Team for Scotland

[Danno]

I quite like that it immunises against 2 additional days of pointless press speculation based on long lens training pics or whatever

[Oakboy]

I quite like that it immunises against 2 additional days of pointless press speculation based on long lens training pics or whatever

And we can give up guessing and whinge instead! Seriously though, it must be one of SB's most popular team announcements. The single change makes sense.

[Oakboy]

I wonder if Fin will assume the kicking duties from the start.

[Banquo]

Isn’t it the SA way. This is it do your best attitude.

Yes. The comparisons end there tho

[Puja]

I wonder if Fin will assume the kicking duties from the start.

I was wondering that as well. MSmith is incredibly capable and, before the two bad misses on Saturday, had been on a run without a missed kick in months - if he is generally considered the better kicker, then I'd be in favour of him keeping the responsibility, rather than throwing everything over on the basis of two bad kicks. Although I'd imagine the first couple of kicks will be a bit pressured.

I have to say that I admire the clarity of thought from MSmith in handing over the tee - it would've been incredibly tempting to cling onto it, as the senior player, and insist that he'd score the next one, but there was clearly something happening in his mind or his technique to miss two kicks with identical mishits. Rather than jeopardise the team, he showed admirable self-awareness and humility to step back, instead of assuaging his own ego by trying to wipe out his mistakes.

Puja

[Banquo]

I wonder if Fin will assume the kicking duties from the start.

I was wondering that as well. MSmith is incredibly capable and, before the two bad misses on Saturday, had been on a run without a missed kick in months - if he is generally considered the better kicker, then I'd be in favour of him keeping the responsibility, rather than throwing everything over on the basis of two bad kicks. Although I'd imagine the first couple of kicks will be a bit pressured.

I have to say that I admire the clarity of thought from MSmith in handing over the tee - it would've been incredibly tempting to cling onto it, as the senior player, and insist that he'd score the next one, but there was clearly something happening in his mind or his technique to miss two kicks with identical mishits. Rather than jeopardise the team, he showed admirable self-awareness and humility to step back, instead of assuaging his own ego by trying to wipe out his mistakes.

Puja

Did he make that decision, or was it the skipper. Good call either way.

[Mikey Brown]

Itoje said he didn’t know anything about it.

[p/d]

Isn’t it the SA way. This is it do your best attitude.

Yes. The comparisons end there tho

‘If you want to be best you have to act like the best’

I’m sure that is tattooed on the Wigglers arse

[p/d]

Itoje said he didn’t know anything about it.

He also said he doesn’t remember what he said in the huddle before our winning score.

[Mikey Brown]

Itoje said he didn’t know anything about it.

He also said he doesn’t remember what he said in the huddle before our winning score.

I imagine he used the word ‘special’ at some point.

[FKAS]

I sort of get it, but are we really expecting Teams to be waiting until Tuesday afternoon of a match week to make major tactical changes based on the opposition?

Minor tweaks. Toonie no doubt has his 9s and wingers practicing their kick to compete. I'm half expecting them to field someone like Kinghorn on the wing to chase the kicks for at least the first half and test how comfortable Marcus is at the back.

And what would England have done if Townsend had named 14. Kinghorn 15. Rowe first instead of the other way round? Bring Steward back in?

I broadly agree with the Rassie and P/D approach, but I doubt there's much in it.

As I said tweaks. Might have been a temptation to find a spot for Steward on the bench or have a system where Freeman drops onto whichever wing is being lined up to be box kicked on like Steward used to.

[jngf]

Pretty happy with that side, bar the center partnership. Hoping that Ted Hill gets a start at 6 in either Wales or Italy test and T Curry deserves a rest!

[Danno]

He might deserve a rest but he needs to stop playing like Kratos first

[Stom]

I wonder if Fin will assume the kicking duties from the start.

I was wondering that as well. MSmith is incredibly capable and, before the two bad misses on Saturday, had been on a run without a missed kick in months - if he is generally considered the better kicker, then I'd be in favour of him keeping the responsibility, rather than throwing everything over on the basis of two bad kicks. Although I'd imagine the first couple of kicks will be a bit pressured.

I have to say that I admire the clarity of thought from MSmith in handing over the tee - it would've been incredibly tempting to cling onto it, as the senior player, and insist that he'd score the next one, but there was clearly something happening in his mind or his technique to miss two kicks with identical mishits. Rather than jeopardise the team, he showed admirable self-awareness and humility to step back, instead of assuaging his own ego by trying to wipe out his mistakes.

Puja

Press have made a song and a dance over Marcus keeping the kicking duties now.

He's not a 90%+ kicker, but his success rate is a fair bit higher than Farrell's...

[jngf]

He might deserve a rest but he needs to stop playing like Kratos first

Didn’t Alex Sanderson say they were going to have to carefully manage his playing time this season both for club and country to properly manage against aggravating wear and tear?

[Danno]

He might deserve a rest but he needs to stop playing like Kratos first

Didn’t Alex Sanderson say they were going to have to carefully manage his playing time this season both for club and country to properly manage against aggravating wear and tear?

I haven't seen that, but he was listed as rehab in the fallow week so it seems he is being managed, at least somewhat. Hopefully he's mature enough (and no doubt realises that a stem cell procedure is serious enough) to listen to his body and say when he's not able to play

[Puja]

Pretty happy with that side, bar the center partnership. Hoping that Ted Hill gets a start at 6 in either Wales or Italy test and T Curry deserves a rest!

If we didn't have the fallow week after Scotland, I'd be tempted to agree, but he will be in a position of having had a game, week off, game, week off, and I think he should be strong enough for a couple of consecutive games. Don't want him having two weeks off to keep him for the Wales game and then being undercooked.

Puja

[p/d]

I would argue that F kicking would be more beneficial to F’s overall game control /confidence than M would garner from taking the tee.

M needs to concentrate on his role at fb and not be sidetracked by place kicking into the space between post and corner flag.

[Danno]

Makes no odds to me. Scotland, France and Wales have been profligate with a not 10 kicking recently

[p/d]

Makes no odds to me. Scotland, France and Wales have been profligate with a not 10 kicking recently

Don’t get me wrong I don’t give a jot what position they play. Would love Itoje to have ‘Nobody’s’ all round game.

Just think it would be better for F Smith’s game if he took the shots.

[Danno]

We're in so much flux that details like who's taking the kicks seems a bit luxury to me. Both are amazing kickers, let's see if Fin can play more than a half of rugby tho.

[Oakboy]

Pretty happy with that side, bar the center partnership. Hoping that Ted Hill gets a start at 6 in either Wales or Italy test and T Curry deserves a rest!

If we didn't have the fallow week after Scotland, I'd be tempted to agree, but he will be in a position of having had a game, week off, game, week off, and I think he should be strong enough for a couple of consecutive games. Don't want him having two weeks off to keep him for the Wales game and then being undercooked.

Puja

TC is back to his best when at his fitness best. SB's selection is made easy whilst that is so. However, his consistent availability matters and sentiment or 'resting' should not enter into it. He can either stay fit or not. If there is any doubt about it, running through to the next RWC, his place must be in jeopardy after this 6N. He is arguably our best flanker but he is not far enough ahead to be any sort of special case. Years of wasting a squad place on Tuilagi was a lesson not to be repeated. Occasional availability of an injury-prone player should not block development of alternatives.

[Mikey Brown]

I had similar fears about Curry coming straight back in, but there's a considerable difference between him and Tuilagi at this stage.

Obviously the hip issue is massive and he had a few concussions, but Tuilagi seemed to pick up dozens of different injuries in addition to his dodgy groin. We had no depth and it totally dictated our play style. This is not the same at all with Curry. We have the luxury of being able to develop the 5 or 6 guys behind him in the queue while making sure he's where he needs to be for 2027.

So far this has turned out about as well as it could, given how the intitial outlook on his hip looked. If things go badly for him over the next couple of years it will be a massive shame, but I'm not exactly concerned about finding another decent flanker.

Incidentally Tuilagi looks to be on 12 starts in a row (at 12) for Bayonne. Good for him.

[Skalyba]

Pretty happy with that side, bar the center partnership. Hoping that Ted Hill gets a start at 6 in either Wales or Italy test and T Curry deserves a rest!

If we didn't have the fallow week after Scotland, I'd be tempted to agree, but he will be in a position of having had a game, week off, game, week off, and I think he should be strong enough for a couple of consecutive games. Don't want him having two weeks off to keep him for the Wales game and then being undercooked.

Puja

TC is back to his best when at his fitness best. SB's selection is made easy whilst that is so. However, his consistent availability matters and sentiment or 'resting' should not enter into it. He can either stay fit or not. If there is any doubt about it, running through to the next RWC, his place must be in jeopardy after this 6N. He is arguably our best flanker but he is not far enough ahead to be any sort of special case. Years of wasting a squad place on Tuilagi was a lesson not to be repeated. Occasional availability of an injury-prone player should not block development of alternatives.

I don't think it's really the same. The years wasted on Tuilagi were largely because we had no like for like replacement and just went into a holding pattern when he wasn't there rather than developing how we played. With TC you can swap in BC or Underhill with no real change in tactic for the rest on the team, and that's not accounting for the different type of play that Earl already offers at 7. Ultimately it is a position where we can afford to swap different players in and it'll be a marginally (if any change) in quality so he can be managed, unless someone else rises clearly out of the pack.

[Mikey Brown]

These England inside line videos are sometimes quite interesting but please save yourself the time and don't watch the latest one. 10 minutes of watching Marcus Smith make a cup of tea and then 10 minutes of Marcus/Fin saying that they do actually like eachother and want to push eachother to succeed and do better for the lads and give 110% and get better week on week and leave it all out there and grow as players and grow as people and dig deep for the boys and oh my god shut the fuck up.

You do get the sense Fin is very grounded though and maybe a bit embarassed by the hype/MOTM and media bullshit.