EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Digby]

I think Farrell is pretty bloody good, he's consistently getting good contacts on the ball and his misses tend to be narrow rather than shanks. Bar it's all about the numbers he's almost a bit better than his numbers

[Banquo]

I think Farrell is pretty bloody good, he's consistently getting good contacts on the ball and his misses tend to be narrow rather than shanks. Bar it's all about the numbers he's almost a bit better than his numbers

Well he's 5% behind his 6N peers. In this case, outcome over time is the only measure that makes sense.

and actually, I think his misses, certainly at club level, are usually shanks, usually when on edge of range.

[Digby]

I think Farrell is pretty bloody good, he's consistently getting good contacts on the ball and his misses tend to be narrow rather than shanks. Bar it's all about the numbers he's almost a bit better than his numbers

Well he's 5% behind his 6N peers. In this case, outcome over time is the only measure that makes sense.

and actually, I think his misses, certainly at club level, are usually shanks, usually when on edge of range.

I don't know what sort of distance and angles the others are kicking from, but my gut reaction would be only Halfpenny is on his level as a goal kicker. Though granted I've become a little obsessed with his kicking and the sound he's making on contact with the ball, it's more than a little sad

[Banquo]

I think Farrell is pretty bloody good, he's consistently getting good contacts on the ball and his misses tend to be narrow rather than shanks. Bar it's all about the numbers he's almost a bit better than his numbers

Well he's 5% behind his 6N peers. In this case, outcome over time is the only measure that makes sense.

and actually, I think his misses, certainly at club level, are usually shanks, usually when on edge of range.

I don't know what sort of distance and angles the others are kicking from, but my gut reaction would be only Halfpenny is on his level as a goal kicker. Though granted I've become a little obsessed with his kicking and the sound he's making on contact with the ball, it's more than a little sad

Biggar and Sexton both have much higher percentages. Halfpenny also, and he kicks prodigious distances. Even Laidlaw is 3 pp higher.

Feel free to dig under these percentages, but prima facia he doesn't seem in their league.

[Digby]

Well he's 5% behind his 6N peers. In this case, outcome over time is the only measure that makes sense.

and actually, I think his misses, certainly at club level, are usually shanks, usually when on edge of range.

I don't know what sort of distance and angles the others are kicking from, but my gut reaction would be only Halfpenny is on his level as a goal kicker. Though granted I've become a little obsessed with his kicking and the sound he's making on contact with the ball, it's more than a little sad

Biggar and Sexton both have much higher percentages. Halfpenny also, and he kicks prodigious distances.

The higher percentage for his peers don't surprise me as my sense, and I don't have the data to support this, is Farrell attempts harder kicks so I'd expect his success rate to suffer. It's actually a shame he's allowed to go for some of those more speculative kicks, which has happened under Robshaw, Hartley and whichever prat is in charge now as his kicking from wider out is pretty good, but the distance isn't always there, and Daly's technique is above hit and hope, but not by much

Also when it comes to Sexton then Farrell's not as good at accidentally taking the kick 5m closer to the sticks than the mark

[Banquo]

I don't know what sort of distance and angles the others are kicking from, but my gut reaction would be only Halfpenny is on his level as a goal kicker. Though granted I've become a little obsessed with his kicking and the sound he's making on contact with the ball, it's more than a little sad

Biggar and Sexton both have much higher percentages. Halfpenny also, and he kicks prodigious distances.

The higher percentage for his peers don't surprise me as my sense, and I don't have the data to support this, is Farrell attempts harder kicks so I'd expect his success rate to suffer. It's actually a shame he's allowed to go for some of those more speculative kicks, which has happened under Robshaw, Hartley and whichever prat is in charge now as his kicking from wider out is pretty good, but the distance isn't always there, and Daly's technique is above hit and hope, but not by much

Also when it comes to Sexton then Farrell's not as good at accidentally taking the kick 5m closer to the sticks than the mark

I think that's just made up tbh.

[Digby]

Biggar and Sexton both have much higher percentages. Halfpenny also, and he kicks prodigious distances.

The higher percentage for his peers don't surprise me as my sense, and I don't have the data to support this, is Farrell attempts harder kicks so I'd expect his success rate to suffer. It's actually a shame he's allowed to go for some of those more speculative kicks, which has happened under Robshaw, Hartley and whichever prat is in charge now as his kicking from wider out is pretty good, but the distance isn't always there, and Daly's technique is above hit and hope, but not by much

Also when it comes to Sexton then Farrell's not as good at accidentally taking the kick 5m closer to the sticks than the mark

I think that's just made up tbh.

I'm going with it being inductive, just without any actual facts which would allow me to adduce away.

[Banquo]

The higher percentage for his peers don't surprise me as my sense, and I don't have the data to support this, is Farrell attempts harder kicks so I'd expect his success rate to suffer. It's actually a shame he's allowed to go for some of those more speculative kicks, which has happened under Robshaw, Hartley and whichever prat is in charge now as his kicking from wider out is pretty good, but the distance isn't always there, and Daly's technique is above hit and hope, but not by much

Also when it comes to Sexton then Farrell's not as good at accidentally taking the kick 5m closer to the sticks than the mark

I think that's just made up tbh.

I'm going with it being inductive, just without any actual facts which would allow me to adduce away.

if anything, I'd have said we are a more for the corner team over recent teams, but equally I am making that up!

[Digby]

I think that's just made up tbh.

I'm going with it being inductive, just without any actual facts which would allow me to adduce away.

if anything, I'd have said we are a more for the corner team over recent teams, but equally I am making that up!

We're in a time of Trump and Brexit, the done thing is to just make up facts. Reality is for the weak, thus does Eddie look at our squad for tomorrow and ponder should he not have sought some lock coverage

[Banquo]

I'm going with it being inductive, just without any actual facts which would allow me to adduce away.

if anything, I'd have said we are a more for the corner team over recent teams, but equally I am making that up!

We're in a time of Trump and Brexit, the done thing is to just make up facts. Reality is for the weak, thus does Eddie look at our squad for tomorrow and ponder should he not have sought some lock coverage

[twitchy]

It's pretty crazy how in this day and age we still get these situations (story about him hiding his injury in 2015).

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... id-ireland

[Puja]

Interesting question - if Mako's injury is worse than hoped and he can't make the RWC, who comes into the squad. Harry Williams went to all of the camps and would seem to be obvious, but we had 3 loose and 2 tight on the basis that Marler can theoretically cover across, while adding Williams would leave us with only 2 looseheads. Maybe LCD as backup loosehead?

Or, do we pick from outside the training squads and invite Moon to go on the latest trip to Treviso, just in case?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Was that the line? That Marler can cover?

[Puja]

Was that the line? That Marler can cover?

Allegedly. Don't know anyone who's seen it happen. Not sure what I'd think of LCD covering 1 - on the one hand, he can and has played there, but on the other he's spent 5-odd years optimising himself to play hooker. Marler would be out of position, but at least he'd still be a prop.

I still think taking 5 props is an unacceptable and unnecessary risk. It's the only position on the pitch where you can't just have someone cover.

Puja

[Stom]

Was that the line? That Marler can cover?

Allegedly. Don't know anyone who's seen it happen. Not sure what I'd think of LCD covering 1 - on the one hand, he can and has played there, but on the other he's spent 5-odd years optimising himself to play hooker. Marler would be out of position, but at least he'd still be a prop.

I still think taking 5 props is an unacceptable and unnecessary risk. It's the only position on the pitch where you can't just have someone cover.

Puja

Maybe Eddie just thought it'd be better to play with 14 than have to pick Harry Williams.

[Puja]

Was that the line? That Marler can cover?

Allegedly. Don't know anyone who's seen it happen. Not sure what I'd think of LCD covering 1 - on the one hand, he can and has played there, but on the other he's spent 5-odd years optimising himself to play hooker. Marler would be out of position, but at least he'd still be a prop.

I still think taking 5 props is an unacceptable and unnecessary risk. It's the only position on the pitch where you can't just have someone cover.

Puja

Maybe Eddie just thought it'd be better to play with 14 than have to pick Harry Williams.

Not unfair.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Update on Mako’s hamstrung scheduled to be tomorrow.

[Puja]

No other props being hauled out to the Treviso camp suggests promising news.

Puja

[Danno]

I was just about to ask this.

[Renniks]

No other props being hauled out to the Treviso camp suggests promising news.

Puja

Mako update

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/artic ... ury-update

Vunipola needs 10 days rehabilitation, Moon called up to Treviso in the interim

Fingers crossed that's all it is!

[Digby]

No idea, sounds low to me. Also 10 days rehab to be able to do what? Light cycling to to try and maintain some aerobic fitness, contact training, a full game?

[Stom]

Nowell might miss out completely, though, so we can call up someone new!

[Banquo]

No idea, sounds low to me. Also 10 days rehab to be able to do what? Light cycling to to try and maintain some aerobic fitness, contact training, a full game?

yep. Anything like a new tear would be a lot longer you'd think.

[Digby]

No idea, sounds low to me. Also 10 days rehab to be able to do what? Light cycling to to try and maintain some aerobic fitness, contact training, a full game?

yep. Anything like a new tear would be a lot longer you'd think.

it did say he's torn some scar tissue, no surprise there. still it's an optimistic take it seems to me, especially with regard to seeing a rinse and repeat. but he's going to recover faster, and he'll get some of the best treatment going, and Team Eddie are normally chock-full of honesty, so maybe

[Mikey Brown]

Nowell might miss out completely, though, so we can call up someone new!

And McConnochie? That injury updates page doesn't seem to go anywhere anymore so I'm not sure if there has been word on him.

I like the look of him as a player but there's a part of me that would find it hilarious if he gets a runout vs Italy and is total pants. Like, Burrell/Harrison/Isiekwe but EJ can't do anything about it.