England XV vs France XV

[Epaminondas Pules]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

[Banquo]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

Can't make it, but looks like a great day out with County finals etc! £25!!

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/new ... -france-xv

[Epaminondas Pules]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

Can't make it, but looks like a great day out with County finals etc! £25!!

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/new ... -france-xv

Yeah I got the seats literally next to Slutty Butthole, for me and my youngest for £60 all in!

[Banquo]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

Can't make it, but looks like a great day out with County finals etc! £25!!

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/new ... -france-xv

Yeah I got the seats literally next to Slutty Butthole, for me and my youngest for £60 all in!

All in Slutty Butthole!! Living the dream

[Puja]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

Can't make it, but looks like a great day out with County finals etc! £25!!

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/new ... -france-xv

Yeah I got the seats literally next to Slutty Butthole, for me and my youngest for £60 all in!

Bloody hells, that's a good get. I hope you get into conversation with Should BeHonored and let him know about the affectionate naming convention we have for him.

Puja

[loudnconfident]

Just to separate out for when things get announced.

But as a starter for ten is anyone going?

I am with my youngest if anyone fancies a pint.

I got a £25 ticket some tine ago - seems a great deal and should be a fun game. The Eel Pie usually finds me before the match

[Danno]

Can't make it, but looks like a great day out with County finals etc! £25!!

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/new ... -france-xv

Yeah I got the seats literally next to Slutty Butthole, for me and my youngest for £60 all in!

Bloody hells, that's a good get. I hope you get into conversation with Should BeHonored and let him know about the affectionate naming convention we have for him.

Puja

I hope he doesn't pay us a visit afterwards...

[Yorkie]

Team announced.
England: Carpenter; Roebuck, Slade, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso; Ford (co-c), Spencer; Baxter, George (co-c), Heyes, Coles, Isiekwe, Hill, Pepper, Willis

Replacements: Dan, Rodd, Davison, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt, Quirke, Beard

[Banquo]

That's a pretty mobile back 5 of the pack! gives a pecking order clue as well, given the front row and half back picks. Prob first choice of those available?

[Scrumhead]

Yeah. I thought this would be an A game under a different name, but that could easily be our 23 in Argentina (maybe JvP swapping back in for Spencer?).

No 10 on the bench so Ford needs to look after himself

The only pick I don’t like is Slade. Why select him for a non cap game?

[FKAS]

But of a shame to see Slade, Isiekwe, Davison, and Dombrandt still lurking around there. Otherwise a good side and Seb Atkinson finally gets a go!

[fivepointer]

Not thrilled by Slade and Isiekwe but otherwise I like that starting XV quite a bit. I'm actually pleased that Spencer at last starts a game. Atkinson at 12 is very satisfying. Bench looks full of impact.

[FKAS]

Dual co-captains as well.

[TheDasher]

Slade is 10 cover. Shame that he's ten cover whilst starting at 13 though! I'd understand him as injury cover on the bench coving 10, 12, 13 and a pinch, 15. In which case start Beard and have Slade as utility man on the bench.

Dombrandt... please stop picking him! CCS ain't no lock as we've discussed to death. I prefer Pearson to Kenningham, Rodd to start over Baxter... start Dan with Seb Blake/Blamire/Oghre on bench ideally.

Generally though it's a pretty good side, a genuinely big back row! Great to see. Big, quick, lineout option, jackling, carrying. Like it. Mobile 2nd row, strong wingers, good nines.

[Oakboy]

So, CCS is now a lock and Hill is ahead of him in the '6 with a line-out role' position. I'm happy with that but I'm surprised CCS's advisors are.

Is it not the right game for Dan to start?

The back three is an exciting prospect - well-balanced.

[Banquo]

Slade is 10 cover. Shame that he's ten cover whilst starting at 13 though! I'd understand him as injury cover on the bench coving 10, 12, 13 and a pinch, 15. In which case start Beard and have Slade as utility man on the bench.

Dombrandt... please stop picking him! CCS ain't no lock as we've discussed to death. I prefer Pearson to Kenningham, Rodd to start over Baxter... start Dan with Seb Blake/Blamire/Oghre on bench ideally.

Generally though it's a pretty good side, a genuinely big back row! Great to see. Big, quick, lineout option, jackling, carrying. Like it. Mobile 2nd row, strong wingers, good nines.

all this bar Rodd over Baxter.

[p/d]

But of a shame to see Slade, Isiekwe, Davison, and Dombrandt still lurking around there. Otherwise a good side and Seb Atkinson finally gets a go!

This.

Really like the back row!!

[Captainhaircut]

Keen to see how IFW goes on the left wing.

No idea how Slade is in. Isiekwe ahead of Clark and Davison ahead of AOF is just plain weird unless they are carrying injuries.

If that’s the side for Argentina, I think we’ll get well beat.

[Mikey Brown]

But of a shame to see Slade, Isiekwe, Davison, and Dombrandt still lurking around there. Otherwise a good side and Seb Atkinson finally gets a go!

Pretty much this.

I wonder how specific a strategy there is that requires a 6:2 or if that has just become the norm now? None of Hill, Pepper, Kenningham are real 8 options (and CCS is busy as a lock I guess) but I'd be happy to take a punt on Willis doing 80 if possible.

Slade maybe gets OTT criticism on here, but from a balance perspective outside Ford and Atkinson it just looks off. I know he's considered an important defensive leader at this point though, but as others have said I'd have preferred to use him as utility cover from the bench.

Shame for Murley (as a fanboy) but if IFW is truly fit then he's obviously got the credit in the bank.

Did Spencer and Ford overlap at Bath?

[Puja]

But of a shame to see Slade, Isiekwe, Davison, and Dombrandt still lurking around there. Otherwise a good side and Seb Atkinson finally gets a go!

Isiekwe is one I'm willing to give a pass to, as he's apparently been good for Sarries this year and there is the raw materials of a good international there still.

Davison is meh, but AOF has been away training with the Lions and, frankly, has been significantly overplayed this season, given his age - I'm very much in favour of not picking him for a non-cap warm-up. Fasogbon getting dropped is inexplicable to me, but I can only assume that Stokes Betterplay has seen something that he thinks is a significant work-on and has sent Fasogbon away with a flea in his ear to spur him on to get better - it worked for Heyes, so hopefully it's a winning strategy.

Dombrandt's disappointing as he's a dead end, but I don't know who else I'd pick considering Underhill's banned and BCurry's rehabbing.

Slade is the really annoying one. Beard's not been in the best form towards the end of the season, but I can only assume Ojomoh's knackered after the final and being rested (alongside JVP and probably Steward, although on form, you'd possibly pick Carpenter anyway). We know what we're getting with Slade - undoubted talent and ability, but an incredible facility to fail basic skills and decision-making at the higher level. With luck, he won't stymie SAtkinson's audition too much, and also won't have one of his occasional great games which would cement him into blocking one of the centre shirts for the rest of the tour.

Puja


ETA. Just realised JVP's away training with the Lions as well, hence Quirke being picked over him.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I don’t mind Slade. Means Atkinson has two seriously experienced people either side of him.

6:2 however I simply do not get!

[francoisfou]

Fabien Galthié is yet to announce his side. He usually does it 48hrs before the match but this time it's a day later.
Gaël Fickou (93 caps) is by far and away the most experienced member of the squad that includes about a dozen uncapped players, with a few from ProD2.
I'll post it as soon as I can tomorrow.

[Danno]

Fabien Galthié is yet to announce his side. He usually does it 48hrs before the match but this time it's a day later.
Gaël Fickou (93 caps) is by far and away the most experienced member of the squad that includes about a dozen uncapped players, with a few from ProD2.
I'll post it as soon as I can tomorrow.

Thanks, I was trying to find it earlier myself.

[Puja]

Presented without comment: Dombrandt has apparently been training in the centres.

Puja

[Danno]

I was overjoyed when I read that