Comments on: England Elite and Saxons Player Squads

By: Simo

Simo — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:54:26 +0000

so the difference between now and last year are:

Dropped from EPS into Saxons:
Johnson, Waldrom, Webber, Allen, Joseph, Sharples

Promoted from Saxons to EPS:
Kvesic, Launchbury, Wilson, T. Youngs, Burns, Twelvetrees, Wade

Selected straight into the EPS:
Attwood, B. Vunipola, M.Vunipola, Eastmond, Yarde

Dropped entirely from EPS:
Botha, Dowson, Palmer, Stevens, Turner-Hall

Selected into the Saxons:
Fraser, Kruis, Myall, Slater, Wallace, N. Wood, Burrell, Daly, Myler, Nowell, Tait, Tomkins

Dropped entirely from the Saxons:
Catt, Deacon, Fearns, Gaskell, Gibson, Gray, Mullan, Abendanon, Benjamin, Biggs, Lowe, Miller

NOTE – Stevens retired from international rugby after the announcement. Wilson was promoted to the EPS, and Mako selected in the Saxons (injuy to Corbs meant Mako jumped straight into the EPS for the AIs)

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:20:19 +0000

Hi James, sorry it’s taken us a while to come back to you – think this is what you’re looking for? http://www.therugbyblog.com/england-confirm-senior-saxons-eps-squads-for-20122013

2013 squad looks significantly more exciting to me!

By: Liam

Liam — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:56:25 +0000

Couldn’t agree more regarding Foden. He should be nailed on as the starter 15 considering the form of Goode and Brown.

To be honest if Brown wants any further chance of playing for England, then he really needs to be used as a 15 and not a makeshift winger!

By: xxxwookie

xxxwookie — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:09:42 +0000

I don’t think anyone really showed up better than Flood. Sure Burns played well, but you’ve got to look at the competition they were playing against. Toby Flood is the most experienced 10 in the squad with a great deal of attacking flair and skill. I think (hope) that Burns will be developing and working his way past Owen Farrell.

Agree on Goode though. At fullback realistically you only need two options and that’s surely Foden and Brown. Goode is reasonable and does something a bit different, but I’m not really certain that he actually fits

By: paytono

paytono — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 09:51:33 +0000

How does the Hartley get the nod over Webber? the guy is such a liability, and Webber did a solid job over the summer, and even put in a good show as skipper… As for flood and goode? I thought we found better combinations on the tour…

By: Jacob

Jacob — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 08:16:26 +0000

Completely agree here – I think Haskell is a brilliant player and I really like him as a bloke as well, great banter! But I would say the other back row players in the EPS have been better over the last year or so. That said, any injuries and he would be my first choice out of the Saxons.

By: James93

James93 — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:49:10 +0000

What I would like to see is this list compared to the last squad announcement. Purely so we could look at who has come up and gone down, could this be arranged rugby blog?

By: Benjit

Benjit — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:01:12 +0000

..Urr my point being that Ashton might have scored tries in the 6 nations and been in contention for the Lions had his opposite wing looked up. Brown was equally poor in the summer in that regard.

Foden is our best FB. Solid at the back and makes things happen in attack. Brown is a good club player – not international class.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:44:22 +0000

Ashton wasn’t playing in the summer, nor was he playing alongside (I assume you mean the fullback/wing relationship, which he would have had with Goode) Brown in the 6N?

I think Brown is a fantastic player but he needs to be told to pass more once he makes a break, if he continues to play his “normal” way after being told that then he should be demoted…

By: Simo

Simo — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:28:55 +0000

i think that may have meant to say Haskell hasn’t been as much trouble as he should. in other words, he should cause more problems for other teams.

he blows a bit hot and cold at times. in the past he was a very strong ball carrier. i think he has suffered this season, as Vunipola and Johnson have been the main carriers for wasps. with vuni going to sarries, hask will have to carry more.
he is still a very good tackler though, and he has a high work rate, something people seem to praise Lydiate or wood for no end, but it is overlooked because haskell has a bit of an ego.

i wouldnt pick him over any of the backrowers in the EPS, all deserve to be there above him. but i would say he will be one of the first cabs off the rank from the Saxons.

there are a couple england players who have huge potential, and are yet to fill it to the full. haskell is probably the top of that list. that being said, he is still a decent 3rd or 4th choice option in any of the backrow spots.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:16:17 +0000

Not sure I agree on Haskell. Very good player – he does a lot of the hard graft, and a strong ball carrier. I’m not sure what you mean by “should have been in more trouble over the years than he has been”? I can’t think of anything controversial that he has been involved in. He may give away one or two penalties more than you’d like, but so does Brussouw apparently so I don’t buy all that.

By: xxxwookie

xxxwookie — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:08:39 +0000

Haskell’s mentality is all wrong, and there are better players. I’ve seen him do a lot of stupid things in an England shirt and he should have been in more trouble over the years than he has been. End of the day, in spite of being used at 7 and 8, he’s only really a 6 and I don’t imagine any would pick him over Croft, Robshaw or Wood. At 7 there is Robshaw/Wood/Kvesic all of whom are better 7s and at 8 there’s Vunipola and Morgan. Who from those 6 is worth dropping for a meat head that’s probably going to do something stupid?