completely agree with this. unfortunately it isn't just as simple as making a straight swap between B Vunipola and Simmonds as we would need to change our whole game plan to allow for this.Alandrin75 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:41 pmI have read a few articles about Sam Simmonds and the best was talking about Simmonds for Chiefs and Simmonds for England. The belief in the article is Chiefs build there back row and to an extent second row around Simmonds. With Curry and Underhill packing down as flankers with Sam it is thought that the back row would be under powered in the set piece whereas Chiefs play some sizeable lumps in the 6 and 7 shirts.TheTigerKing wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:18 pm Back row of Underhill, Curry and Simmonds.
Main thing, more power in the backs, Simmonds at 8, a proper 15 and let them play what's infront of them. We have some genuinely world class forwards in Itoje, Curry, Underhill and Simmonds, let's build around that.
Also from a ball carrying perspective I saw a lot of Crofty in Simmonds on Saturday, with him standing out in the backs or out on the wing where he can use his base and power to blast through backs challenges. England need a power based ball carrying threat which is what Billy is supposed to do.
At Englands best we have three principle ball carriers in Billy, Mako and Manu, with secondary carriers in Sinckler, Maro and AN Other lock. By using these they tie up defenses and Curry and Underhill are there to create quick ball to release either the next runner or to engage the backs. With Simmonds in the team we would lose some of this and would require a whole new way to play which I am not sure Eddie is comfortable with.
Similarly with Marcus Smith. Quins play a completely different game to England and don't think he would suit the physical game we are trying to play, whereas he is more of an attacking FH who wants to run.
It is a bit of a shame that some of the most on form premiership players in Simmonds and Smith are unlikely to play for England any time soon, but our best performances in the last few years have been when we have been extremely physical, especially in defence and subsequently the opposition has had no chance to play (RWC v N.Zealand and away to Ireland 2019).