FANTASY SAXONS/ENGLAND SUMMER TOUR 23

[JP14]

Will Willis be fit by then?

[JP14]

Personally I would drop Slade and Vunipola but have the others in around the squad. Yes Smith 100% deserves to be capped, but I think you need Ford to be starting to have that consistent leadership presence. I would prefer him to be captain too over Ewels.

[RagingBull]

Will Willis be fit by then?

Was thinking Tom

[JP14]

Will Willis be fit by then?

Was thinking Tom

Of course! That's a shout actually.

[No6_Flanker]

Personally I would drop Slade and Vunipola but have the others in around the squad. Yes Smith 100% deserves to be capped, but I think you need Ford to be starting to have that consistent leadership presence. I would prefer him to be captain too over Ewels.

Agree that Ford would provide leadership but I think you have to start Smith. If not now, when? Ford off the bench for me, so that he’s still involved in the match day squad.

[No6_Flanker]

Personally think it would be pointless v USA and Canada to play all of them.
Maybe Genge but all the others are in positions where we do have some form players in.

Genge, Dunn, Stuart
Ribbans, Martin
Barbeary, Curry, Dombrandt
Spencer, Smith
O'Connor, Lawrence
Loader, Thorley, Steward

Bench
Obano, Ashman, Heyes
Ewels, Willis
JVP, Bailey, Parton

RB, interested why you have Bailey in over J Simmonds?

[RagingBull]

For me I just like to have the 22 shirt with a player who covers more than just 10.

[No6_Flanker]

Makes sense, and Bailey can play 15?

[sam16111986]

Personally I'd like to see the non touring members of the 6N squad rested for the three game 'tour'. There's enough quality in the Prem to develop more competition and give the usual England guys a full pre season. I think it would lead to a lot of guys entering the new season at full pelt as suddenly a lot of shirts are up for grabs.

Something like;

Obano, Dunn, Heyes
Ribbans, Martin
Hill, Dombrandt, Ludlam
Randall, Smith
O'Conor, Marchant
Loader, Steward, Freeman

Langdon, West, Hill, Isiekwe, Barbeary, Mitchell, Simmonds, Lawrence.

Three lineout jumpers, experience enough on the front row but still two props that will be around post the next world cup. Simmonds has played 15 for Chiefs previously whilst O'Conor and Marchant can both move to the wing if required.

I'd rather we used it as a real experimental summer as opposed bringing out average can do a solid job type players like Ewels.

[ABClub]

Radwan has to be there for me now he's fit again.

1.Genge 2.Dunn 3.Stuart 4.Martin 5.Ewels 6.Earl 7.Ludlam 8.Dombrandt
9.Randall 10.Smith 11.Radwan 12.Lawrence 13.Odogwu 14.Marchant 15.Steward

16.Ashman 17.Obano 18.Heyes 19.Ribbans 20.Barbeary 21.Spencer 22.Malins 23.O'Connor

I'd also like Bevan Rodd, Ted Hill and Alex Mitchell involved in and around the squads.

If Ben Curry regains fitness and shows his early season form I'd have him in there too. He impressed a lot after the restart of last season and when this season began. That injury around 2017 just after being called up to the England squad hit his development hard. Coming back from that he was noticeably less physically developed than Tom who really bulked up whilst Ben was presumably rehabbing. It's therefore taken longer for him to bring the physicality he showed in the tackle at age grade into senior rugby but he was really starting to do that in 2020 prior to the latest injury.

[No6_Flanker]

Those picking Martin in the second row and Lawrence at 12: according to Premiership Rugby Stats neither of them have started a Premiership game in those positions.

Shouldn’t they demonstrate some form in that position before representing their country?

[No6_Flanker]

Radwan has to be there for me now he's fit again.

We all know he’s quick, but what are his fundamentals - high ball, kicking, tackling, positioning - like?

[ABClub]

Radwan has to be there for me now he's fit again.

We all know he’s quick, but what are his fundamentals - high ball, kicking, tackling, positioning - like?

Rock solid from what I've seen. For someone relatively inexperienced at senior level I think his basics are as solid as any I've seen since Nowell. He's aggressive and strong in contact for a guy his size.

That said with young wingers I don't actually like ruling guys out early due to a weakness even if it's glaring. May looked like a headless chicken at times early in his career but his upside in attack was huge and he improved with game time. Watson could be a revolving door in the tackle but again the upside offset it and he improved massively in terms of defensive positioning to the point that he deservedly started all the tests of the last Lions tour.

Players like Cokanasiga and Thorley who do have definite weaknesses are worth persevering with to see how they improve when it comes to wingers in my opinion.

[Ian Cant]

For me time for Ford to have a Summer off which would do him and Ben Youngs more good both for England and Tigers. Jones knows what Ford can do so try others.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Radwan has to be there for me now he's fit again.

1.Genge 2.Dunn 3.Stuart 4.Martin 5.Ewels 6.Earl 7.Ludlam 8.Dombrandt
9.Randall 10.Smith 11.Radwan 12.Lawrence 13.Odogwu 14.Marchant 15.Steward

16.Ashman 17.Obano 18.Heyes 19.Ribbans 20.Barbeary 21.Spencer 22.Malins 23.O'Connor

I'd also like Bevan Rodd, Ted Hill and Alex Mitchell involved in and around the squads.

If Ben Curry regains fitness and shows his early season form I'd have him in there too. He impressed a lot after the restart of last season and when this season began. That injury around 2017 just after being called up to the England squad hit his development hard. Coming back from that he was noticeably less physically developed than Tom who really bulked up whilst Ben was presumably rehabbing. It's therefore taken longer for him to bring the physicality he showed in the tackle at age grade into senior rugby but he was really starting to do that in 2020 prior to the latest injury.

Hassell-Collins needs a chance IMO, has stood out for Irish looks a real prospect