England: D Armitage (London Irish); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Sale Sharks), R Flutey (Brive), U Monye (Harlequins); J Wilkinson (Toulon), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), S Shaw (Wasps), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), J Haskell (Stade Francais), L Moody (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: S Thompson (Brive), D Cole (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), S Armitage (London Irish), P Hodgson (London Irish), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton).
England vs Wales
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Re: England vs Wales
D'oh! you beat me to it. I'll delete mine...
I like the look of this team. Looks like we'll be attacking a lot more than the Autumn.
I like the look of this team. Looks like we'll be attacking a lot more than the Autumn.
Re: England vs Wales
With these three quarters, I would have preferred Flood at 10.
Re: England vs Wales
Two light weight centres, Roberts should enjoy that.
Re: England vs Wales
Wales will bring the Lions front row. We should have the advantage in the pack, assuming Gough and AWJ in the 2nd row and Powell, Williams and Jones in the back row.BJ. wrote:Let's hope the Welsh don't bring any decent tightheads with them!
Re: England vs Wales
The team looks ok, but to have tim Payne anywhere near a international team is madness. Dan Cole destroyed him in the scrum when wasps came to Welford road, so how is he going to survive against,what was, the lions front row for the second test.
Also i believe that Phil Dowson should be replacing Nick Easter as Dowson's performance against Ireland A and gerneal performance has been brilliant, Easter on the other hand has been poor.
How can Johnson say that club form does not matter when its obvius to the rest of the rugby world that if you dont play well for your club, playing for your country isnt going to turn you into an amazing player overnite.
You wouldnt want an entire Leeds backline in the England team as they play poorly in the Prem, so why include Payne and Easter.
Also, I believe that the inclusion of Tate into the backline is a possitive step forward,bt i also think that Ashton should have been given a chance instead on Cueto, Cueto is a good player, But Ashton is a very dangerous attacker and with Monye on the other wing england could of looked very dangerous if they got the ball out wide in an expansive style of play.
Johny Wilkinson has to stand flatter for me, he has to distribute well and the whole team needs to b told to attack with ball in hand. If theres more that 5 aimless kicks in the 1st half im not going to watch the second because i know what will happen.
Will also be interesting to see what happends when Flood and Foden come on, as they both are inform players and look to attack.
Also i believe that Phil Dowson should be replacing Nick Easter as Dowson's performance against Ireland A and gerneal performance has been brilliant, Easter on the other hand has been poor.
How can Johnson say that club form does not matter when its obvius to the rest of the rugby world that if you dont play well for your club, playing for your country isnt going to turn you into an amazing player overnite.
You wouldnt want an entire Leeds backline in the England team as they play poorly in the Prem, so why include Payne and Easter.
Also, I believe that the inclusion of Tate into the backline is a possitive step forward,bt i also think that Ashton should have been given a chance instead on Cueto, Cueto is a good player, But Ashton is a very dangerous attacker and with Monye on the other wing england could of looked very dangerous if they got the ball out wide in an expansive style of play.
Johny Wilkinson has to stand flatter for me, he has to distribute well and the whole team needs to b told to attack with ball in hand. If theres more that 5 aimless kicks in the 1st half im not going to watch the second because i know what will happen.
Will also be interesting to see what happends when Flood and Foden come on, as they both are inform players and look to attack.
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SimonP in Surrey
- Senior Member
- Posts: 216
- Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:54 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey
Re: England vs Wales
Mostly a pretty good team. Wilkinson (I'm worth 9 points a match) will need to play flat else we lose to the greater power in the welsh backs. Lets hope our greatest weaknesses, Payne and Borthwick, rise to the occassion. There is some serious pace in those backs actually and we can always roll the dice with Foden late on.
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Littletigress
- Senior Member
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:34 pm
Re: England vs Wales
Good to see Cole on the bench! 
Re: England vs Wales
Pretty good balance in my opinion.
To ask Cole to step up against the best front row in the tournament when he is still so young and inexperienced would possibly be a step too far. better to bring him from the bench. As much as it pains me to say so, Payne and Wilson are probably the right combination.
The Welsh pack will have the advantage, and probably be more mobile, but England are bringing grunt. If Haskell and Moody can win some rucks though, it could give us a platform.
Wilko will have to control things but with Flutey outside him, a lot of the creative pressure can be shared.
IF Tait can find the defence to match Roberts attacks (and this is where I believe Wales will attack most), then he could pose a real threat when England get the ball. Good to see him given a chance as well.
Ashton is unlucky to not get on the bench at least. Cueto was the star inthe AIs, but Monye must have been sweating?
Armitage is a good full back, and will add to the attacks. The option of Foden as the the game breaks up (possibly with Armitage moving to centre and Tait out to the wing?) is also appetising.
I think MJ has done ok here, providing the tactics we look to use play to the teams strengths.
To ask Cole to step up against the best front row in the tournament when he is still so young and inexperienced would possibly be a step too far. better to bring him from the bench. As much as it pains me to say so, Payne and Wilson are probably the right combination.
The Welsh pack will have the advantage, and probably be more mobile, but England are bringing grunt. If Haskell and Moody can win some rucks though, it could give us a platform.
Wilko will have to control things but with Flutey outside him, a lot of the creative pressure can be shared.
IF Tait can find the defence to match Roberts attacks (and this is where I believe Wales will attack most), then he could pose a real threat when England get the ball. Good to see him given a chance as well.
Ashton is unlucky to not get on the bench at least. Cueto was the star inthe AIs, but Monye must have been sweating?
Armitage is a good full back, and will add to the attacks. The option of Foden as the the game breaks up (possibly with Armitage moving to centre and Tait out to the wing?) is also appetising.
I think MJ has done ok here, providing the tactics we look to use play to the teams strengths.
John
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He is able to lift up a heavy object when that heavy object says "lift me now".
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He is able to lift up a heavy object when that heavy object says "lift me now".
Re: England vs Wales
No dear, that's the team:jgriffin wrote:That front row will get mullered. Payne cannot be a serious contender for anything, and if MJ picks him we might as well go home now.
Anyway you all rose to the bait - FBI is a Welsh troll albeit one quoting press 'informed' speculation.
TROLL ALERT!
http://www.rfu.com/News/2010/February/N ... ad_v_Wales
Re: England vs Wales
What irony if uncontested scrums began before half time. No doubt a Welsh and Wasps coach would go beserk!
Re: England vs Wales
Why is it that we are playing a 22-man squad? Why not the 23-man squads we are playing in all other competitions this year? Typical rugby administration!
I think England need to be ready to go to uncontested scrums at the earliest opportunity as they will potentially be destroyed at scrum-time in the front row.
Otherwise, we need a solid line-out and some strong tactical kicking to stand a chance.
In the backs, I don't see the great change that the media have been heralding. Matt Tait? Otherwise all the other players have played in recent England teams.
I think England need to be ready to go to uncontested scrums at the earliest opportunity as they will potentially be destroyed at scrum-time in the front row.
Otherwise, we need a solid line-out and some strong tactical kicking to stand a chance.
In the backs, I don't see the great change that the media have been heralding. Matt Tait? Otherwise all the other players have played in recent England teams.
Always a Tiger
Re: England vs Wales
Luckily managed to get tickets to Twickers for what will be my first international so can't wait. Looks like a strong team to me, and I'm feeling optimistic for a winning start, however the front row does worry me. We've only just got rid of one Wasps player who can't scrum, Vickery, to be replaced by another in Payne! Congratulations to Cole, hopefully he'll get a good chance to show them how its done.