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England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:39 am
by Which Tyler
Squad announcement
Head coach Steve Borthwick has named his 36-player squad for Saturday's #GuinnessM6N clash with Wales at Twickenham Stadium.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:52 am
by Danno
I do not like that we are an injured pinky finger away from Charlie Ewels. Plus it will be a shame if Biggest George doesn't return to fitness.
Same squad as last week I think?
If Wales have a purple patch the way they did against Scotland they can put us away.
I'm tired of being disappointed (at best) after virtually every game we play. Borthwick needs to earn his money pronto.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:56 am
by p/d
The most annoying thing about that squad list is the misaligned spacing.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:10 pm
by SixAndAHalf
I would make a single change - IFW for Daly.
Still feel having Mercer / Barbeary would add the necessary go forward to what is currently a functional forward pack.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:48 pm
by Mush
Minor changes to the starting XV for me:
Genge to start. (Obano stays on bench, Marler out)
CCS to No 8. (Earl to open side flank, Roots to blind side.)
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
by Stom
Why, when Dombrandt has been demonstrably the best 8 in the league this season, and is in the squad, are people ignoring him to play his understudy or someone outside the squad at 8?
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:30 pm
by fivepointer
Suspect we'll see an unchanged 23.
There's a case for some tweaking, but equally there's a case for a new side with a few new faces to be given another outing.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:33 pm
by Puja
Stom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
Why, when Dombrandt has been demonstrably the best 8 in the league this season, and is in the squad, are people ignoring him to play his understudy or someone outside the squad at 8?
I'm more questioning why, after a performance that showed the difficulties in the first run out under a new defensive system and clearly demonstrated the importance of cohesion, people are determined to bring new people in to face Wales.
I wouldn't've played that XXIII against Italy, but now that we've selected it, there's no mileage in making drastic changes.
Puja
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:59 pm
by Oakboy
I'd leave Care, Underhill and Daly out of the 23, replacing them with Spencer, B Curry and Furbank (all three to the bench). I'd start C-S at 8, Earl at 7, IFW at 11 and Smith at 10.
Anything passive in our approach could cost us against Wales. We need to be in their faces and dominate.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:02 pm
by SixAndAHalf
Stom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
Why, when Dombrandt has been demonstrably the best 8 in the league this season, and is in the squad, are people ignoring him to play his understudy or someone outside the squad at 8?
Because it's an England team not a Premiership Team of the Season?
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:41 pm
by Tom Moore
Stom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
Why, when Dombrandt has been demonstrably the best 8 in the league this season, and is in the squad, are people ignoring him to play his understudy or someone outside the squad at 8?
Is Dombrandt materially better this season than he was last season? Because he didn't do anything in the last 6N to suggest that he should be brought in to replace Earl (who was one of the few successes of the World Cup), despite still being in very good nick at Premiership level, and having his club 10 playing too. To be honest, I've never, from memory, seen him do anything in an England shirt that looks anything like what he does at club level.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:46 pm
by Puja
Tom Moore wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:41 pm
Stom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
Why, when Dombrandt has been demonstrably the best 8 in the league this season, and is in the squad, are people ignoring him to play his understudy or someone outside the squad at 8?
Is Dombrandt materially better this season than he was last season? Because he didn't do anything in the last 6N to suggest that he should be brought in to replace Earl (who was one of the few successes of the World Cup), despite still being in very good nick at Premiership level, and having his club 10 playing too. To be honest, I've never, from memory, seen him do anything in an England shirt that looks anything like what he does at club level.
I would say he's noticeably stepped up a level from where he was last season in the Prem, and I would probably have started him based on what I've seen, but the fact that he's not even made the bench suggests that he hasn't shown enough in training to suggest that it's going to be transferred to the higher level.
Puja
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:55 pm
by Mellsblue
If we’re selecting solely based on last years 6N performances we either need to pick a load of debutants or withdraw from the comp. We’d also need a new set of coaches.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:56 pm
by 16th man
Mellsblue wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:55 pm
If we’re selecting solely based on last years 6N performances we either need to pick a load of debutants or withdraw from the comp. We’d also need a new set of coaches.
Like
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:57 pm
by 16th man
Dombrandt's biggest impact appears to be how many threads he can be argued about in.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:57 pm
by Mr Mwenda
Didn't England just select a load of debutants and got some new coaches?
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:58 pm
by Mr Mwenda
16th man wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:57 pm
Dombrandt's biggest impact appears to be how many threads he can be argued about in.
Who had him as the new EMB-Farrell in the sweepstake?
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:58 pm
by Which Tyler
Dombrandt's the new Slade - all the skills, getting (got) chances, 15 caps, and yet to show anything close to his club game on an international pitch
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:00 pm
by Mikey Brown
I can't wait until we all accept reality and start putting 'whoever is performing best in training' for every single position when we pick our teams. It will certainly take some of the strain off the server.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:14 pm
by p/d
I'd be picking Dombrandt over Earl at 8 all day long. Earl is a 7.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:48 pm
by FKAS
Marcus Smith not fit then. Shame, I'm still not convinced Ford is fully fit. Hopefully Fin gets the nod what with Wales fielding young 10s as well be a good chance for us to do the same.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:52 pm
by p/d
Then we can take them all out for pizza and coke.
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:55 pm
by Stom
16th man wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:57 pm
Dombrandt's biggest impact appears to be how many threads he can be argued about in.
I’m not going to shut up.
I’ll die on this hill
Not Under the Hill, as he’s obviously not fit
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 5:17 pm
by twitchy
Re: England v Wales; Saturday, 4.45. ITV / S4C
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2024 5:40 pm
by Banquo
SixAndAHalf wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:10 pm
I would make a single change - IFW for Daly.
Still feel having Mercer / Barbeary would add the necessary go forward to what is currently a functional forward pack.
Barbeary be banned.
