EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Scrumhead]

I thought he was decent, but not good enough to warrant that level of analysis. I was more encouraged by a couple of decent carries and an offload than his breakdown work though.

The bit that I found a bit odd was the ‘rapid counter-ruck ... taking the space immediately behind rival carriers as they go to ground’. I kind of know what he means, but how can you counter-ruck when no ruck has been formed? If there’s space behind the carrier surely there’s no ruck?

[Mikey Brown]

A pre-emptive counter ruck? My coach always used to say “if you’re going to enter a ruck late, do it early.”

[Mikey Brown]

Also, anyone see Addison for Ulster?

[Scrumhead]

Nope - kind of irrelevant though now given his intention to throw his hat in the ring with the Irish.

[Timbo]

The way Addison plays it’s hard to see that he’ll not always been quite injury prone.

[twitchy]

Nope - kind of irrelevant though now given his intention to throw his hat in the ring with the Irish.

Burns is as well.

[Puja]

Nope - kind of irrelevant though now given his intention to throw his hat in the ring with the Irish.

Burns is as well.

And Haley. Seems odd that they're all trying their chances with a higher ranked side at the same time, alhough I suppose all three were one club men and might thrive from a different environment.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

True, but it’s a higher ranked side with significantly less depth.

Billy Burns is the best example. He had at least 5 established players well ahead of him for England. For Ireland, that’s not the case. Sexton and Carbery are way out in front and since Jackson and Madigan are no longer in the equation, he’s competing with Ian Keatley who is nothing special and then Ross Byrne, Bill Johnston and JJ Hanrahan none of whom are first choice for their clubs or have a test cap. A good season as first choice for Ulster and Burns is in with a good shout of bring 3rd choice and possibly making the World Cup squad.

Addison and Haley are good players who really weren’t that far off the England squad. With Zebo out of the picture, they’re potentially in the mix. Kearney and Larmour are in the box seat at 15 but Shmidt’s never really looked at anyone else and on the wing it’s fairly slim pickings after Stockdale, Earls and Conway.

[twitchy]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... land-rugby

Billy Vunipola: ‘A lot of people still have injuries and try to hide it’

[Tigersman]

Nope - kind of irrelevant though now given his intention to throw his hat in the ring with the Irish.

Burns is as well.

And Haley. Seems odd that they're all trying their chances with a higher ranked side at the same time, alhough I suppose all three were one club men and might thrive from a different environment.

Puja

Think the IRFU are making quite the effort to capture IQP now.

Also with there only being 4 clubs if you can get a starting spot at a club you are likely to be in the top 4 in that position for the national team whereas over here you can start for the club and still be behind like 6/7 other players.

[Puja]

Is anyone else quite pleased with how the season's started from an England perspective? While it's hard to tell before we get into Europe, the Prem seems to be at a higher level this year, back where it was 2016 and a lot of the England players who have been off the boil seem much more on it again. Plus there's actually choice in the back row, with Kvesic, Curry, Curry and Underhill all starting the season promisingly. And BillyV and Manu have been fit for a couple of games in a row.

Stars aligning for 2019?

Puja

[Which Tyler]

You had to say it, didn't you!

[Tigersman]

I pleased at the amount of U22 players being involved.
This weekend we have
1. Seville (20),
2. Singleton (22), Walker (22),
3. Knight (20), Painter (20), Heyes (19),
4. Lamb (20),
5. Lewis (20)
6. Mercer (22),
7. Curry (20),
8. Chick (21),
9. Randall (20), J.Maunder (20), Mitchell (20), White(20), Warr(19), S.Maunder (18)
10. Simmonds (21), Smith (19),
11. Cokanasigna (20)
12. Hardwick (19),
13. Marchant (22),
14. Radwan (21),
15. Mallinder (22), Olowofela (20),

[Timbo]

Few others too; Will Stuart, Odogwu, Stan South, Ben Earl, Curry x 2, Underhill....

[Mellsblue]

You had to say it, didn't you!

Yep. The mod needs to sort him out.

[Puja]

You had to say it, didn't you!

Yep. The mod needs to sort him out.

Hey, I'm the guy who started crowing after we took an early and insurmountable lead in the first South Africa test. It's not like I don't have form for this.

I'll be honest, when Which posted, I went straight to the BBC Sport website to see who'd been injured.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

I pleased at the amount of U22 players being involved.
This weekend we have
1. Seville (20),
2. Singleton (22), Walker (22),
3. Knight (20), Painter (20), Heyes (19),
4. Lamb (20),
5. Lewis (20)
6. Mercer (22),
7. Curry (20),
8. Chick (21),
9. Randall (20), J.Maunder (20), Mitchell (20), White(20), Warr(19), S.Maunder (18)
10. Simmonds (21), Smith (19),
11. Cokanasigna (20)
12. Hardwick (19),
13. Marchant (22),
14. Radwan (21),
15. Mallinder (22), Olowofela (20),

Baths backrow were all U22, all English and have all trained with Eddie, but Zach was 8, not 6.

Whilst talking Bath, Max Green showed well for another option at SH (have we ever had so much promise there, I wonder if any of them will actually make it)

[Scrumhead]

Max Green has been decent. Not especially eye catching but certainly doesn’t look out of his depth.

From watching Bristol, I think we saw the good and the bad of Randall. He started poorly getting his first couple of box kicks charged down and looked a little hesitant, but he improved as the game went on and really does have a nice pass off both hands.

I didn’t see Exeter vs. Sale, but by all accounts Maunder was very good.

[Danno]

That list of 9s is encouraging. 12s not so much.

[Stom]

That list of 9s is encouraging. 12s not so much.

Missed Williams. How did he go?

[Timbo]

So apparently Joe Cokanasiga clocks the fastest sprint times in the Bath squad. Quicker than Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph. For an 18st man that’s quite impressive.

[Mikey Brown]

I mean I don’t beleive he’s 18 stone, but yeah, that is amazing if true.

Or is that because AW/JJ are injured?

[Mellsblue]

You saying he needs to bulk up?!?

[Mikey Brown]

No, not particularly. I don't think he needs to be 18 stone. With his age/frame it wouldn't surprise me at all if he got there, but I'd be surprised if he currently is. Commentators just like saying stuff like that though.

[Mikey Brown]

I hadn't realised how tall he is actually, so maybe I'm wrong. He's definitely pretty solid.