Comments on: Summer Tour 2018: England Team To Play South Africa 3rd Test

By: Sharpy

Sharpy — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:01:21 +0000

Well nothing lasts forever and so it’s come to pass. EJ must have lost his man management wand. A poor show to leave so many tourists unblooded.
If Robson has “ earned his chance” or “ gives us different options” why isn’t he taking advantage of that. The Wasps 9, particularly, must be feeling poorly treated.
Now I know we have to try and build momentum before the WC but you have to speculate to illuminate your best side.
We are 18 months away from the only competition that matters.
Young’s to my mind won’t regain the sort of form we need.
Centralised contracts for me. By the time the WC comes round, our players are going to be knackered. Unlike the aging Sexton who will go into that competition like a spring chicken.
Who ever wins the next 6 Nations( and it should be at a canter, like Ireland this year) will hold the Northen Hemisphere’s only hope of success.

By: acee

acee — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:55:15 +0000

Nah. we’ll get tutored up front again. Sinckler couldn’t push drugs let alone kitshoff. George is a shadow of the player he is at Sarries, Robshaw is knackered and we still don’t have a really gnarly , hefty lock. Apart from that no worries!

By: acee

acee — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:51:02 +0000

I totally agree with 99% of what you say Andy. You might want to have a bucthers at the Times article of today . The RFU are in a bit of a pickle money wise it seems. Maybe this explains Jones’ increasingly lassaiz faire attitude toward his job and player selection. If he knows the RFU can’t cancel his contract and pay him off then that is a hugely dangerous situation.
I fear the next eighteen months will only serve to affirm that he is effectively bomb proof and can do what ever he feels is right without any real accountability.
I’m not going to comment on the selection for saturday, i’d be typing all night. I will raise one point though: how many games will Robshaw, Brown, Mako, Itoje, Youngs etc have played by the time the WC comes around? Scary is not the word!

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:44:11 +0000

The team, Cip apart, is otherwise a conservative selection. Seems like it’s been chosen more for EJ’s preservation than for England’s future in building for the WC. I suppose Jones needs a win, but when his team composition is compared with the AB team for the next French game, he’s more likely to be selected the future PM of England. Not stating either team’s selections are wrong, but it makes no sense not to have used a guy like Woodward @ f/back & a few others off the bench which is again pretty conservative. Mainly though, EJ has to get England playing smarter rugby, certainly @ breakdown & midfield. Maybe Cip can trigger the line.. if the loosies get enough ball? England to scrape this 1..maybe?

By: Steve H

Steve H — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:26:12 +0000

Big chance for Cipriani. A challenge for sure, but he has a great opportunity to make a case for being our No 1 FH. I really hope he takes it, though its going to be very difficult given how poorly we’ve been playing.
Robshaw ahead of Wilson is just mind numbingly stupid – and grossly unfair to the Falcons player. Robshaw looked shot 2 weeks ago and its hard to see how he could be revitalised now.
A lock on the bench is welcome, as is the inclusion of Simmonds. But only 2 backs is a bit risky as neither have the versatility to play in more than one position.
For those missing out completely – Robson, Lozowski, Woodward and the 2 Earls – I think we can safely say they arent going to be in any England squad post this tour. In the case of the first three names thats very disappointing.

By: Blub

Blub — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:24:33 +0000

Harlequin, I would replace your ‘better’ for ‘different’ on all three of your examples there.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:19:35 +0000

Well, it’s only taken a decade is it for Cipriani to get picked again & ‘to give us a left-foot kicking option’? Eh? Is this comment a sop to Ford? DC has more than just a trusty left boot surely. And don’t England need to KEEP ball? Hope for England’s sake that Cip’s not under starter’s orders to replicate Ford’s (or EJ’s) game. Either way, it’s an overdue pick & I just hope for Cipriani’s sake that the ensuing tsunami like pressure doesn’t compel him to overplay his normal game (if he’s allowed to do so i.e.). And is Shields sick… of what? Surely not of playing for EJ already?

By: Taliesin

Taliesin — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:43:54 +0000

Yes but we know EJ will say any old cr*p. I’ve been expecting him to drop Ford for ages – nobody thinks he’s up to th standard needed except a few faithful England supporters – and it’s finally happened. Cipriani is class.

By: Taliesin

Taliesin — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:41:47 +0000

Can’t wait to see you eat your words on Sunday! Jantjes is actually very talented, and I do’t this England is good enough to really throw him off his game.

By: Henry Ker

Henry Ker — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:43:46 +0000

I actually don’t mind the sound of that backline too much haha! It is a risk, but I can understand the reasoning – we were beaten in the forwards both tests so a 6:2 split and extra fresh legs might give us a boost in the closing stages.

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:16:32 +0000

When you’ve lost the first two games with a group of players who should do better, what do you do in the last game………….? I know, change the fly half and give them no support off the bench!?
Not sure what Eddie’s plan is if Farrell or Cipriani get crocked in the first 20 minutes? I guess it would involve moving Slade to 12, Daly to 13 and Brown to 15 with Solomona covering wing? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me??!?!?

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 13:02:25 +0000

Well, I got the margin exactly right last week on Super Bru but didn´t comment after the game because frankly I am completely bemused by some of what is going on. Some of the selections this week increase that bemusement. Starting at the front, Sinkler has had two games to prove that he is nowhere near an international class tight head (he´s not even the best at Harlequins) and should be dropped for Williams. George has suffered from not having support on that side and probably deserves another start, though I would get LCD on early to show what he can do. Itoje looks knackered, but even in that state is probably a better call than Isiekwe or Hill. Their selection for this squad smacks of preparing for 2023. Why no Slater, Atwood or other hard, gnarly awkward bastards in the squad? I would make Launch captain, partly because I think he had a better game last week than most of the pack, but mainly because Farrell showed that he is still petulant and doesn´t understand how to get on the right side of the ref. Launch is at least totally unflappable, leads by example and doesn´t alienate people. Hughes should not be playing after his ridiculous yellow card last week. I would have given Wilson a start at 8, with Simmonds at 7. I am not as convinced about Curry yet as some seem to be, and think in the long term he will be hard pushed to hold his place in the face of a challenge from Willis, Mercer or his brother Ben. I don´t think Shields is any great loss, he seems like a slightly slower version of Haskell (as was).
No way Youngs should start. He has played poorly in both games so far and we have to have a look at the alternatives. Good to see Cips get a start at last, but if it is cold wet and windy he may not get much chance to shine. Ford must be insulted by Eddie´s excuse for dropping him, with three other left footed kickers in the backs. Farrell is due a good game, even his kicking seems to have gone off, and I would have dropped Slade for Daly at 13, moving Brown back to full back and bringing in Earle on the wing with Lozowski on the bench to take advantage of his playing regularly with Farrell. Apart from these minimal changes I think EJ knows exactly what he has doing and have every confidence that he will talk fluently and aggressively after we have lost the game about “valuable learning experiences”. I am surprised he hasn´t taken the team to altitude to acclimatise now that we are playing at sea level. Our only hope is that the 8 changes SA have made weaken them.