6 Nations Squad Announcement - 11:30am

[Skalyba]

I could be way off here, but I think we might get some surprises.

As much as injuries are annoying and disruptive, they also force change and that could well be for the better.

I’d like to see:

1. Genge
2. Cowan-Dickie
3. Stuart
4. Itoje
5. Martin
6. T. Curry
7. Earl
8. Willis
9. Mitchell
10. M. Smith
11. Freeman
12. Dingwall
13. Lawrence
14. Roebuck
15. Daly

16. Dan 17. Baxter 18. Heyes 19. Chessum 20. Cunningham South 21. Van Poortvliet 22. F. Smith 23. Murley

I doubt Daly will be a popular pick but honestly, I think there is more to be gained by picking him than Steward at this moment in time.

I'd rather have Daly at 15 than Marcus!!

Against Ireland and France, I'm not too happy about Earl and Curry on the flanks. One or the other at 7 with CCS or Chessum at 6 seems more threatening somehow, especially at turning defence into attack.

Dingwall at 12 may function better with Freeman at 13 perhaps? I know criticising Slade is popular. He may be past it now but I'm becoming more convinced that the non-functioning of his pairing with Lawrence is at least as much the latter's fault if not more so. I'd be comfortable with dumping both.

I don't get the "Freeman to 13" desire. He's not played there in nearly a year (and never for England) and, back when he had that brief run for Saints, he was always just fine, rather than anything spectacular. He's an excellent player, and likely would be wherever we play him, but I don't get why you'd clamour him for him specifically at 13.

This goes doubly so, considering the incredible form Beard's in this season. If we had IFW and Sleightholme fit, then there's maybe an argument for trying to fit everyone onto the pitch, but it seems perverse to argue to shift Freeman from the wing where we need him, because we don't want to pick the young form talent at 13.

Puja

Even in the latter scenario, surely 15 would make more sense. He see's himself as a wing / full back and has plenty of time there. More pace than Steward, better catch than Marcus - would allow Roebuck and Sleightholme on the wings

[Mikey Brown]

I struggle to remember which Freddie or which Clark is which player down at Gloucester. What is Arthur Clark like?

Interesting it’s not Ewels or Isiekwe though. Perhaps as it’s only temporary, but seems like Tizard has missed the boat a bit as an England contender. I really thought he’d be our new Launchbury when he was at Quins.

Last I heard Freeman talk about it he said he doesn’t really mind where he plays, but was really enjoying 13. When did he actually last play 15? It doesn’t feel like it’s really on the cards anymore but it would be nice to fit all those guys in.

[Scrumhead]

I think Isiekwe is injured?

Clark is Arthur who has looked good for Gloucester all season and outshone Tizard in the A game.

Really does feel like the A squad being a ‘pathway’ to the senior squad is being taken seriously.

[Mellsblue]

Happy with those replacements for a number of reasons but gutted for George - it’s been a bruising month, mentally.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Clark, Langdon, Pollock, Spencer and Quirke called up to replace Coles, George, Dombrandt, JvP and Mitchell …

Mitchell still with the squad for rehab but that’s a massive blow.

Have to hope his injury isn't serious. Bad enough if he misses the Ireland game but very probably terminal to any chances of more than 2 wins if he's out for the duration.

OTOH pleased for Langdon and Quirke. Willis' chance of at least making the bench have gone up too. Pleased we’ve gone for Clark rather than Ewels too.

Apart from Mitchell that's actually a pretty good result all round really! Coles is a decent player, but we've actually gone for someone different than Ewels!

[Oakboy]

Assuming Mitchell is out of the first match, who will start at 9? Most countries would struggle to replace their 1st AND 2nd choice SH. Spencer and Quirke are useful replacements.

[Scrumhead]

Sounds like Mitchell might not make the Ireland game but could be OK for France.

Might be a bit of a stretch to definitively say JvP is number 2 to Mitchell anyway. I’d say that shirt is most definitely up for grabs.

Who Borthwick picks will essentially dictate the game plan. I’d go with Randall to start with Quirke on the bench but that’s definitely not going to happen.

[Scrumhead]

Fair play to Borthwick for being bold. The 9s pick themselves I guess but he could easily have gone for Ewels and Roots to replace Coles and Dombrandt.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Assuming Mitchell is out of the first match, who will start at 9? Most countries would struggle to replace their 1st AND 2nd choice SH. Spencer and Quirke are useful replacements.

Spencer is a very useful one, except when he puts on an England shirt.

Quire and Randall for me. We have to try and play with pace and I just don't see it with Spencer. For Bath yes, but not for England. That's not just down to him.

That said Slumberfest Borebag will probably play a box kicking game, because his Excel calculations show a 0.12764892% advantage when kicking into a mild northwesterly wind with a slight left to right angle, and look to compete, in which case Spencer all day long.

[Mellsblue]

I’d bring back Youngs and Care just for the one match. Youngs at 12, obvs.

[Captainhaircut]

Not the end of the world losing Coles or Dombrant given they were unlikely to play. Nice to see Clark and Pollock called up too- as a few others have said, he could have made far safer call ups.

George is an interesting one. LCD and Dan seems the more exciting path and great to see Langdon come in. Could this be the end of George’s England career?

Mitchell is a nightmare. For me, he’s our most important player. Not necessarily the best but the drop off to the next scrum half is huge. We really need him fit. Quirke is the next most talented for me and the new maul and scrum laws could make him absolutely dynamite given his pace. I also think he could do a job as an emergency wing which gives bench options. Just need him to stay fit.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I’d bring back Youngs and Care just for the one match. Youngs at 12, obvs.

You're dropping Ben Earl!!!

[FKAS]

Sounds like Mitchell might not make the Ireland game but could be OK for France.

Might be a bit of a stretch to definitively say JvP is number 2 to Mitchell anyway. I’d say that shirt is most definitely up for grabs.

Who Borthwick picks will essentially dictate the game plan. I’d go with Randall to start with Quirke on the bench but that’s definitely not going to happen.

If JvP could consistently show his good pre injury form then he'd easily be second choice but he can't so I'd agree it's open. Not open enough that Randall should be ever considered a starter. His core skills are dire for an international, particularly his kicking game. If he never got capped again I don't think England would be missing out on anything.

Quirke I'd like to see get a go, he's got a lot of strengths and being made of glass is his major issue. I'd be tempted to have him and Spencer in the 23 if Mitchell is out. As it's only a dead leg hopefully Mitchell is back for the Ireland game. Hopefully JvP is back as well.

[FKAS]

I struggle to remember which Freddie or which Clark is which player down at Gloucester. What is Arthur Clark like?

Arthur is the bigger lock who's handy at the set piece. Freddie is the pacey one who plays like a lock/backrow hybrid.

Good to see Arthur Clark called up. Big and mobile, plenty of untapped potential still.

Pollock as a Dombrandt replacement is ideal. Better fit in terms of overall squad and increases the chance of T Willis getting a spot in the 23.

[Mellsblue]

I’d bring back Youngs and Care just for the one match. Youngs at 12, obvs.

You're dropping Ben Earl!!!

Earl to 12 at lineouts with Youngs in to 9. Steward ball off the top to Youngs who will fizz a perfectly horizontal 30 yard spin pass straight into Earl’s bread basket who will dominate Aki in the collision to score.

[Mikey Brown]

I’d bring back Youngs and Care just for the one match. Youngs at 12, obvs.

You're dropping Ben Earl!!!

Waghorn to 12 who will dominate Aki in the collision to score.

Now we're talking.

[Stom]

The loss of both SHs does leave us a little short. Though I really hope Quirke can kick on

[Mellsblue]

You're dropping Ben Earl!!!

Waghorn to 12 who will dominate Aki in the collision to score.

Now we're talking.

An IC at IC. It’ll never work.
You need to think outside the box and take your admiration for B Curry’s combination of collision domination and kicking game to its logical conclusion. B Cuzza at 12 to complete the trilogy of flankers at IC. Farrell -> Earl -> B Curry.

[Mikey Brown]

What we need to do is start banning jokes about the 12 shirt. Some things you just don’t joke about. The treatment of the England 12 shirt in the last 20 years is our 9/11.

I do maintain Farrell could/should have been an excellent flanker.

[Banquo]

Not sure how you can have prem games this weekend

Mostly because there's only so many weeks in a year,

No sh’t. Or you could have less European games. Saints certainly not happy about this weekend.
Not rocket science though is it? Or do you really think this is a good solution?

[Oakboy]

Not sure how you can have prem games this weekend

Mostly because there's only so many weeks in a year,

No sh’t. Or you could have less European games. Saints certainly not happy about this weekend.
Not rocket science though is it? Or do you really think this is a good solution?

Two European competitions on a straight knockout basis starting with 16 (non-SA) teams would be a good starting point. Make the things worth winning again and get priorities sorted.

[Timbo]

The Times reporting that Mitchell should be fine for Ireland he just can’t train fully this week. It was a knee on knee bang with no internal damage etc, just a case of stiffness & pain management.

[Puja]

Not sure how you can have prem games this weekend

Mostly because there's only so many weeks in a year,

No sh’t. Or you could have less European games. Saints certainly not happy about this weekend.
Not rocket science though is it? Or do you really think this is a good solution?

It's the piecemeal bullshit that's the problem. If there was a run of Prem games and the last one didn't have any of the internationals, it wouldn't be great, but at least there'd be a sense of "The Prem is the buildup to the 6N". It'd be treated as important.

The message we are sending here is, "We have done a couple of weekends of important stuff and we have a spare weekend where there's no internationals... sure let's shove a Prem week in there. Gotta fit them in somewhere, I guess!" And then we wonder why we can't get big television deals or sponsorship when not even we treat it as a valuable property.

We need to stop interleaving competitions just because we nicked that structure from football's european comps, and play the whole Prem and the whole European in two separate blocks.

Puja

[Puja]

The Times reporting that Mitchell should be fine for Ireland he just can’t train fully this week. It was a knee on knee bang with no internal damage etc, just a case of stiffness & pain management.

That's an absolute result if true. Hope it's just this week and he can have a full week to get up to speed.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Mostly because there's only so many weeks in a year,

No sh’t. Or you could have less European games. Saints certainly not happy about this weekend.
Not rocket science though is it? Or do you really think this is a good solution?

It's the piecemeal bullshit that's the problem. If there was a run of Prem games and the last one didn't have any of the internationals, it wouldn't be great, but at least there'd be a sense of "The Prem is the buildup to the 6N". It'd be treated as important.

The message we are sending here is, "We have done a couple of weekends of important stuff and we have a spare weekend where there's no internationals... sure let's shove a Prem week in there. Gotta fit them in somewhere, I guess!" And then we wonder why we can't get big television deals or sponsorship when not even we treat it as a valuable property.

We need to stop interleaving competitions just because we nicked that structure from football's european comps, and play the whole Prem and the whole European in two separate blocks.

Puja

I’d this an anomaly to allow for BIL?