England

[Will S]

I'm not too surprised to see TTT miss out as with Croft back I think they will use Haskall off the bench to cover 6 and 8 (I seem to remember seeing pictures of him in training packing down at 8).

Strettle and JSD are both very good going forward but their tackling is not the best. I think Sharples is just as devestating going forward and offers a bit more in defense.

[ChrisTiger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 363155.stm

Report on BBC says TTTE has been struggling with a calf injury.

[DickyP]

However, a huge sigh of relief to see Strettle and Simpson Daniels dropped. Neither is any where near international quality: two flashy runners who can't kick, can't (or just won't) tackle, neither have the slightest bit of rugby nous and they are both lazy. Cannot understand why either were even considered for the squad.
.

I assume you are mistaking James Simpson-Daniel for some other player, as your description of him appears rather wide of the mark.

Absolutely not - you'd think this if you'd had to watch him be the cause of games being lost week after week. He IS lazy and just doesn't tackle - avoids it like the plague. We know he sometimes can but he just doesn't.

[tb1]

Leicester looking a little better off after that (though I would not have minded seeing Hawkins and Youngs get a run in the team during the WC, given Chuter's declining form). Waldrom being released ensures that we can still field a very strong back row during the early weeks of the season.

1. Stankovich
2. Chuter
3. Brookes
4. Skivington
5. Slater / Kitchener
6. Waldrom
7. Salvi
8. Crane

16. Hawkins
17. Bucknall
18. White
19. Kitchener / Slater
20. Woods


Going to be big, ugly and experienced enough to grind out a few wins until the cavalry arrives.



EDIT: Mind you, Chuter in the form he was last season throwing to that lot might see our lineout suffer badly. Skivington's a jumper and Slater/Kitchener/Crane offer options, but with no Croft and no Newby a decent attacking lineout could really take us apart.

You may not be aware but it seems that Steve Mafi has been excluded from the Tongan squad.

[4071]

Leicester looking a little better off after that (though I would not have minded seeing Hawkins and Youngs get a run in the team during the WC, given Chuter's declining form). Waldrom being released ensures that we can still field a very strong back row during the early weeks of the season.

1. Stankovich
2. Chuter
3. Brookes
4. Skivington
5. Slater / Kitchener
6. Waldrom
7. Salvi
8. Crane

16. Hawkins
17. Bucknall
18. White
19. Kitchener / Slater
20. Woods


Going to be big, ugly and experienced enough to grind out a few wins until the cavalry arrives.



EDIT: Mind you, Chuter in the form he was last season throwing to that lot might see our lineout suffer badly. Skivington's a jumper and Slater/Kitchener/Crane offer options, but with no Croft and no Newby a decent attacking lineout could really take us apart.

You may not be aware but it seems that Steve Mafi has been excluded from the Tongan squad.

I wasn't. Well, that's Slater out of contention, then. I find it hard to believe that the Tongans have better options than Mafi for lock/blindside cover, but they know best I suppose.

What are the odds of Ireland dropping Murphy and England dropping Tuilagi next?

[tb1]

Apparently Manu did very well in the trial game at the Stoop and is currently pencilled in for the plane, assuming his part in the warm-ups goes well.

Amongst the Irish the current feeling is that they will prefer Felix Jones to Geordan.

[DickyP]

Opinion - and I stress 'opinion' - does seem to be down to Manu going. Of the lists various writers put in the four Sunday papers I saw he was down with 2 of them as a 'certainty' and 2 as a 'probable'. These lists all had the 5 who've been cut only on their lists of 'outsiders'.

However, they are just writers and certain Mr Johnson does the selecting and not them!

[Kinoulton]

I don't understand it. As soon as there is a new kid on the block, be it for Leicester or England, Chuter gets shunted out.

It's ludicrous. He scrums well, he throws well into the lineout and he never goes missing in open play.

I've heard all the blah blah blah about other number 2s but they all have serious faults that he doesn't have.

Sometimes at Welford Road he's been replaced by people who have thrown like two year old girls.

[hww27]

Agree, it would have been good to see Hawkins and Youngsy get a chance. Oh well, looks like i be watching plenty of development matches this season then..

[elleteejay]

Jimmy STEVENS...the young Cornish hooker.

Prince Mike - ha, love it !!

[Jay C]

Has now been confirmed:

Chuter
Worsley
TTT
Simpson-Daniel
Strettle

I was expecting a win/win with Chutes going to the WC and Hawkins/Youngs getting some decent game time at Tigers so we can really see what they are made of. Now I will get neither....

Not surprised by any of the other names, though - more relieved that some deadwood has been removed from the squad.

TTT was always going to struggle to break into the back row union and style that MJ prefers.

JS-D just cannot stay fit enough to give himself a shot at the big one ...

[hww27]

It would be nice to think that Cockers might, at some stage, give Hawkins and Youngsy a chance rather than just blindly picking Chuter for every game. It would be very sad to think that Youngsy has worked so hard proving himself and learning his new position at Nottingham just to be left to languish in the development team going nowhere...

[Ben the Tiger]

It would be nice to think that Cockers might, at some stage, give Hawkins and Youngsy a chance rather than just blindly picking Chuter for every game. It would be very sad to think that Youngsy has worked so hard proving himself and learning his new position at Nottingham just to be left to languish in the development team going nowhere...

I wouldn't say that playing in the development team he is going nowhere, I think that expecting Tom to jump into the squad and imediatley become first team hooker is a very high and unrealistic expectation because whilst he has experience of the club he is in many respects an outsider and will need to prove his worth especially coming in having changed positions since last being at the club. So I think he will need time in the development team to prove his worth at Tigers.

[4071]

It would be nice to think that Cockers might, at some stage, give Hawkins and Youngsy a chance rather than just blindly picking Chuter for every game. It would be very sad to think that Youngsy has worked so hard proving himself and learning his new position at Nottingham just to be left to languish in the development team going nowhere...

At least he'll win a trophy in the development team....