EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Timbo]

It was reported when he first moved to Toulouse that Jack Willis had signed a rolling contract with them. Ostensibly because he wanted to be available on the off chance circumstances allowed an English club to make a decent offer. Might also mean he is able to be in England camp for the whole 6N’s.

Been injured for around a month now though.

[francoisfou]

It was reported when he first moved to Toulouse that Jack Willis had signed a rolling contract with them. Ostensibly because he wanted to be available on the off chance circumstances allowed an English club to make a decent offer. Might also mean he is able to be in England camp for the whole 6N’s.

Been injured for around a month now though.

I believe that he signed only until the end of the season.
Yes,I've read he has a calf injury but no details as to whem he'll be available for selection, and with the form he had been showing, I'm sure Borthwick would like to include him in the squad for the Scotland game.
The big question is, which English club will make the best offer? Brother Tom is apparently being chased by Saracens and if Tom Reffell wants to pursue his international career, he may feel obliged to move to Wales which could mean Jack Willis to Tigers?

[FKAS]

It was reported when he first moved to Toulouse that Jack Willis had signed a rolling contract with them. Ostensibly because he wanted to be available on the off chance circumstances allowed an English club to make a decent offer. Might also mean he is able to be in England camp for the whole 6N’s.

Been injured for around a month now though.

I believe that he signed only until the end of the season.
Yes,I've read he has a calf injury but no details as to whem he'll be available for selection, and with the form he had been showing, I'm sure Borthwick would like to include him in the squad for the Scotland game.
The big question is, which English club will make the best offer? Brother Tom is apparently being chased by Saracens and if Tom Reffell wants to pursue his international career, he may feel obliged to move to Wales which could mean Jack Willis to Tigers?

The Welsh media seem to think Tigers have signed Reffell to a rolling contract that mean he can remain at the club long term but still remain eligible. Why he'd want to move back to Wales when Gatland has just become head coach and is more likely to pick his old favourites or the biggest most physical option possible is anyone's guess. I hope he's going to be in Leicestershire for a long while yet.

Jack Willis would be a great option at Tigers though I doubt he'd like the available salary we'd be able to offer him (unless there's a significant reshuffle squad wise going on).

[SDHoneymonster]

He seems able to pick ex Worcester/Wasps players in France this season, so J Willis should definitely be on the radar. Otherwise I wouldn't see anything else changing on that front.

Back row is probably the most interesting aspect of Borthwick's first squad. There are lots of players putting their hand up, so it really is anyone's guess. That's before you even get to the does he play a flanker or a hybrid at 6.

Telling for me that when Borthwick was forwards coach for England Jones tended to favour a flanker at 6, at least once the world cup came into view (Itoje played a lot of Test rugby at 6 in the intervening few years). The lineout work tended to be good enough that they could get away with it, and that flanker usually was at the very least a decent lineout option - Curry, Shields etc. Depending on fitness I think Curry and Earl are his starting pair for Scotland.

[Mellsblue]

Could it be something to do with who is calling the lineout and who is analysing the oppo lineout in the week prior? Eng lost a lot of lineout nous when Borthwick and Kruis left.

[FKAS]

Raffi's back for Sale this weekend. Still no Ford though Smith returns for Quins.

[Shiny]

Lawes back for Saints and they are playing him at 7.

[Puja]

Lawes back for Saints and they are playing him at 7.

What the actual fuck.

Puja

[SDHoneymonster]

Could it be something to do with who is calling the lineout and who is analysing the oppo lineout in the week prior? Eng lost a lot of lineout nous when Borthwick and Kruis left.

Also was probably more of a realistic proposition having two freakish athletes in Lawes and Itoje in the second row, but given Lawes is pretty much exclusive a back rower now not so much.

[Banquo]

Lawes back for Saints and they are playing him at 7.

What the actual fuck.

Puja

Massive back 5 with 4 locks in it, and Coles on the bench. Thomand strategy!

[Danno]

Hahaha, amazing

[FKAS]

1 Alex Waller
2 Mike Haywood
3 Paul Hill
4 David Ribbans
5 Alex Moon
6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
7 Courtney Lawes
8 Lewis Ludlam (c)

For reference. That's practically Exeter styling with the 7/8 and then locks on the flanks.

[Shiny]

Methinks Mr Dowson has spent too much time reading the Eddie Jones biography he got for Christmas.

[Mellsblue]

Methinks Mr Dowson has spent too much time reading the Eddie Jones biography he got for Christmas.

I think Boyd’s invite to this weeks coaches Teams meeting mysteriously had the wrong link.

[FKAS]

Methinks Mr Dowson has spent too much time reading the Eddie Jones biography he got for Christmas.

I dunno, didn't Eddie always have an openside starting in the 7 shirt? I know he liked the Curry at 8 thing but he still played another openside.

[Puja]

Daly looked absolute mustard for Saracens today. Haven't seen him in this kind of form for many a year.

Puja

[twitchy]

[Danno]

Amazing how every article has to highlight how any given player would be improved if only Owen fucking Farrell was playing.

[Mellsblue]

Stephen Jones’s squad:
Full backs Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Luke James (Sale Sharks)
Wings Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons), Olly Woodburn (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Freeman (Northampton Saints), Anthony Watson (Leicester)
Centres Manu Tuilagi (Sale), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Henry Slade (Exeter)
Fly halves Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Sale), Charlie Atkinson (Leicester)
Scrum-halves Ben Youngs (Leicester), Raffi Quirke (Sale), Ben Spencer (Bath)
Props Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Val Rapava Ruskin (Gloucester), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol), Trevor Davison (Newcastle), Will Stuart (Bath) Hookers Jamie George (Saracens), Jamie Blamire (Newcastle), George McGuigan (Gloucester)
Locks Maro Itoje (Saracens), Elliott Stooke (Montpellier), Sean Robinson (Newcastle), Jonny Hill (Sale), David Ribbans (Northampton)
Flankers Ben Earl (Saracens), Ben Curry (Sale), Sam Underhill (Bath), Jack Willis (Toulouse)
No 8s Tom Willis (Bordeaux), Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

[Puja]

Stephen Jones’s squad:
Full backs Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Luke James (Sale Sharks)
Wings Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons), Olly Woodburn (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Freeman (Northampton Saints), Anthony Watson (Leicester)
Centres Manu Tuilagi (Sale), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Henry Slade (Exeter)
Fly halves Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Sale), Charlie Atkinson (Leicester)
Scrum-halves Ben Youngs (Leicester), Raffi Quirke (Sale), Ben Spencer (Bath)
Props Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Val Rapava Ruskin (Gloucester), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol), Trevor Davison (Newcastle), Will Stuart (Bath) Hookers Jamie George (Saracens), Jamie Blamire (Newcastle), George McGuigan (Gloucester)
Locks Maro Itoje (Saracens), Elliott Stooke (Montpellier), Sean Robinson (Newcastle), Jonny Hill (Sale), David Ribbans (Northampton)
Flankers Ben Earl (Saracens), Ben Curry (Sale), Sam Underhill (Bath), Jack Willis (Toulouse)
No 8s Tom Willis (Bordeaux), Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

...so many things there. Atkinson instead of Smith (I mean Marcus, but you'd say Fin was also ahead). Stooke instead of Chessum. JVP missing to fit in Ben Spencer. Will Stuart in there despite being spectacularly unavailable through injury. Luke James in, despite not being even slightly international quality, because Jones watched one game and he was good.

He's barely worth paying any attention to at the best of times, but that is bananas.

Puja

[Puja]

Telegraph believe Farrell is due to be named captain: https://12ft.io/proxy?ref=&q=https://ww ... x-nations/

If true, I hate it. He's very far from being guaranteed his starting place, which is the bare minimum requirement for a captain in my eyes. Even if he's doing well, he's still always going to be under pressure from Smith and Ford, but naming him captain basically nails him into a shirt no matter how badly he plays.

Should be Genge or Itoje.

Puja

[Puja]

Huh. That article changed between me reading it and putting it on here. This is what the headline used to look like:

Screenshot_20230115_092142_Chrome.jpg

Hopefully the edit means that the Telegraph got their facts wrong?

Puja

[fivepointer]

I would have gone for T Curry but injury rules that out. I'm happy with Genge or Itoje or Lawes. Be very pleased if Farrell isnt named but i have a niggling suspicion he will be. Tell me i'm being an irrational fool.

[twitchy]

Huh. That article changed between me reading it and putting it on here. This is what the headline used to look like:


Screenshot_20230115_092142_Chrome.jpg


Hopefully the edit means that the Telegraph got their facts wrong?

Puja

Love Jonny May looking straight at the camera.

[p/d]

Pick your team, then pick your captain.

No need to name one for 6n just because the marketing company want a pre tournament pic of all captains flexing and a smiling