12T or not 12T - the nation holds its breath....

[jgriffin]

12T's selection for the squad - if the press is to be believed, for the 12 slot - sets the scene for the whole divisive debate over his abilities to start up again!

He has been proven right to move clubs for international honours if he gets his cap!

[G.K]

There is a lot of noise that 12T will be starting at 12. Hopefully so. Question is will he see the ball or will Farrell just be hoofing to the Scottish 22? I think BBY will need to do the miss you out passes again.

[tig1]

I have faith JG that SL will continue to pick form players, and that will mean that Tom Youngs and Billy Twelvetrees will be starting.

[The Boy Dave]

There is a lot of noise that 12T will be starting at 12. Hopefully so. Question is will he see the ball or will Farrell just be hoofing to the Scottish 22? I think BBY will need to do the miss you out passes again

I think 12T will start. Slancaster seems to want physicality which is not a bad thing as long as the other elements are right. I am eager to see the forward battle against Scotland which is never easy. The return of Wood and emergence of Youngs and Launchbury has really added something to the English pack.

[APJones]

no 36 can run too - don't be surprised if he chases YBYs up and unders and gets the trys

[os99]

This is another typical SL decision where he picks on potential rather than form. Twelvetrees hasn't been on his best of form and he hasn't even been able to prove it in the Heineken cup. With Twelvetrees and Goode, the distribution will be a lot better but I don't see much threat from England out wide. I think Wade has played well enough to deserve a chance for England.

[The Boy Dave]

no 36 can run too - don't be surprised if he chases YBYs up and unders and gets the trys

Yes, no doubt it's all there! He is the best English 12 around. This time last year he may not have been but IMO he is now!

This is another typical SL decision where he picks on potential rather than form. Twelvetrees hasn't been on his best of form and he hasn't even been able to prove it in the Heineken cup. With Twelvetrees and Goode, the distribution will be a lot better but I don't see much threat from England out wide. I think Wade has played well enough to deserve a chance for England

I would agree that some of Slancasters choices could be questioned but that is the way it has always been with England. There are always good players who miss out. Not everyone can be accommodated. 12T deserves his chance especially with so few options in the 12 position. There are question marks over Wade's tackling and I don't believe he has answered them yet. On the other hand a man who's tackling was rightly questioned for years has improved beyond measure and can't get a look in anymore. A certain T.V has been discarded by England far too early in his career IMO!

[tig1]

This is another typical SL decision where he picks on potential rather than form. Twelvetrees hasn't been on his best of form and he hasn't even been able to prove it in the Heineken cup. With Twelvetrees and Goode, the distribution will be a lot better but I don't see much threat from England out wide. I think Wade has played well enough to deserve a chance for England.

IMO we tend to forget where England were under MJ a little more than 12 months ago, with the likes of Moody, Tindell, Shaw, Hape, Thompson, Deacon, Cueto, Wilko, Stevens.

I think SL is on a completely different (higher) level to MJ in terms of selection and squad development.

[mjonesss95]

I would still have Allen over 36, but I'm not complaining that he's back with us!

[Granby]

This is another typical SL decision where he picks on potential rather than form. Twelvetrees hasn't been on his best of form and he hasn't even been able to prove it in the Heineken cup. With Twelvetrees and Goode, the distribution will be a lot better but I don't see much threat from England out wide. I think Wade has played well enough to deserve a chance for England.

IMO we tend to forget where England were under MJ a little more than 12 months ago, with the likes of Moody, Tindell, Shaw, Hape, Thompson, Deacon, Cueto, Wilko, Stevens.

I think SL is on a completely different (higher) level to MJ in terms of selection and squad development.

Really ? So 18 months ago MJ should have picked the likes of 12T's, Burns, Launchbury and Tom Youngs?

[os99]

This is another typical SL decision where he picks on potential rather than form. Twelvetrees hasn't been on his best of form and he hasn't even been able to prove it in the Heineken cup. With Twelvetrees and Goode, the distribution will be a lot better but I don't see much threat from England out wide. I think Wade has played well enough to deserve a chance for England.

IMO we tend to forget where England were under MJ a little more than 12 months ago, with the likes of Moody, Tindell, Shaw, Hape, Thompson, Deacon, Cueto, Wilko, Stevens.

I think SL is on a completely different (higher) level to MJ in terms of selection and squad development.

Really ? So 18 months ago MJ should have picked the likes of 12T's, Burns, Launchbury and Tom Youngs?

It's a lot different going into the 2011 WC rather than having 3 years to build a team for the next WC. Johnson was having to pick a team to win games, for SL results are a lot less relevant.

[h's dad]

Really ? So 18 months ago MJ should have picked the likes of 12T's, Burns, Launchbury and Tom Youngs?

It's a lot different going into the 2011 WC rather than having 3 years to build a team for the next WC. Johnson was having to pick a team to win games, for SL results are a lot less relevant.

Er, wasn't MJ appointed in April 2008, giving a good three and a half years to prepare for 2011 RWC?

[jgriffin]

I do not hold to the view that SL is better than Johnno - Johnno's record away from the WC was good, SL's is not. MJ would have had Parling if not for injury, and many others were in the pipeline.
I am not holding my breath as I can see how, given parity up front, we could get beaten by a team clearing the breakdown at speed. Don't forget the ABs were a tired lot who had norovirus - the same thing that kept Flood from playing, but most of the ABs played. Too much has been made of an excellent display where the bubble around a tired ABs team was punctured, mostly courtesy of Manu being Manu.

This 6N will give us some measure - I think the fixtures against Ireland and France are the important ones. Please equate with Johnno's record here for a full comparison, after the tournament.

[4071]

Really ? So 18 months ago MJ should have picked the likes of 12T's, Burns, Launchbury and Tom Youngs?

It's a lot different going into the 2011 WC rather than having 3 years to build a team for the next WC. Johnson was having to pick a team to win games, for SL results are a lot less relevant.

Er, wasn't MJ appointed in April 2008, giving a good three and a half years to prepare for 2011 RWC?

Yes - and he immediately set about rejuvenating the squad - in came a load of younger players - he handed out debuts to the likes of Cole, Hartley, Corbisiero, Robshaw, Lawes, Doran-Jones, Mullan, Wilson, Wood, Care, Ben Youngs, Cipriani, Tuilagi, Sharples, Foden, Ashton and Armitage (both of them) when they were all in their early 20s, and most of them are now core squad or first team players under Lancaster.

Brian Ashton's WC team included the likes of Chuter, Regan, Vickery, Freshwater, Kay, Corry, Worsley, Dallaglio, Farrell, Catt, Lewsey and Robinson who were all in their 30s and needed replacing (and Simon Shaw, who was well into his 30s but apparently didn't need replacing).

Squads are much older at the end of a WC cycle than at the start. This SHOULD be something of a truism, but apparently not...

[TigerCam]

12T's selection for the squad - if the press is to be believed, for the 12 slot - sets the scene for the whole divisive debate over his abilities to start up again!

He has been proven right to move clubs for international honours if he gets his cap!

In an attempt to get the thread back on track, I am well pleased for B12T. The move to Glaws has worked well for him but even from his Bedford days he was capable of making the England side. I sincerely hope he goes on to play as well overall as he did do from the few chances he was given by Cockers. I just hope George Ford makes the transition at Bath and get the opportunities that he deserves.