Cipriani

[Mark62]

So the anointed one has one premiership player of the season, no real surprise and given his performances well deserved.

So my question is twofold, firstly he is obviously a very talented rugby player, but is he really that good, or is it just that Gloucester build, and let him run, their offensive game around him, to such an extent that when he fails, for instance at Worcester, the whole thing fails.

Secondly there is now pressure for Jones to take him to Japan. Given his role at Gloucester, would he fit into Jones squad, and who would you leave out, take him as 2nd 10 behind Farrell and leave Ford at home, or take 3 centres, Slade, Manu and Joseph say, and Farrell will fill in at centre if required.

Same could be asked of Alex Goode, playing superbly, but given that I would say May, Daley, Nowell and Watson, are pretty much on the plane, who does he go instead of, Mike Brown?

[Scott1]

Its a tough one,Farrell is going to play 80 minutes every meaningful game anyway rightly or wrongly but if a game needed changing Cips has got that magic. But....if Farrell sadly got injured I'd much prefer Ford to start the next game because of his relationship with Youngs,Manu,May etc and I personally think Ford could do way more damage with Manu and Slade outside him than Farrell ever could. I've got a feeling Eddie will take only 2 FH with Slade emergency cover and a MF four of Manu,Te'o,Slade and JJ. Hence Cips stays at home I'm afraid
As for Goode,doesn't have that physicality or extra bit of pace needed at international level and you don't get the space to exploit that you get week in week out at club level. Goode doesn't even come into my RWC thoughts,just my opinion though. Good thread Mark!

[Scott1]

As regards to the back 3,with the unpredictable weather out there I would be tempted to take Brown as he's a proper 15. So it would be May,Nowell,Daly and Brown with Ashton,Big Joe and Watson fighting for one spot. But I think Eddie will take Watson so it's Ashton,Big Joe and Brown fighting it out for the remaining place in the squad.

[JP14]

Eddie will go for brawn over pace!

[Mark62]

As regards to the back 3,with the unpredictable weather out there I would be tempted to take Brown as he's a proper 15. So it would be May,Nowell,Daly and Brown with Ashton,Big Joe and Watson fighting for one spot. But I think Eddie will take Watson so it's Ashton,Big Joe and Brown fighting it out for the remaining place in the squad.

Once Watson proves his match fitness he is on the plane

[Scott1]

Who would you take as the 5th back 3 player Mark? If Watson is in I'd take Big Joe.

[Mark62]

Who would you take as the 5th back 3 player Mark? If Watson is in I'd take Big Joe.

Ahead of Ashton and Brown I would agree with you

[Leicestertinytiger]

For me the remaining back spots in the WC is a shoot out between Te’o, Joseph and Cipriani for the two remaining Fly Half/Centre spots. I imagine Farrell, Ford, Tuilagi, Slade are all on the plane.

Obviously Cipriani deserves to be going. Just I imagine Uncle Eddie will have different ideas.

[mol2]

I doub't Watson will go.
His calf is barely half the size pre injury, he's still limping and looked slow and ponderous. Looks like a player who has come back too soon (again) and for me should not have been playing this season having re-ruptured the achilles coming back too soon.
Lest we forget he's no more confident under the high ball than Daly. He's a wing that people are trying to make into a full back. Funny how absence elevates the status of some players.

Brown is not the player he was - looked slow against us and no longer able to take the ball up as well as he once did.
If anothe rfull back is required then the player who should go is Alex Goode who can also cover fly half. Probably the player of the season in my book.

Just don't get the Cipriani bit. OK in attack but a liability in defence, at best an average kicker. For me it's Ford or Farrell to start.

[Scott1]

Strange comment about Brown imo,as a whole this season I think he's been fantastic. Some of his offloading has been superb and he's still comfortably our best FB under the high ball as well as defensively. Looks like the international break has revitalised him.

[JP14]

I've done a Team of the Season... Part 1: The Front Five is out now

https://youtu.be/xh4fHtRJQ_w

[Cardiff Tig]

Do you think Cipriani would have performed as well as Ford has this season if you swapped the teams they were playing in? And would Ford have got player of the season if he was in the Gloucester team?

[Scott1]

Fantastic post Tig! The sign of a very good player to me, especially at 10,is one who can still function with a beaten pack and Ford has done that. What would Cips have been like behind ours this season?

[1989Tiger]

Do you think Cipriani would have performed as well as Ford has this season if you swapped the teams they were playing in? And would Ford have got player of the season if he was in the Gloucester team?

No, Cipriani wouldn’t have won player of the year had he been a Tigers player. Ford could easily have won it had he been playing for Gloucester. Ford is the best English 10 in the game. The most gifted, most talented and most rounded fly half this country has got.

In my opinion of course.

[Mark62]

Do you think Cipriani would have performed as well as Ford has this season if you swapped the teams they were playing in? And would Ford have got player of the season if he was in the Gloucester team?

Sort of reaffirms my point and why I believe Jones doesn’t select him.
The whole of Gloucester play book revolves around him, he is central to everything, and it is often said that he is like a coach on the pitch.
That could not happen in an international side, he would have to be part of a team, and responsibility shared