Eddie Jones has finally named the England team to take on Fiji this weekend.
15. Alex Goode (Saracens, 20 caps)
14. Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby, 1 cap)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 26 caps)
12. Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens, 44 caps)
11. Elliot Daly (Wasps, 6 caps)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 27 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 62 caps)
1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 36 caps)
2. Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints, 76 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 66 caps)
4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 36 caps)
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 50 caps)
6. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 52 caps)
7. Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens, 30 caps).
Replacements
16. Jamie George (Saracens, 9 caps), 17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 43 caps), 18. Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 1 cap), 19. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, uncapped), 20. Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 1 cap), 21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 63 caps), 22. Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors, 1 cap), 23. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 2 caps).
Are you happy with this selection?
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
Even with injuries that is a tasty looking side with a strong bench.
Very exciting team – surprised how close it is to first choice 15 though. I know we should not disrespect a dangerous Fiji side, but was expecting to see a little more rotation (other than Goode). Sinckler certainly. And after all that Hughes is named on the bench. Not recovered from his knock as much as the others maybe?
Particularly excited to see both Daly and Joseph in the side and how Daly does on the left wing. Brilliant to see Slade in the 23 shirt too! Hope he gets a chance to make a statement
I think it’s quite smart from EJ. A bit of rotation to give Harrison, Roko and Goode a chance, and I suspect the bench will be used quite early to give the other guys some game time.
Take out Marler and Care, and there are 14 caps between the other 6 players. And Jamie George has 9 of those!
An exciting looking team!! Goode should provide a bit more space and more opportunities for Roko and Daly to make use of. Also interested to see how JJ performs as he is a very good chaser and I’m sure he will be tasked with keeping on Goode’s shoulder to keep alive any opportunites created.
“I’m sure he will be tasked with keeping on Goode’s shoulder”
I’m not sure JJ is able to run thay slow Dazza!
Rubbish Benjit. He is plenty quick enough and far more elusive than Brown.
I would have preferred Billy on the bench to keep him fresh, but no idea of the relative severity of the knocks he and Hughes have been carrying.
Good luck to Goode, hope he can replicate the club form and some good counter attack can flow from him. I’ve not been a member of the fan club, still have concerns over pace and physicality at the highest level, but no doubt he’s earned to the right to test himself at international level again.
Hope we are OK for back 3 cover (Daly covering fullback and JJ covering wing are the only options I can see), not too many ways of shuffling the deck there.
Of our RWC warmup centre combos I thought Burgess + Slade gelled the best. It was a shame Lancaster bottled it for Burgess + Barritt when it really mattered. Teo + Slade could go well together, so excited to see how that develops as well.
From the reports I’ve read Billy was suffering from upper body soreness, which is not surprising given the way he was crashing into the Saffers last week. Hughes was a lower leg injury but only mild apparantly.
I’m wondering why May is not in the 23? No reports of him being injured but Daly was struggling at the beginning of the week.
May didn’t train this week so I assume he was carrying something.
JJ can play wing and Daly fullback so not too concerned about back 3 cover
Agree with you Leon. I’m not worried about JJ and Daly covering, but will be interested to see who Slade replaces if he gets on? Will Eddie bring T’eo and Slade on together? If so who will he take off?
What I don’t like is if Goode goes off we have to make 3 changes. Daly -> 15, JJ -> Wing and Slade -> 13.
I can’t see a formation where Ford, Farrell, Slade AND Goode are on the pitch at the same time, it seems ridiculous. Guessing Ford and JJ come off, Farrell moves to 10, and T’eo and Slade slot right in.
Agree with you though, the bench options are very exciting!
Very interested to see whether Jones can spread his magic on Goode that he did with Haskell. Fiji I think is the perfect match to test him. Gets a chance to show off his creative skills against a more unstructured attacking side, but his defence (most people’s concerns over Goode, myself included) will be tested.
Neither Goode nor Brown has top end pace, Goode lacks Brown defence and Brown lacks Goode’s vision. I would suggest that Goode’s deficiencies might be more easily coached.