Team for Italy

[Banquo]

Good to see Dingers and JVP getting a go. Hate 6:2, especially mad not having a lock with that as well.

[p/d]

Oakboy will go maaad that Lawrence stays whilst old tight shorts gets the hook

Pissed of Dan doesn’t get the bench spot.

Otherwise no surprise Daly comes in for Smith.

Marcus needs to be working on covering 9.

[p/d]

Big chance for Dingwall. Going to be switching with Lawrence like Slade has been doing? Lawrence attacking at 13 but defending at 12 or will they play as their shirts suggest. Dingwall needs to show he's got the physical ability for international rugby, he should have the other attributes.

Dingers/ Slade/ Lawrence or even the mighty Steward fall short v the Italian pairing.

[FKAS]

Big chance for Dingwall. Going to be switching with Lawrence like Slade has been doing? Lawrence attacking at 13 but defending at 12 or will they play as their shirts suggest. Dingwall needs to show he's got the physical ability for international rugby, he should have the other attributes.

Dingers/ Slade/ Lawrence or even the mighty Steward fall short v the Italian pairing.

Just a general point about physicality rather than needing to be more physical than the Italian centres. Dingwall fell off more tackles than he would have liked last time out and ball in hand didn't make much ground.

[fivepointer]

Delighted for Dingwall. Disappointed for Marcus who didnt do a lot wrong last time out. Difficult to see how Daly offers more of an attacking threat.
Not convinced Hill is the best option to cover lock but pleased hes in the 23.
JVP back is a good thing.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Having a 12 playing at 12 is a concept that I am amazed they have stumbled upon! It makes me happy!

6:2 is gash. Without a lock is even gasher!

[Banquo]

Having a 12 playing at 12 is a concept that I am amazed they have stumbled upon! It makes me happy!

6:2 is gash. Without a lock is even gasher!

I've actually liked some of what Lawrence has done when slotting into 12 in attack sometimes; be interesting to see who defends at o/c.

[Which Tyler]

The good:
Dingwall for Slade
JvP for Randall

The questionable:
Daly for MSmith
No rest for TCurry

The bad:
6:2 bench
Which doesn't even have a lock on it

[Epaminondas Pules]

Having a 12 playing at 12 is a concept that I am amazed they have stumbled upon! It makes me happy!

6:2 is gash. Without a lock is even gasher!

I've actually liked some of what Lawrence has done when slotting into 12 in attack sometimes; be interesting to see who defends at o/c.

He does some good stuff, and has a habit of coming into plays at 12 for Bath, but mixing with being on an outside or inside off 12 too. Having Russell and Redpath is just a delight for him as they're putting him into much more successful situations.
Now we might get to see someone who plays 12 (I appreciate Dingers plays both, and more 13 this season that previously) regularly alongside him.

[Puja]

The good:
Dingwall for Slade
JvP for Randall

The questionable:
Daly for MSmith
No rest for TCurry

The bad:
6:2 bench
Which doesn't even have a lock on it

Pretty much - I don't have generalised disdain for 6:2 and think it's a good option for us, but only if we have a genuine lock on the bench (which THill is not). I'd also add George in for LCD as a Good - he's looked back to his best since losing the captaincy and deserves the starting slot.

Basically, if that team didn't have a withdrawal from MSmith at 15, then I'd be very happy with that team. I'm very interested to see Dingwall-Lawrence, rather than Slade's poor decision-making and KADABing. Two games is not enough to know if it works and now we're none the wiser as to whether it is a viable option. Plus I am unexcited by Daly at 15 - he's forgiven for a lot for the try against France, but he's not the same player he was and a very staid option without even offering security at the back.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Daly just isnt a very good FB. His best games for England have been as a wing. It just seems a very odd selection to drop Marcus in favour of him.

[jngf]

I’m very concerned that T Curry’s not been given this match off - could be a big error of judgement on the part of Software Backlog if it all goes pear shaped

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah it’s hard to know what to make of the Daly selection. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but it doesn’t scream ambition. I liked both him and George in their roles from the previous weeks but we seriously need to be able to move on.

Perfectly solid finish vs France and that’s about all I can say for it. I’d imagine he’s more solid as a 15 than last time out, with so much game time there for Sarries, but he’s hardly going to be on an upwards tick at this point in his career is he?

It might just be me and Puja feeling this way about Smith at 15 but it’s such an irritating call. If he’d been terrible in any of his games so far that would actually have been more useful, long-term, but we’ve learned pretty much nothing so far.

I wonder if Steward will be having a look around French clubs any time soon.

The centre battle should be interesting. Each have a fantastic athlete paired with a much less exciting sort of glue player. Meloncello should be a good test for Dingwall’s physical punch.

[p/d]

Steward will be back v Wales.

Different kicking game, you see.

[Danno]

Of all the spent forces that Sex Buzzcocks inherited, Daly must be the last one that gets a start (please keep slade out). It's such a weird selection.

[Oakboy]

So, we crawl away from the habit of losing games late, all thanks to George's solidity for the last 20 apparently. Now, he is starting but LCD is on the bench ahead of Dan. If George coming on late worked why change it? If LCD is not up to starting leave him out of the 23.

I'd have started Freeman at 13 alongside Dingwall at 12. I suppose Daly is in for his boot as Slade is out - real forward-thinking.

[Banquo]

Daly just isnt a very good FB.

Neither is Marcus, so...

but tend to agree.

[Which Tyler]

Marcus is more likely to become a (very) good FB though

[Danno]

Marcus is more likely to become a (very) good FB though

Hell yeah, shades of Barrett but with an unbelievable eye for any sort of space in a defensive line. If we had someone better than Evans as his backup at Quins he might get the gametime he needs there

[Mellsblue]

IBWT

[FKAS]

I wonder if Steward will be having a look around French clubs any time soon.

Recently signed on for (at least) two more years at Tigers. With Pearson looking good for the under 20s and in the PRC maybe Steward may start getting game time at 12 like some are keen for him to do so next season or so.

[Veyqun]

I think the English written rugby press is appalling. England have just won two in a row against two good teams. They are a team who spent a year losing close games and now they are winning them. The kids who are playing are good and have tons of heart. They stay in the fight and now they have started winning. They are slowly building.

I have waited years for an England team to have some sense of identity and genuine heart. I like this lot. And I like a lot of what SB's regime is doing. We are far from perfect. But let the kids play.

Maybe it's my age but I find the press' bagging of young men who are giving everything really distasteful.

[p/d]

The way we are going with fb’s I wonder if plans are in place to tempt Gopperth back to our shores

[Puja]

I think the English written rugby press is appalling. England have just won two in a row against two good teams. They are a team who spent a year losing close games and now they are winning them. The kids who are playing are good and have tons of heart. They stay in the fight and now they have started winning. They are slowly building.

I have waited years for an England team to have some sense of identity and genuine heart. I like this lot. And I like a lot of what SB's regime is doing. We are far from perfect. But let the kids play.

Maybe it's my age but I find the press' bagging of young men who are giving everything really distasteful.

One thing which I've noticed in the m-b-m is that we looked scared of Scotland at times in how we played and gave them way too much respect. The penalty where we go 13-10 up comes after we've spent a period of dominance, they've just had to give up three penalties in the space of one attack to stop us crossing the line, they're on a final warning for a yellow from the ref, both our scrum and our lineout maul have been on top and we've got a choice between a 5 metre lineout or a tap-penalty/scrum 5m out and underneath the posts. Yet we opted very quickly to kick for goal.

I think you raise a good point that it's easy to underestimate how much psychological damage a young team can take from having winning positions slip out of their hands for seven non-Japan games in a row. Beating France has gone some way to repairing it, but then we had the luxury of being unfavoured and given just a puncher's chance. We flinched when Scotland went ahead in the first half, remembering how they'd won the last four.

Very easy to say that they should just "be stronger" and "do better" but getting these wins and getting that belief in their hearts is how the strength builds.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Delighted for Dingwall. Disappointed for Marcus who didnt do a lot wrong last time out. Difficult to see how Daly offers more of an attacking threat.
Not convinced Hill is the best option to cover lock but pleased hes in the 23.
JVP back is a good thing.

Dingwall has always struck me as a good, sound all-round midfielder who can do a bit of everything, has some rugby intelligence/organization skills and plays to a high level of consistency. He is not particularly fast or powerful or inventive, and I can't remember his ever having lit up a game with personal brilliance. I am sure he will not let the side down but I would not expect too much. I suspect SB sees him as a reliable midfield presence, there to keep things ticking over and safe and to dovetail with his Saint's mates. Good luck to him. The Italian centres will be a good test.