World Cup Squad Announcements

[Rugbygramps]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

[Scott1]

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... rthwick%2F

[markharbtiger]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

Me too re Henderson: glad to see he's made the 23

[sam16111986]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

My guess would be that Steve will take one of Chessum and Martin. Could go both but in a squad lacking time together the experience of Ribbans and Hill will probably be seen as useful.

Henderson has an outside chance at selection but he needs to wow in the friendlies or get some help via an injury to another lock.

[Rugbygramps]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

My guess would be that Steve will take one of Chessum and Martin. Could go both but in a squad lacking time together the experience of Ribbans and Hill will probably be seen as useful.

Henderson has an outside chance at selection but he needs to wow in the friendlies or get some help via an injury to another lock.

I think it maybe too late for Chessum unfortunately. A lot of pundits seem to feel Martin is pretty much nailed on.
Bit confused by your comment of a squad lacking time together when they have training constantly together for the month of July

[GB72]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

My guess would be that Steve will take one of Chessum and Martin. Could go both but in a squad lacking time together the experience of Ribbans and Hill will probably be seen as useful.

Henderson has an outside chance at selection but he needs to wow in the friendlies or get some help via an injury to another lock.

I think it maybe too late for Chessum unfortunately. A lot of pundits seem to feel Martin is pretty much nailed on.
Bit confused by your comment of a squad lacking time together when they have training constantly together for the month of July

Agree about the time together. This squad will have had almost the equivalent of a full club pre season. I agree that is may be too late for Chessum. I suspect he would need to have been back in full training before the final squad selection so expect him to be back at the club and potentially on the stand by list.

[Rugbygramps]

I think Martin will start against Wales and a decent performance will cement his place. All the other locks, other than Lawes who I think Borthwick sees as a 6, are different types of player to Martin. Other question at lock is where does Chessum stand. I think the squad announcement date is August 8th, he isn’t match fit yet, so will Borthwick take a chance and select him ahead of Hill, for example.
Porter imo will be unlucky, he isn’t in the 4 best centres or 4 best Wingers, so may fill that utility spot other than Daley. However Daleys kicking game May give him the nod.
Be interesting to see what he does at half back. I think he may well take all 3 scrum halfs left in the squad but only 2 fly halfs with Slade providing cover if required.

The fly half situation will be interesting. Whilst of the 3, I think Smith should be the one to miss out, will that happen. Cannot see him not taking Farrell and Ford though. Could see Ford starting against Wales. Could we go light on flankers with Lawes, Itoje and Martin all able to cover there and second row. Do you go with one centre less as Farrell can cover. lot of questions and only one match to get answers.

All excellent questions. I think the fly half situation is compounded by the fact that that is the only position both Ford and Smith can play, except in emergency, unlike Farrell, Barrett or Mackenzie.
Also does he stick with one game plan in which case you take Ford, or do you want that point of difference off the bench in which case it’s Smith. I think he will only take 2 tens with the tournament being in France knowing that in case of serious injury he can whistle up a replacement in 24 hours.

A wild stab in the dark I think the backs will be

Care, JVP, Youngs
Farrell, Ford
Lawrence, Marchant, Slade, Tuilagi
Cocanasinga, Daley, Malins, Steward, Watson

They will be helped by the fact that other than between the Japan and Chile games, 6 days, there is at least a 7 day turnaround between matches, and 2 weeks between Chile and Samoa, so the schedule is less intense than a month in the premiership.
Also once the Argentinian match is played, which will decide the group winner, there will be plenty of opportunity for squad rotation

Had a rethink on this. He may well take Smith as well at 10 as he then does have the option of playing Farrell at 12 if required. Really hope he doesn’t unless it’s off the bench, or against a 2nd tier nation.
If that happens then Cocanasinga could be the one to miss out with Marchant covering centre and wing

[TigerFeetSteve]

My guess would be that Steve will take one of Chessum and Martin. Could go both but in a squad lacking time together the experience of Ribbans and Hill will probably be seen as useful.

Henderson has an outside chance at selection but he needs to wow in the friendlies or get some help via an injury to another lock.

I think it maybe too late for Chessum unfortunately. A lot of pundits seem to feel Martin is pretty much nailed on.
Bit confused by your comment of a squad lacking time together when they have training constantly together for the month of July

Agree about the time together. This squad will have had almost the equivalent of a full club pre season. I agree that is may be too late for Chessum. I suspect he would need to have been back in full training before the final squad selection so expect him to be back at the club and potentially on the stand by list.

I doubt it is too late for Chessum, the fact he's one of only 2 guys still rehabbing with the squad to me shows those are the only two they feel are worth keeping with the squad.

[sk 88]

If I've got this right Borths picks his RWC final squad after one warm up game. Do you believe that he will be picking off this game or that he will already know his squad and this will just be case of getting everything ready?

I would guess he will use it to test a couple of alternatives, or prove fitness (Chessum/Vunipolas?) but otherwise I think he is already set which players are leaving on that date.

There will inevitably be injuries in the three remaining games plus the group stages so players need to control their disappointment at this stage as it is far from their RWC dream being over.

[Rugbygramps]

If I've got this right Borths picks his RWC final squad after one warm up game. Do you believe that he will be picking off this game or that he will already know his squad and this will just be case of getting everything ready?

I would guess he will use it to test a couple of alternatives, or prove fitness (Chessum/Vunipolas?) but otherwise I think he is already set which players are leaving on that date.

There will inevitably be injuries in the three remaining games plus the group stages so players need to control their disappointment at this stage as it is far from their RWC dream being over.

I think this is why Chessum is still in the squad so he is up to speed with structure calls etc. It would be a huge risk to pick someone who hasn’t played for 6 months. Back to Leicester couple of games in PRC and he’ll be out to France if any of the locks go lame

[Hot_Charlie]

I hope Henderson gets a call up, his issue could be that a World Cup isn’t the environment for developing players. We know he is good enough but his lack of test experience may count against him.
I can foresee a situation where both Ollie Chessum and Henderson are back with the club in September

My guess would be that Steve will take one of Chessum and Martin. Could go both but in a squad lacking time together the experience of Ribbans and Hill will probably be seen as useful.

Henderson has an outside chance at selection but he needs to wow in the friendlies or get some help via an injury to another lock.

I think it maybe too late for Chessum unfortunately. A lot of pundits seem to feel Martin is pretty much nailed on.
Bit confused by your comment of a squad lacking time together when they have training constantly together for the month of July

Agree. I think we needed to see Chessum training by now. That said, maybe if he could be available by the middle of the warm ups, there could be hope.

[TigerFeetSteve]

What's heavily in Chessum's favour is how well Aled knows him, so I have full faith in England getting him prepped and ready

[Rugbygramps]

What's heavily in Chessum's favour is how well Aled knows him, so I have full faith in England getting him prepped and ready

I think if the squad was being named late August he would have a better chance. You just don’t know but you don’t know how match fit someone is until they have played some game minutes

[TigerFeetSteve]

What's heavily in Chessum's favour is how well Aled knows him, so I have full faith in England getting him prepped and ready

I think if the squad was being named late August he would have a better chance. You just don’t know but you don’t know how match fit someone is until they have played some game minutes

Yes but you can replace a player for injury at anytime.

So if he wants Chessum in the sensible route is to pick him, then replace him if he's not fit.

If you don't pick him and he is fit you can't pick him till someone else is injured.

Better off having the players you ideally want then swapping them out if needed than hoping you can swap them in if needed.

This is why you have to have faith in your fitness team that they know how ready they will be by X date.

[Rugbygramps]

What's heavily in Chessum's favour is how well Aled knows him, so I have full faith in England getting him prepped and ready

I think if the squad was being named late August he would have a better chance. You just don’t know but you don’t know how match fit someone is until they have played some game minutes

Yes but you can replace a player for injury at anytime.

So if he wants Chessum in the sensible route is to pick him, then replace him if he's not fit.

If you don't pick him and he is fit you can't pick him till someone else is injured.

Better off having the players you ideally want then swapping them out if needed than hoping you can swap them in if needed.

This is why you have to have faith in your fitness team that they know how ready they will be by X date.

Not doubting what you’re saying but I’m sure you used to be only able to replace a player if they were out for the rest of the tournament. IMO it would be better to start with a fit player in the squad, Ribbans or Hill, than take a risk all be a small one with Chessum.
Who knows what Borthwick will do