poor first 5 mins from the lions, can only get better.

 

[Paul]

Bloody hell, that was close

 

[Tredman]

Just a bit! Fantastic tackle.

 

[Tredman]

Shogg having a nightmare. Faletau playing well, but we already look too lightweight in the back row.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Sounds like Hogg isn't doing himself any favours. It will be interesting to see 1/2p as full back in the next match for comparison, but the test spot isn't as certain as I thought.

 

[Tredman]

The whole team lacks power imo, only Te'o, Sinckler and Faletau have been able to beat the gain line. Shogg and sexton in particular not showing much.