EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Mellsblue]

Agreed. Ben Youngs is the only 9 I know of that slows the game down the closer his team gets to the try line.

[fivepointer]

Dan Cole looking as good as I’ve seen him in a long time today. So far, a good turnover, a big tackle on Burns and a couple of nice lines on the carry. That’s more than he achieved watching him in multiple games last season.

He's been excellent since being dropped for the Autumn internationals. Fair play to him. He's continued to scrummage well and make far more impact in the loose.

Ben Youngs on the other hand.....

[Mush]

Just watched the Exeter game and Nowell really did look good in the FB role, though may have a touch of the Mike Brown aversion to looking for an appropriate pass or offload when on the run.

[fivepointer]

Yep, i thought Nowell was outstanding. His ability to ride a tackle and get on the front foot is just tremendous. Could he pass more? Definitely!
Thought Slade was very good too.

[Renniks]

I think with Farrell or Ford supporting him at the back during kick tennis will help too… knowing when to run it back and when to kick - as I think Nowell's natural inclination is to run

[Peej]

I've always thought Nowell would be worth looking at at 15. He doesn't have the top end pace for wing, but he's aggressive, smart, and quick enough to play full back. Six Nations could be the time to try it. Think about 2003 when Lewsey made an appearance at 15, and claimed the shirt from there.

[Oakboy]

Nowell, with his physicality, could get to be Brown ++ at FB. Several on this board have been suggesting it for a long time now. His compact style and tackle-breaking toughness appear well suited to the position (now that I've seen him in the 15 shirt).

Nowell's the Rotweiller to Daly's Saluki. What I fail to grasp is how Jones could Imagine that Daly was suited to fielding the high ball and scrambling through heavy traffic. In direct contrast to that, he's the stylish finisher given a sniff of the space to glide through.

[Mikey Brown]

Nowell, with his physicality, could get to be Brown ++ at FB. Several on this board have been suggesting it for a long time now. His compact style and tackle-breaking toughness appear well suited to the position (now that I've seen him in the 15 shirt).

Nowell's the Rotweiller to Daly's Saluki. What I fail to grasp is how Jones could Imagine that Daly was suited to fielding the high ball and scrambling through heavy traffic. In direct contrast to that, he's the stylish finisher given a sniff of the space to glide through.

When he was first breaking through at Wasps he was playing fullback a lot and it seemed he was able to pick his moments to run the incisive lines that he does so well at centre, but without having to deal with all the physicality of being in that channnel permanently. With his kicking game and open field running talent it seemed like a good fit.

It just didn’t seem to click when he took the step up, or we’d never really seen it tested heavily enough at club level.

It strikes me you could say a lot of those same things about Goode.

I was one of the ones saying Nowell should have a go at fullback, but with Hogg coming in next year and Cordero off it seems unlikely he’ll play there a huge amount.

[Puja]

Nowell, with his physicality, could get to be Brown ++ at FB. Several on this board have been suggesting it for a long time now. His compact style and tackle-breaking toughness appear well suited to the position (now that I've seen him in the 15 shirt).

Nowell's the Rotweiller to Daly's Saluki. What I fail to grasp is how Jones could Imagine that Daly was suited to fielding the high ball and scrambling through heavy traffic. In direct contrast to that, he's the stylish finisher given a sniff of the space to glide through.

When he was first breaking through at Wasps he was playing fullback a lot and it seemed he was able to pick his moments to run the incisive lines that he does so well at centre, but without having to deal with all the physicality of being in that channnel permanently. With his kicking game and open field running talent it seemed like a good fit.

It just didn’t seem to click when he took the step up, or we’d never really seen it tested heavily enough at club level.

It strikes me you could say a lot of those same things about Goode.

I was one of the ones saying Nowell should have a go at fullback, but with Hogg coming in next year and Cordero off it seems unlikely he’ll play there a huge amount.

He just needs to play there this season as far as England and the RWC are concerned though. Afterwards will look after itself.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Just listening to the BBC rugby thing where they're talking about who is captain if Farrell is out. Care said "Ford is basically the captain whenever he's on the field anyway".

[Mikey Brown]

OK. Please disregard the previous post. Care just followed it up by saying Nowell "can do just about everything you'd want from a rugby player. He can run, he can kick, he can pass, he can tackle".

I'll give him 1 out of 4 there.

[Timbo]

OK. Please disregard the previous post. Care just followed it up by saying Nowell "can do just about everything you'd want from a rugby player. He can run, he can kick, he can pass, he can tackle".

I'll give him 1 out of 4 there.

Why have you got it in for Nowell so badly?

[Mikey Brown]

Because he's playing fullback now. He wants my spot.

[Timbo]

Oh, by the by:

Northampton Saints Reporter: “Who’s the best player you’ve ever coached?”
Chris Boyd: “Brad Shields”

Just sayin’.

[Stom]

Oh, by the by:

Northampton Saints Reporter: “Who’s the best player you’ve ever coached?”
Chris Boyd: “Brad Shields”

Just sayin’.

Hasn't shown it in England yet...

Look, we're not saying he's not a good player, just that he has shown absolutely 0 form. To have him in the team ahead of others, when his form has been so pants, does not scream fair selection criteria.

I've seen him play, he has ability, or at least some ability, but he needs to show that ability in 2019 in order to get selected in 2019. It's like saying Chris Ashton is an incredible wing who scored a shed load of tries. He sure as hell did. A good few years ago. Or that Luther Burrell looks like a rugby player. He did for a season and a half. Or that Sinckler is crap after his Lions hangover.

You cannot get selected on past form. You need to be selected on current form or on consistent form. Shields has neither.

[Renniks]

Oh, by the by:

Northampton Saints Reporter: “Who’s the best player you’ve ever coached?”
Chris Boyd: “Brad Shields”

Just sayin’.

Well, let's hope that he returns to being that player then… because, he isn't currently!

[Mikey Brown]

I don't know how to do a poll. Is everyone selecting 11. Daly 14. May 15. Iron Mike or are there other serious contenders?

You could question Daly's position, form, confidence perhaps, but he's a class player and his kicking game might be a massive factor too. I'd love to see more of Cokanasiga but he's been injured and I imagine the Irish kicking game will be tough to deal with. The thought of him trampling Earls into the mud is tempting though.

Am I forgetting just how bad Ashton was in his later England caps? Because I have to say I'm kind of tempted to see what he can do again at some point. Stom you mention him not scoring tries anymore but he seems to be back to it for Toulon/Sale pretty regularly. Is he just too wet in contact?

[Which Tyler]

Coka, May, Brown.

Daly's form is pretty bad this season; not sure I'd even have him on the bench currently.
Equally, if Coka is going to Japan, he needs as many minutes of international rugby as we can squeeze into him - even against Ireland, there's no better opportunity to learn. Of course, if he's not going to Japan, then it's as you were.

[Renniks]

I'd be happy with pretty much any of our back 3 options being included against any team but Ireland.

Against Ireland, I'd go with Daly, May, Brown… with Nowell benching

[Puja]

I'd be happy with any combination of Coka, Daly, and May (and would be okay with Nowell there) on the wings, with Brown at 15. However, I am increasingly suspicious that we're going to see Nowell, May and Daly at 15, because Eddie loves Nowell and hates admitting when he's wrong.

Puja

[Stom]

I don't know how to do a poll. Is everyone selecting 11. Daly 14. May 15. Iron Mike or are there other serious contenders?

You could question Daly's position, form, confidence perhaps, but he's a class player and his kicking game might be a massive factor too. I'd love to see more of Cokanasiga but he's been injured and I imagine the Irish kicking game will be tough to deal with. The thought of him trampling Earls into the mud is tempting though.

Am I forgetting just how bad Ashton was in his later England caps? Because I have to say I'm kind of tempted to see what he can do again at some point. Stom you mention him not scoring tries anymore but he seems to be back to it for Toulon/Sale pretty regularly. Is he just too wet in contact?

Meh. Ashton's not in bad form. I just don't see him in good form. He's scoring again, but he's not exactly prolific right now, is he... And considering what he brings in defense, I don't think that's anywhere near enough to get him in the team.

If Ashton and Nowell both score an equal number of tries, you pick Nowell every time.

[BenHK]

Nowell, with his physicality, could get to be Brown ++ at FB. Several on this board have been suggesting it for a long time now. His compact style and tackle-breaking toughness appear well suited to the position (now that I've seen him in the 15 shirt).

A certain Billy Whizz seemed to do okay in the FB with small stature

[Raggs]

I think if you're terrifying enough, that teams aren't willing to risk a bad kick to you, then you can go fullback, but Nowell isn't. He'll make some yards, but he'll not rip you apart like Billy Whizz, or Kolbe for a modern day example.

[Digby]

Teams were happy kicking to Robinson once they'd sussed how to send chasers up such they weren't individually going to be exposed, especially as at most Robinson was a competent kicker

[Mellsblue]

11 Brown
14 Ashton
15 Daly.
Obviously.