EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Digby]

Not seen a direct quote but...... Townsend has said that Skinner turned down an offer to tour with Scotland over the summer. You’d have to guess he was waiting for Jones to call. Never mind, luckily we have Stooke to call on.

Exeter are surely pleased Stuart as a young player is stepping up to speak for the club and its players. On a wider point Exeter might again want a word about EU payments getting stung with Francis and now Skinner

[Digby]

Hmm I typed that as EQP and still the auto correct landed on EU

[Mellsblue]

Hmm I typed that as EQP and still the auto correct landed on EU

The Brexit vortex.

[Mellsblue]

Not seen a direct quote but...... Townsend has said that Skinner turned down an offer to tour with Scotland over the summer. You’d have to guess he was waiting for Jones to call. Never mind, luckily we have Stooke to call on.

Exeter are surely pleased Stuart as a young player is stepping up to speak for the club and its players. On a wider point Exeter might again want a word about EU payments getting stung with Francis and now Skinner

Gregor.

[Digby]

Not seen a direct quote but...... Townsend has said that Skinner turned down an offer to tour with Scotland over the summer. You’d have to guess he was waiting for Jones to call. Never mind, luckily we have Stooke to call on.

Exeter are surely pleased Stuart as a young player is stepping up to speak for the club and its players. On a wider point Exeter might again want a word about EU payments getting stung with Francis and now Skinner

Gregor.

I am shocked

Not by Skinner though, with all our locks it's hard to give more reaction than meh

[Raggs]

Meters per carry is a pretty awful stat for most backs I guess. One good break sets you up nicely, especially if you were a support runner, and someone else made the break.

[Mikey Brown]

Ok. I admit it. I photoshopped the whole thing because I want Slade in the team and because I hate Wasps. Happy?

[Raggs]

Ok. I admit it. I photoshopped the whole thing because I want Slade in the team and because I hate Wasps. Happy?

? Odd response. It's as meaningless for Daly as it is for Slade, in fact it's even worse, seeing as Daly hasn't been at centre all that much. Daly's play at 13 really hasn't set him up to be the 13 for the series, I'd rather he stayed on the wing.

Surely backs should be graded on their clean breaks, their defenders beaten and their try assists. Meters made (and even per carry) is a bad stat for most players, it gives zero context or real game context. At least a defender beaten, or a clean break, is a straight up positive, as is a try assist.

[Mikey Brown]

Everything is meaningless if you look too hard.

[Danno]

Whoooosh

[Puja]

Courtney Lawes is back for Saints tomorrow night. As is Tom Wood, whom I'm amazed isn't in newspaper articles which are amazed that he's not in the England squad.

Puja

[Raggs]

Courtney Lawes is back for Saints tomorrow night. As is Tom Wood, whom I'm amazed isn't in newspaper articles which are amazed that he's not in the England squad.

Puja

With Farrell and Hartley, he didn't need to be captain.

[Bloggs]

Clifford back on the bench for Quins. If he can come through that and Premiership Cup, I'd get him in the squad for the end of the AIs

[Digby]

Courtney Lawes is back for Saints tomorrow night. As is Tom Wood, whom I'm amazed isn't in newspaper articles which are amazed that he's not in the England squad.

Puja

With Farrell and Hartley, he didn't need to be captain.

Being captain is surely the only thing getting Hartley into the squad, he's added bad work in the setpiece into his repertoire this season and that was maybe his only saving grace the last few seasons

[Stom]

Clifford back on the bench for Quins. If he can come through that and Premiership Cup, I'd get him in the squad for the end of the AIs

Just no. We can't break him again. He needs a good long period getting back into things, like Tuilagi has had.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. I can't see him getting up to speed that quick anyway after so long out.

[TheDasher]

Courtney Lawes is back for Saints tomorrow night. As is Tom Wood, whom I'm amazed isn't in newspaper articles which are amazed that he's not in the England squad.

Puja

With Farrell and Hartley, he didn't need to be captain.

Being captain is surely the only thing getting Hartley into the squad, he's added bad work in the setpiece into his repertoire this season and that was maybe his only saving grace the last few seasons

Absolutely. George, LCD and Tommy Taylor are all in another league to Hartley these days.

[morepork]

What about halfbacks? Is the cupboard really so bare as to enlist that odd little box-kicking metronome Wigglesthingy? A snappier half would do wonders for England.

[Stom]

Our good SHs are all too young, tbh, or injured in the case of Robson. Not to say there's any excuse for picking Wigglesworthless.

[Oakboy]

Our good SHs are all too young, tbh, or injured in the case of Robson. Not to say there's any excuse for picking Wigglesworthless.

Do you think Jones thinks he needs 'safe' cover because Youngs is playing even worse than normal? Care will start, I'd guess.

[p/d]

Our good SHs are all too young, tbh, or injured in the case of Robson. Not to say there's any excuse for picking Wigglesworthless.

Do you think Jones thinks he needs 'safe' cover because Youngs is playing even worse than normal? Care will start, I'd guess.

Stupot Townsend aint too young. I think Youngs was 20 when getting his first cap. Care probably 20/21.

Regards 'safe' cover, I think it is more being able to outmaneuver the opposition with our cleverly thought out substitution that sees Ford yanked and Farrell stepping into 10 with Ben 'where is 6ways' T'eo moving to 12 and the mighty Wiggy feeding them kicks to chase...

[Oakboy]

Our good SHs are all too young, tbh, or injured in the case of Robson. Not to say there's any excuse for picking Wigglesworthless.

Do you think Jones thinks he needs 'safe' cover because Youngs is playing even worse than normal? Care will start, I'd guess.

Stupot Townsend aint too young. I think Youngs was 20 when getting his first cap. Care probably 20/21.

Regards 'safe' cover, I think it is more being able to outmaneuver the opposition with our cleverly thought out substitution that sees Ford yanked and Farrell stepping into 10 with Ben 'where is 6ways' T'eo moving to 12 and the mighty Wiggy feeding them kicks to chase...

Sounds exciting!!! I would have thought Velacott was worth a shout if he's going the apprentice route or I'd rather have Spencer than Wigglesworth anyway.

[morepork]

It would be difficult to imagine a more predictable strategy. Jesus. That is just shyte management from Jones.

[Puja]

What about halfbacks? Is the cupboard really so bare as to enlist that odd little box-kicking metronome Wigglesthingy? A snappier half would do wonders for England.

Sadly, no. If we could poach any one player, then it'd be a scrum-half.

Youngs is Youngs
Care is Care
Robson is younger Youngs and injured anyway
Spencer has decided to shit the bed every time he's trusted with a starting shirt.
Wigglesworth is ancient and only kicks
Townsend is average at best
Maunder can't get game time over Townsend
Braley is average at best
Vellacott is currently lacking a decent pass or any game control
And below that you're getting into Michael Young and Chris Cook territory.

I don't know what it is - 9's been a weakness for our U20s sides for years as well, so we've got precious little pipeline.

Puja

[Puja]

Do you think Jones thinks he needs 'safe' cover because Youngs is playing even worse than normal? Care will start, I'd guess.

Stupot Townsend aint too young. I think Youngs was 20 when getting his first cap. Care probably 20/21.

Regards 'safe' cover, I think it is more being able to outmaneuver the opposition with our cleverly thought out substitution that sees Ford yanked and Farrell stepping into 10 with Ben 'where is 6ways' T'eo moving to 12 and the mighty Wiggy feeding them kicks to chase...

Sounds exciting!!! I would have thought Velacott was worth a shout if he's going the apprentice route or I'd rather have Spencer than Wigglesworth anyway.

Have you seen Spencer this season?! There's a reason Saracens have gone back to Wigglesworth - he's been dire.

Puja