EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Puja]

Not sure where best to post this, but Jonny May is back for Glaws tomorrow

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/37617695

That's good news. Gives him a few more games than I expected to try and get match-fit for November.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

By all accounts his rehabilitation has gone well, pucka specialists involved. Fingers crossed he hasn't lost a yard.

Very well, ahead of his best-case prognosis.
Well done to him and his team

[Gloskarlos]

67 minutes played and one try. Only heard the radio coverage but encouraging for sure.

[Which Tyler]

Pau vs Bath: http://www.france4.fr/programme-tv
Official stream, but not the greatest quality

ETA: That was tight - Bath win by 3; after the Frenchman spills the ball going for the try in extra time

[Mikey Brown]

I only saw bits and bobs this weekend. As far as players who did themselves a favour I'm guessing Robshaw, Chisholm (irrelevant at this stage), Yarde, Brown, basically all the Sarries boys, Cipriani, Launch, Roko, Brookes? Simpson? Any other standouts so far?

[Puja]

I only saw bits and bobs this weekend. As far as players who did themselves a favour I'm guessing Robshaw, Chisholm (irrelevant at this stage), Yarde, Brown, basically all the Sarries boys, Cipriani, Launch, Roko, Brookes? Simpson? Any other standouts so far?

Can't really say that the Wasps lads really pushed their cases this week - yes, they played well, but in an 82-14 win against a minnow, there's not really a lot positive that you can prove.

The big winner of the weekend is Fazlet, in my opinion. Slade dropped and unable to press his case, while Farrell came back in after injury and looked sharp as a tack. Some lovely passing and decision-making, especially in the first half. If he can keep playing like that, then I'll be very happy to have him at 12 for England.

And there's a sentence that I didn't think I'd be saying 10 months ago.

Puja

[Digby]

I'll be very happy to have him at 12 for England.

And there's a sentence that I didn't think I'd be saying 10 months ago.

He should only be a 10 for England. And there's a sentence I was saying 10 months ago, and 10 months before that, and 10 months before that, and...

[Oakboy]

I'll be very happy to have him at 12 for England.

And there's a sentence that I didn't think I'd be saying 10 months ago.

He should only be a 10 for England. And there's a sentence I was saying 10 months ago, and 10 months before that, and 10 months before that, and...

It may well be that if you convinced Eddie of that and put him on a spot where he had to choose between the two of them for the 10 shirt, he'd take Farrell ahead of Ford. We can debate personalities for ever but the consideration above all others, for me, is that there must always be one player (at least) who has real flair in the 3 shirts 9,10,12. I believe that Eddie will always pick Farrell in his XV. The very worst situation is having, say, Youngs, Farrell and T 'eo as the trio. I'm not a big fan of Ford but at least he has a skill-set that allows for the unpredictable. I suspect that we will have to put up with Farrell at 12 for some time yet. He is a better option than the bosh merchants (Barritt, Burrell, T'eo, Tuilagi).

I'd still pick Simpson, Cipriani and Slade but it's never going to happen.

[fivepointer]

Farrell odds on to start at 12.

Right now I think we'll see Mako, George, Cole, Launch, Kruis, Robshaw, Itoje, Billy, Youngs, Ford, Roko, Faz, JJ, Yarde, Brown

Basically players have one more game to make a case. A big performance might make a difference but I don't think this line up is likely to alter much.

[Digby]

EJ has already said Hartley will be captain. Which seems an odd thing to say if he's going to pick the better hooker instead.

And I assume he'd put Grannypants on the left wing over Roko.

[ilovelamp]

Jonny May looked sharp against Bayonne. Doesnt appear to have lost any of his pace.

http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/12951.php

[Oakboy]

Farrell odds on to start at 12.

Right now I think we'll see Mako, George, Cole, Launch, Kruis, Robshaw, Itoje, Billy, Youngs, Ford, Roko, Faz, JJ, Yarde, Brown

Basically players have one more game to make a case. A big performance might make a difference but I don't think this line up is likely to alter much.

5P, you have most of it right, I'd think. If Hartley is fully fit I'd be surprised if he did not start. As for the wingers, EJ may be reluctant to pick both Yarde and Roko.

[TheNomad]

He likes May doesn't he? Or at least he has said so in the past

Would like him there personally. May and Roko would suit me fine. Bring in Watson at 15 when fit and that's a dangerous back three (hopefully only in an attacking sense)

[Puja]

Speaking of getting fit, Cockerill reckpns Manu is 3 weeks away from a comeback. It's not as though he's never lied about an injury update before, so worth taking with a pinch of salt, but that is more specific than we normally get, so maybe it's true.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

At this stage I feel he might as well be saying "he's 5 weeks away from his next injury / groin strain". I'd love to see him make a proper comeback but I'm not holding my breath.

Sadly I think that (in Eddie's mind) that opens the door for Teo a little more every time.

[fivepointer]

When was the last time Manu played 6 games on the bounce?

Until he's able to do that, any thoughts about England should be put to one side.

[Oakboy]

When was the last time Manu played 6 games on the bounce?

Until he's able to do that, any thoughts about England should be put to one side.

Yes, just that!

[fivepointer]

Luke Cowan Dickie wont feature in the Ai's due to injury.

George and Taylor it is then, at least for the opening match.

[Beasties]

Luke Cowan Dickie wont feature in the Ai's due to injury.

George and Taylor it is then, at least for the opening match.

That's a shame for LCD but I'm happy to take a look at Taylor, he'd deserve some Eng game time after his start to the season.

[twitchy]

We have gone from hooker being a problem position to some actual depth.

[Stom]

We have gone from hooker being a problem position to some actual depth.

And very quickly.

Ditto lock.

In fact, as the u20s start to come through, we starting to find quality depth in most positions. Just need a few more years for the flankers to come through properly.

[Mikey Brown]

We still haven't seen much of the other hookers at international level, just to be a bit negative about it. I can't wait for George to take over though, there can be no question of that, surely?

Is Youngs just not doing it anymore? He so, so good in the loose it seems crazy if he's a lot cause.

[Puja]

We have gone from hooker being a problem position to some actual depth.

And very quickly.

Ditto lock.

In fact, as the u20s start to come through, we starting to find quality depth in most positions. Just need a few more years for the flankers to come through properly.

And scrum-halves. We've not had a decent 9 in the U20s at all - Robson's sudden blossoming was an awful surprise as he was exceedingly average at U20s. I'm hearing good things about this year's batch though.

Puja

[Beasties]

We have gone from hooker being a problem position to some actual depth.

Yup. Still standing at the no 12 bus stop though.

[Scrumhead]

We have gone from hooker being a problem position to some actual depth.

And very quickly.

Ditto lock.

In fact, as the u20s start to come through, we starting to find quality depth in most positions. Just need a few more years for the flankers to come through properly.

And scrum-halves. We've not had a decent 9 in the U20s at all - Robson's sudden blossoming was an awful surprise as he was exceedingly average at U20s. I'm hearing good things about this year's batch though.

Puja

I'd say it was more of a pleasant surprise than an awful one! In all fairness, Robson's 'blossoming' wasn't that sudden - there were a few glimpses of his ability 2 or 3 years ago at Gloucester. He just couldn't get regular game time and then they signed Laidlaw.

Harry Randall looked good in the U20 World Cup, but he is literally tiny. He could bulk up, but he's unlikely to grow from his current 5'6" unless he has a very late growth spurt. Even with Laidlaw going, he'll still be competing with another 2 or 3 young 9s at Gloucester too.

Apparently Jack Maunder is highly rated at Exeter, but I haven't seen him play and they haven't done a great job with bringing Stuart Townsend through so far.

Ben Spencer is on Eddie's radar now and is actually getting some reasonable game time with Sarries, so I'm hoping our mix of players at scrum half will be quite different in the next season or two. Youngs' experience and occasional flash of brilliance mean he'll be hard to dislodge from the squad, but I'd hope Robson, Spencer and Simpson are leapfrogging Danny Care soon.