England

heart_of_oak says...

APV1 - no place for a fit Tom Wood in your team ? Such are the riches we have at wing forward, I guess. Anyway, my 1st choice team would be as follows :

Cole

Hartley

Corbisiero

Lawes

Attwood

Croft

Robshaw

Morgan

I'm tempted to go for Armitage (Steffon) in place of Croft but it would depend on the opposition. When he has a good day, Croft is a great wing forward but I've seen him have pretty ineffective games. If he's not on form, it'd be Armitage or Wood to replace him.

I don't suppose that scrum is too controversial but this back line probably will be.

Care

Ford

Varndell

Twelvetrees

Tuilagi

Armitage

Foden

I think this is a back line with more muscle than most back lines Lancaster has put out. But it's still a back line capable of scoring alot of tries. I know everyone will laugh at the idea of Varndell but he's quick and when he's in a good team, he scores alot of tries. Twelvetress and Tuilagi often play together at club level as does Ford. Ford is showing real potential with Leicester. Twelvetrees is also a reasonable goal kicker. Armitage (Delon) can provide full back cover and is good defensively as well as being no slouch.

This is the back line I'd have preferred to see against a physical team like the Boks. It'd probably be a different team alltogether against different opposition. Ashton or Wade could come in if it were felt that sheer speed was going to deliver success and bulk wasn't a factor.

I think inside centre is our problem position right now. I have to admit I've not seen much of Twelvetrees so maybe some Tigers fans can say if he has the potential to be international class.

And now, let the jeering begin....

Posted 15:36 31st July 2012

GoWalesGo says...

How about Wood at 8?

Posted 18:25 29th July 2012

Tesh says...

Love Tom Johnson, but he's not as good as Robshaw. I say that as a one eyed Quins fan, but I think

It's valid. Johnson played well but

Not as well as Chris, doesn't have the

Leadership capabilities, and is older with an eye to the future.

(Still not old enough to

Rule him out of 2015, but it's a minor factor all the same.)

With all the depth in the backrow at the moment, Johnson

Loses Out, much like that Silly Billy Haskell

Posted 17:20 28th July 2012

heart_of_oak says...

rugby_rockstar, that seems a rather pessimistic assessment to me. In the latest tour to south africa, I thought the scrum did well. It was in the back line where we struggled. We couldn't match the boks for physicality and didn't have the inventiveness or flair to counter their play.

But in the scrum, we've got a good front row with Cole and Corbisiero, we've got stacks of good wing forwards, several good number eights. You talk about the 2nd row as if we're weak in that area but where's the evidence for that ? OK, so Lawes got injured and I'm sure he'll get injured again. It's the way he plays. But when fit, he's a great lock. Botha was a surprise selection in my view as was Parling. But neither performed badly in the 6 nations. However, just like you, I would like to see a Lawes Attwood 2nd row. I think it brings more physicality to the scrum.

Or maybe we could look at using Lawes as a number 8. I believe he's played there before for Saints. He's damn quick and from number 8, he can break away more quickly than 2nd row, either in attack or defence. For a fly half to see young Courtney charging at them before they've even got the ball would at least give them pause for thought.

We seem to have so many options in the scrum and not many realistic options at all in the back line. It's all rather hopeful there. The only dead cert is Manu. In all other positions, with the possible exception of full back, we struggle.

Posted 12:24 28th July 2012

wooden_spoon says...

no denying Robshaw's commitment but he has very little impact as a player against major teams (ie SANZAR). Until he stands up against McCaw, Burger etc he won't feature prominently, and England will continue to lose and Robshaw will get the blame.

Me thinks a tough road for England for a couple of years...

Posted 10:58 28th July 2012

NHsaints says...

I agree completely, except that it's hardly best to ask borthwick of all captains about how to take the england role. The challenge we have in the back row is mixing and matching,,,,we've got to have Robshaw, and he's shown he's adaptable but I reckon Wood is a much better carrier of the ball and operates better at the lineout, Croft brings the open play attacking pace of a winger over 40m so it would be nice to have him, Robshaw is now an excellent 7 and gets through mountains of tackles, Callum Clarke would bring more physicality but he sees red too often for northampton to be in the england first XV yet, Armitage has his carrying game but that's about it and he's out of contention, Morgan and Waldrom are both smash and bash ball carriers and don't bring much else to the game and Kvesic is up and coming as a 7...what do we do? Personally I'd put Wood at 7, move robshaw 8 and croft 6 because robshaw has more to his game than any of our current 8's, croft brings the pace the backrow needs and wood could adapt to 7 easily plus he maintains the ball carrying skills we need.

@rugby_rockstar ...Lawes has plenty of time to recover and partner palmer/parling/kitchener in the second row. I'd like to see a Palmer-Lawes second row because that'll buff up the second row a bit and give us a combination of experience and fantastic skill, both are good ball carriers and dominant tacklers too,

Posted 10:23 28th July 2012

rugby_rockstar says...

He earns people's respect with his hard working approach. If everyone put the same effort into their performance then England would be world class. (rather than so/so)

He's not the biggest or most physical though so we either need to find a big fast powerful player to bring balance to the back row or bite the bullet and say sorry Chris, England don't have someone who can compliment you so we're going with Tom Wood and Steffan Armitage instead.

Lancaster could pick Callum Clarke from northampton but as he deliberatley broke Rob Hawkins arm its not the sort publicity England need. That's the sort of physicality you need to bring along though. Either that or a monster front five but we're a little light on physical locks at the moment. Everyone talks about Lawes, but the boks sent him to the injury room in November 2010 and he was injured again this summer. Botha didn't deliver in June either. England have a soft underbelly and it's not being addressed because their are no obvious solutions. I wouldmn't mind seeing lawes and atwood but a shot in the dark. may work, or atwood could be sent off and lawes get injured AGAIN. Face it guys we're in a trough and we'll have to pull off something pretty major to peak in time for 2015.

Posted 15:57 27th July 2012