EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[p/d]

I see your mate Lozowski has been naughty!

Looking the class player (we) all know he is. A bit of naughtiness just adds a welcome edge to his game. Good start to the season for him and young Henry. Pity Trinder has been out of action the last few weeks.

[Tigersman]

Scotland call up Sam Skinner.

Now that is a big loss IMO, he has huge potential.

Damn it!! Like you I see that as a big loss. He looks a cracker of a player who would relish the step up to international rugby.

Unlike most - especially Jones - I don't get the Ewels expectations .............. mind you feel the same way about Mercer

Mercer has changed my mind on him.

Although think he would be a better 6 than 8 at test level.

[Puja]

Rules are rules and we've profited from them - hell, it looks like we're going to cap Michael Rhodes, so its swings and roundabouts.
It is just disappointing to lose out on a talented player who is only likely to get better and who is a product of the English game.
Fingers crossed on Williams.

I think the annoyance is that we've only "profited" from them so far wih sh*te journeymen who clag up the squad - Flutey, Hape, Barritt, now Rhodes. Jury's out on Shields so far, but he's certainly looking that way.

Puja

[Stom]

Scotland call up Sam Skinner.

Now that is a big loss IMO, he has huge potential.

Damn it!! Like you I see that as a big loss. He looks a cracker of a player who would relish the step up to international rugby.

Unlike most - especially Jones - I don't get the Ewels expectations .............. mind you feel the same way about Mercer

I like Ewels, I think he's a really good player. He's not in the same class as Launch, of course. But not many are.

And I really rate Mercer. He's all action but with a little x-factor in his pace/power balance. I think him, Simmonds and one other could be a really interesting and versatile backrow. Perhaps Clifford if he ever gets back fit for a length of time.

[Which Tyler]

Simmonds, Willis, Mercer for 2023?

[Raggs]

Willis, Willis, Curry, Curry would be funnier.

[Digby]

Rules are rules and we've profited from them - hell, it looks like we're going to cap Michael Rhodes, so its swings and roundabouts.
It is just disappointing to lose out on a talented player who is only likely to get better and who is a product of the English game.
Fingers crossed on Williams.

I think the annoyance is that we've only "profited" from them so far wih sh*te journeymen who clag up the squad - Flutey, Hape, Barritt, now Rhodes. Jury's out on Shields so far, but he's certainly looking that way.

Puja

Lipman was nothing to sniff at, I'll be here all week folks

Now we've got Hartley, happy memories of Botha,
Hughes, perhaps Strauss to come... though we're seemingly free of Heinz

[Digby]

Willis, Willis, Curry, Curry would be funnier.

To date bar the younger Willis that wouldn't surprise

[Puja]

It must be possible to get an EQP Brothers XV where both brothers start.

Vunipola, Youngs, X, Kitchener, Kitchener, Curry, Curry, Vunipola, Youngs, Burns, Watson, James, James, Watson, Burns

And just by naming that, I've realised the flaw, unless I can find one set of three brothers.

Puja

ETA in the suggestions below. Any of those got a third brother that's a tighthead?

[Which Tyler]

Youngs & Youngs; Underwood & Underwood, still need a THP and a triple

[Raggs]

Watson, Watson for current wingers.

[Puja]

A quick read of the articles relates that Skinner's dad is Scottish, so it's hardly a dreadful poach. Shame to miss out on him, but it's not unreasonable for him and Scotland to opt for one another.

Puja

[Raggs]

You'd need the Armitage brothers to finish it up I guess, but that involves moving a few others.

[Stom]

It must be possible to get an EQP Brothers XV where both brothers start.

Vunipola, X, X, Kitchener, Kitchener, Curry, Curry, Vunipola, X, Burns, X, James, James, X, Burns

And just by naming that, I've realised the flaw, unless I can find one set of three brothers.

Puja

Easy, except it's another backrow...

Steffon, Delon and Guy!

[Stom]

Simmonds, Willis, Mercer for 2023?

Of course! Willis.

I really do think our backrow stocks are looking excellent in the not so distant future.

And lock is picking up. Singleton is playing really well at hooker. There's gametime being got for the young 9s. Just FB, the perennial problem position.

If only we had a young, very fast player who played fullback. It's such a shame Watson's a wing.

[Which Tyler]

Could we just say family, and include all 3 Youngs? Or would that open it too much, allowing Itoje and Obano etx.
Still leaves us short a THP

[Scrumhead]

It must be possible to get an EQP Brothers XV where both brothers start.

Vunipola, X, X, Kitchener, Kitchener, Curry, Curry, Vunipola, X, Burns, X, James, James, X, Burns

And just by naming that, I've realised the flaw, unless I can find one set of three brothers.

Puja

Easy, except it's another backrow...

Steffon, Delon and Guy!

Steffon looks like a tighthead so maybe that’ll do?

Surely Tom and Ben Youngs at 2 and 9?

[Which Tyler]

Wiki isn't helping me find a capped English THP with a capped family member. So we're shit out of luck there. Maybe we can convince the Multipolar/Castrogiavanni twins to be English and play either side?
Interestingly though, all 3 Youngs have beaten the All Blacks as starters.
I don't see anyone getting close to the Aussie McLean family though with 7 players over 3 generations.

ETA

Vunipola, Youngs, X, Kitchener, Kitchener, Curry, Curry, Vunipola, Youngs, Burns, Watson, James, James, Watson, Burns

Until both Currys have been capped, should it be the Sandersons on the flanks. Equally, has Marcus Watson been capped? If not then the Underwoods.

[p/d]

John and Timmy Mallet?

[Puja]

Wiki isn't helping me find a capped English THP with a capped family member. So we're shit out of luck there. Maybe we can convince the Multipolar/Castrogiavanni twins to be English and play either side?
Interestingly though, all 3 Youngs have beaten the All Blacks as starters.
I don't see anyone getting close to the Aussie McLean family though with 7 players over 3 generations.

ETA

Vunipola, Youngs, X, Kitchener, Kitchener, Curry, Curry, Vunipola, Youngs, Burns, Watson, James, James, Watson, Burns

Until both Currys have been capped, should it be the Sandersons on the flanks. Equally, has Marcus Watson been capped? If not then the Underwoods.

I was thinking more current English qualified rather than capped - neither of the Kitcheners ever will be, for example.

We could probably do a fair job on fathers and sons, givenhow incestuous English rugby is - Farrells, Graysons, Hardwicks, Sleightholmes, De Glanvilles, etc.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Scotland call up Sam Skinner.

Now that is a big loss IMO, he has huge potential.

Damn it!! Like you I see that as a big loss. He looks a cracker of a player who would relish the step up to international rugby.

Unlike most - especially Jones - I don't get the Ewels expectations .............. mind you feel the same way about Mercer

I like Ewels, I think he's a really good player. He's not in the same class as Launch, of course. But not many are.

And I really rate Mercer. He's all action but with a little x-factor in his pace/power balance. I think him, Simmonds and one other could be a really interesting and versatile backrow. Perhaps Clifford if he ever gets back fit for a length of time.

Clifford, Mercer and Simmonds in the backrow together would be very entertaining if we were simply trying to run teams off their feet. Shame we’d never see anything like that or pick a scrum-half who could remotely keep up with that style of play.

[Stom]

Damn it!! Like you I see that as a big loss. He looks a cracker of a player who would relish the step up to international rugby.

Unlike most - especially Jones - I don't get the Ewels expectations .............. mind you feel the same way about Mercer

I like Ewels, I think he's a really good player. He's not in the same class as Launch, of course. But not many are.

And I really rate Mercer. He's all action but with a little x-factor in his pace/power balance. I think him, Simmonds and one other could be a really interesting and versatile backrow. Perhaps Clifford if he ever gets back fit for a length of time.

Clifford, Mercer and Simmonds in the backrow together would be very entertaining if we were simply trying to run teams off their feet. Shame we’d never see anything like that or pick a scrum-half who could remotely keep up with that style of play.

We've got so much potential for high-octane rugby in the young player ranks, I think it'd be insanity not to use it.

Players like the above mentioned, plus Willis, Launch and Itoje, Taylor at Wasps, Robson, Eastmond...They all seem perfect for moving players around the pitch. I'd love to see us try it.

But alas, we're stuck playing prehistoric rugby with occasional flashes of brilliance from Ford.

[Freddo]

What happened to Gary Graham? Didn't EJ call him up so he would be unavailable for Scotland? Also isn't Vellacott in the same boat although Eddie hasn't called him up yet?

[Mikey Brown]

That’s the thing I still don’t get about Eddie. If he’s so wedded to the idea of big, stodgy, powerful England just pick Saracens plus a few fatties from Exeter and be done with it.

I’m afraid with his recent foray towards more exciting players like Simmonds, Curry, Slade/Lozowski not yielding the same results (as his first year or two) he’s going to double down on the hefty guys now. This is why I’m just waiting for something Rhodes to usurp Curry at 7.

[Stom]

That’s the thing I still don’t get about Eddie. If he’s so wedded to the idea of big, stodgy, powerful England just pick Saracens plus a few fatties from Exeter and be done with it.

I’m afraid with his recent foray towards more exciting players like Simmonds, Curry, Slade/Lozowski not yielding the same results (as his first year or two) he’s going to double down on the hefty guys now. This is why I’m just waiting for something Rhodes to usurp Curry at 7.

I'm not convinced of Jones' direction either way. However, Quins' play early season has given me hope (for England). Quins have shown all the problems England had around defense and penalties. So I wonder if we may see an improvement in that area for England, which would be amazing.