2024 Six Nations Chat

[Chobbsy]

I've just seen the England team to face Ireland. Furbank is retained... Surely Steward must be injured. Unless SB has completely lost his mind, especially after Furbank's showing last week!?

Steward been pictured training. Obviously feels Furbank needs another chance.
Assume Root injured with Chessum @ 6 and Dombrant on the bench

How many more chances?
The worse thing that happened was him scoring last match, pasted over the cracks, Ireland will (although they don't need to, to win) putting up high ball after high ball

[Rugbygramps]

I've just seen the England team to face Ireland. Furbank is retained... Surely Steward must be injured. Unless SB has completely lost his mind, especially after Furbank's showing last week!?

Steward been pictured training. Obviously feels Furbank needs another chance.
Assume Root injured with Chessum @ 6 and Dombrant on the bench

How many more chances?
The worse thing that happened was him scoring last match, pasted over the cracks, Ireland will (although they don't need to, to win) putting up high ball after high ball

Totally agree scoring that try early doors was the worse thing to happen. It was a set move and Steward would have scored it just as well.
As others have said at least Steward will return to Tigers fresh

[Tiglon]

Ireland have been keeping the ball in hand a lot this year, so Steward's super power won't necessarily be of much use. Personally, I still would have picked him though.

[Rugbygramps]

Ireland have been keeping the ball in hand a lot this year, so Steward's super power won't necessarily be of much use. Personally, I still would have picked him though.

Yes the new 10 hasn’t got the kick from hand game that Sexton had. Big strong runner though

[sam16111986]

Ireland have been keeping the ball in hand a lot this year, so Steward's super power won't necessarily be of much use. Personally, I still would have picked him though.

Yes the new 10 hasn’t got the kick from hand game that Sexton had. Big strong runner though

They tend to kick more in the second half and keep it hand more in the first. Up against the England blitz I can see them going for the crossfield kick a fair bit. I'd have had Steward in for this game every time personally. Keenan back is a good strong to their bow when it comes to the aerial game and Lowe is strong in that area as well. If I was Farrell I'd definitely be having a look at sending up a few testers, not near Freeman who's good in the air but between newbie IFW and Furbank to see how good their communication is and if they can control the space or not.

Thought Furbank was pretty poor last weekend and really only turned up his try and a couple of flashes in the second half.

I trust Borthwick has a plan and a reason for going with Furbank though and his plans did tend to work for us.

[Rugbygramps]

2 things spring to mind with Borthwick are a stubborn streak and loyalty. It may be that he wants to give Furbank another go or 2, and doesn’t want people questioning his selection.
I find it interesting that Steward isn’t on the bench, is that to remove the temptation to take Furbank off if things are going great. If Furbank comes off who’s going to 15 Daley or Marcus Smith.

[Leicestertinytiger]

The top 4 teams in the world all have a playmaker at 15, almost like a secondary 10. So I can’t blame SB for bringing in Furbank as he’ll help with the attacking shape.

I don’t think Steward will ever be that mould of player. But he’s a big lad who can run onto the ball at pace. Rob Kearney used to run some wonderful lines and I’m sure he’ll be back in the XV. He just needs to work on his handling.

I actually really like the backline. Stick Marcus at 10 and it probably isn’t far off first choice.

[Rugbygramps]

The top 4 teams in the world all have a playmaker at 15, almost like a secondary 10. So I can’t blame SB for bringing in Furbank as he’ll help with the attacking shape.

I don’t think Steward will ever be that mould of player. But he’s a big lad who can run onto the ball at pace. Rob Kearney used to run some wonderful lines and I’m sure he’ll be back in the XV. He just needs to work on his handling.

I actually really like the backline. Stick Marcus at 10 and it probably isn’t far off first choice.

And yet when the big games need winning it comes down who wins the forward exchanges and the kicking battle not the pretty stuff.
I’m interested to know which part of Stewards handling needs working on

[Offside]

Absolutely. How did we win the premiership and what have Quins and Saints won recently?
I am starting to wonder if SB just got lucky with us that year. Certainly did nit evolve much in the following year.

[sam16111986]

The top 4 teams in the world all have a playmaker at 15,

Apart from Ireland. Ireland encourage all their backs to be playmakers. France have Ramos at fullback but don't use him as a playmaker to the extent of New Zealand and South Africa. France have preferred Ramos and Jaminet for their running game and ability off the kicking tee.

[sam16111986]

Absolutely. How did we win the premiership and what have Quins and Saints won recently?
I am starting to wonder if SB just got lucky with us that year. Certainly did nit evolve much in the following year.

He changed how we were playing the year following the Prem win, tried to evolve the attack without much success. The ambition was there but we execution was lacking, not helped by the fact we didn't have Pollard for a run of games until Borthwick was leaving.

I suspect we'll have the same problem with England re ambition and execution until a more experienced attack coach joins at the end of the summer.

[Ian Cant]

I think Furbank is a very good player but Borthwick needs to find out if he can become World Class like Freddie: I also read a couple of weeks ago that Freddie had picked up a niggling injury!
Furbank has also been quite a versatile player and we know Borthwick likes that too.
No one expects England to come close to Ireland so that takes a lot of pressure off! Fingers crossed.

[Tiglon]

I think Furbank is a very good player but Borthwick needs to find out if he can become World Class like Freddie: I also read a couple of weeks ago that Freddie had picked up a niggling injury!
Furbank has also been quite a versatile player and we know Borthwick likes that too.
No one expects England to come close to Ireland so that takes a lot of pressure off! Fingers crossed.

I actually do think England could get close. I can't see them winning, obviously, but this isn't a team that loses by huge margins so I wouldn't expect a big score for Ireland either.

[DeadlyDunc]

I think Furbank is a very good player but Borthwick needs to find out if he can become World Class like Freddie: I also read a couple of weeks ago that Freddie had picked up a niggling injury!
Furbank has also been quite a versatile player and we know Borthwick likes that too.
No one expects England to come close to Ireland so that takes a lot of pressure off! Fingers crossed.

I actually do think England could get close. I can't see them winning, obviously, but this isn't a team that loses by huge margins so I wouldn't expect a big score for Ireland either.

I want England to win but if we try to play rugby ball in hand then I think Ireland will win by 20+ points unless we find a level that we’ve rarely found over the past 3-4 years.

I’ve said to mates for a while now - the more we try to play ball in hand the worse we are.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Absolutely. How did we win the premiership and what have Quins and Saints won recently?
I am starting to wonder if SB just got lucky with us that year. Certainly did nit evolve much in the following year.

He changed how we were playing the year following the Prem win, tried to evolve the attack without much success. The ambition was there but we execution was lacking, not helped by the fact we didn't have Pollard for a run of games until Borthwick was leaving.

I suspect we'll have the same problem with England re ambition and execution until a more experienced attack coach joins at the end of the summer.

I don't think Borthwick did that at all beginning of last season, he tried to play exactly these same way we won the season before, but without a bunch of the integral parts of that success, we were completely found out, it was a complete mess, for me the jury is very much out on his ability as a Head Coach.