Team for England

[Mikey Brown]

https://www.scottishrugby.org/news/scot ... gland-test

Weir and McGuigan (still) in for Russell and Graham. That's a real shame.

Changes?

I'm hoping Bradbury is back to full fitness.

[General Zod]

https://www.scottishrugby.org/news/scot ... gland-test

Weir and McGuigan (still) in for Russell and Graham. That's a real shame.

Changes?

I'm hoping Bradbury is back to full fitness.

I do too. Just for the added options. I’d like to see Crosbie involved at some stage this 6N. Whether he’d come in for any of the lads on Saturday I don’t know.

I think Hutchison might be a straight swap for Jones.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

This is mental. I hope someone is trying to mediate a solution with Russell here. We're in a major tournament right now and every minute counts.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Bradbury in at 8, Haining on the bench.

Got a feeling Weir will make the bench. So one less centre will be involved and I don't think it will be Chris Harris missing out.

[Big D]

It was always unlikely that Finn would come back in this week.

The team played a pretty decent game on Saturday and at this stage Finn is an unnecessary distraction, particularly if has refused to apologise as is being reported.

[francoisfou]

When was the last time you had the Calcutta Cup for three consecutive seasons?
Not that I'm daft enough to make a prediction, but looking at the English in Paris, you're in with a chance.

[switchskier]

It was always unlikely that Finn would come back in this week.

The team played a pretty decent game on Saturday and at this stage Finn is an unnecessary distraction, particularly if has refused to apologise as is being reported.

Got to disagree with this. Either he's so detrmintal to the team that he's out or someone's got to be making efforts to get him back in because I think we win that game on Saturday with him in the side. We still also don't really know what's gone down.

Feel that we're on for a backlash this weekend. England weren't as bad as was made out against France, they dominated territory and possession. Our defence is still porus, if we let one in early I can see the ball going through the hands and May getting all sorts of opportunity to stretch his legs. It could happen too if their new attack coach has an extra week to get his messages across and work out some kinks in the system.

[Donny osmond]

Nah, sorry gotta disagree, really only because the coaches always, regardless of drinking binges or whatever, have their squad set for the first two weeks and really only make necessary changes in that time. If the squad is set for game 1 it's set for game 2 and Finn's (and everyone else) earliest point of re-entry, after taking himself out of contention remember, is game 3. What message would it send to the others if they're all playing the politics of getting selected and Finn just waltzes in and out whenever he feels like it?

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[switchskier]

Nah, sorry gotta disagree, really only because the coaches always, regardless of drinking binges or whatever, have their squad set for the first two weeks and really only make necessary changes in that time. If the squad is set for game 1 it's set for game 2 and Finn's (and everyone else) earliest point of re-entry, after taking himself out of contention remember, is game 3. What message would it send to the others if they're all playing the politics of getting selected and Finn just waltzes in and out whenever he feels like it?

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There's a bit of supposition in there. I'm still not sure what went down in camp, how unified the team actually is and the degree to which Finn has taken himself out of contention. Theres also something about the definition of madness and the squad being set for two games (plus mcguigan has been added hasn't he?).

Hopefully Hastings takes another step though and makes it all moot by putting England to the sword.

[whatisthejava]

Tualigi out

Losing Billy and Manu really does change the entire way that team plays, England much better with those two players in the team

[jngf]

It was always unlikely that Finn would come back in this week.

The team played a pretty decent game on Saturday and at this stage Finn is an unnecessary distraction, particularly if has refused to apologise as is being reported.

Got to disagree with this. Either he's so detrmintal to the team that he's out or someone's got to be making efforts to get him back in because I think we win that game on Saturday with him in the side. We still also don't really know what's gone down.

Feel that we're on for a backlash this weekend. <b>England weren't as bad as was made out against France</b>, they dominated territory and possession. Our defence is still porus, if we let one in early I can see the ball going through the hands and May getting all sorts of opportunity to stretch his legs. It could happen too if their new attack coach has an extra week to get his messages across and work out some kinks in the system.

We truly were you know! (Bad that is against France)

[General Zod]

Our defence becomes a lot less porous the more we can take them on up front.

[switchskier]

England have cut their squad. Pleased to see Hill and Williams dropped but Earl is in which is a little worrying.

[Mikey Brown]

England have cut their squad. Pleased to see Hill and Williams dropped but Earl is in which is a little worrying.

Yup. If the Scottish scrum can continue to progress it would have been useful England having Curry fluff it at the back.

[whatisthejava]

England have cut their squad. Pleased to see Hill and Williams dropped but Earl is in which is a little worrying.

Earls is a quality player, even when the RWC was on he was impressive but big step up and i think the sarries thing isnt nearly forgotten about in camp

Guys in that england changing room should be sitting with winners medals or HEC caps that dont have them because of cheating, dont care what you say that would piss me off and it would affect my ability to give it my all in the jersey

[Big D]

Watching the Ireland game again, Brown really needs to cut out silly penalties. The two he gave away were so cheap and unnecessary. He isn't the only culprit, but those two were bad.

Maitland and Price give cheap penalties away too and a poor Hogg decision isolated AH and we lose another.

We really need fo cut that shit out.

I also didn't realise that as well as Johnson not passing to Maitland on the intercept, Maitland could have slipped it to Cummings who would have went reasonably close to the line.

[Mikey Brown]

Furbank; May, Joseph, Farrell, Daly; Ford, Heinz; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler, Kruis, Itoje, Ludlam, Underhill, Curry

Replacements: Dunn, Genge, Stuart, Launchbury, Lawes, Earl, Youngs, Devoto



Would be interesting to see if we're actually capable of playing a high-bomb/chase game, and particularly odd to see against England.

[Mikey Brown]

God I hate waiting around for them to announce the team they've decided on probably 24 hours ago. I've come so close to posting a team on here with Dell starting, Harris at 12 or Weir at fullback. Consider yourselves lucky.

[Adder]

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Not a lot to discuss really is there?

If Graham isn't fit then there's not a long of wing cover to bring onto the bench.

I'd have liked to have seen Weir on the bench. Who the actual hell is playing 10 if Hastings goes down in the first couple of minutes? Rory?

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. Guess so.

That was a bit of an anti-climax. Just had a feeling he might have gone for Harris at 13, particularly with the weather expected to be horrendous.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

You could argue having that many specialist centres given the weather is a poor call as well.

Then again... having an extra loosie on the bench wouldn't work either - I don't think he has any intention on pulling Watson or Ritchie unless they break. Understandably so.

I assume Hutchinson has been running at 10/12 in training with Harris at 11/13/14

[switchskier]

If the wind is as bad as predicted I'd have liked to see weir on the bench. He can get some height on the good old garryowen which I don't think I've ever see Hastings do. Other than that as expected I guess.

[General Zod]

Figured that would be the team. Am expecting early testers for Kinghorn after Ireland - hopefully, he’s worked on fielding high balls, as if he can turn them round quickly, he’s got a monster boot.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

If the wind is as bad as predicted I'd have liked to see weir on the bench. He can get some height on the good old garryowen which I don't think I've ever see Hastings do. Other than that as expected I guess.

He's not the answer but it's not like he would be out of his depth. He's absolutely running the show at Worcester.