EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[twitchy]

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... lay-in-nfl

Billy might try and play american football after the 2019 world cup. I really hope this just ends up being a pipe dream.

[Digby]

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... lay-in-nfl

Billy might try and play american football after the 2019 world cup. I really hope this just ends up being a pipe dream.

If he could do it why not, he could earn a fortune

[jngf]

Do you think Billy could ever develop into an auxiliary lineout jumper, this is one advantage that Nathan, Beaumont, Clifford and I think even Morgan have?

[Mikey Brown]

He's a rare backrower that is mobile enough yet powerful/sturdy enough to do a one-man lift, it's quite useful. I'd leave it at that.

[Rich]

The English susceptibility to play the backrow and back 3 as being interchangeable positions is nothing new.
They've finally worked out that 15 is a specialist position......in a few more years they might work out the rest.
Jones is ripping the English preconceptions from the bottle to the tit. Rugby is a better sport because of it.

The back row and back three ARE interchangeable


The tendency to pigeonhole players into one position only is a thing of the amateur era


Australia, for instance, routinely pick players in different back row positions - look where Pocock played yesterday against Wales. NZ have recently played both Dagg and Smith as wings and full backs.


If a wing can't play full back, he should be playing wing either. That said I can't think of many England full backs who didn't play there regularly for their club. I remember Mike Catt being picked at full back when he was an OH or centre for Bath usually.

[Mellsblue]

The English susceptibility to play the backrow and back 3 as being interchangeable positions is nothing new.
They've finally worked out that 15 is a specialist position......in a few more years they might work out the rest.
Jones is ripping the English preconceptions from the bottle to the tit. Rugby is a better sport because of it.

If a wing can't play full back, he should be playing wing either.

Someone ought to tell Savea, Noholo and North. They also needs to tell Jones he'll be a winger light for the AI's, as neither Yarde or Roko can play fullback.

[Rich]

...they also needs to tell Jones he'll be a winger light for the AI's, as neither Yarde or Roko can play fullback.

How do you know ?


Both are quick and athletic

Both tackle well enough

You might be right about North not being able to play full back at test level, then again after yesterday's showing, many might doubt he can play wing either.

[Mellsblue]

...they also needs to tell Jones he'll be a winger light for the AI's, as neither Yarde or Roko can play fullback.

How do you know ?


Both are quick and athletic

Both tackle well enough

You might be right about North not being able to play full back at test level, then again after yesterday's showing, many might doubt he can play wing either.

As they've never played there for their clubs, I'll stick to my argument that they can't play fullback.
Monye is quick, athletic and tackled well enough and we all know how his appearance at fullback for England went.
Neither Savea or North can play fullback and both are world class wingers. In fact, you could argue they're the two best wingers in the world.

[Mikey Brown]

...they also needs to tell Jones he'll be a winger light for the AI's, as neither Yarde or Roko can play fullback.

How do you know ?


Both are quick and athletic

Both tackle well enough

You might be right about North not being able to play full back at test level, then again after yesterday's showing, many might doubt he can play wing either.

As they've never played there for their clubs, I'll stick to my argument that they can't play fullback.
Monye is quick, athletic and tackled well enough and we all know how his appearance at fullback for England went.
Neither Savea or North can play fullback and both are world class wingers. In fact, you could argue they're the two best wingers in the world.

I think Rich is the Jngf of backs. All 12s must play 10 and all wings must play 15, regardless of how effective.

[morepork]

Yeah. You want to see Savea at fullback, just check out his last act in the game against Ireland yesterday.....

[Digby]

Be nice to pick a 15 who was effective

[morepork]

The English susceptibility to play the backrow and back 3 as being interchangeable positions is nothing new.
They've finally worked out that 15 is a specialist position......in a few more years they might work out the rest.
Jones is ripping the English preconceptions from the bottle to the tit. Rugby is a better sport because of it.

The back row and back three ARE interchangeable


The tendency to pigeonhole players into one position only is a thing of the amateur era


Australia, for instance, routinely pick players in different back row positions - look where Pocock played yesterday against Wales. NZ have recently played both Dagg and Smith as wings and full backs.


If a wing can't play full back, he should be playing wing either. That said I can't think of many England full backs who didn't play there regularly for their club. I remember Mike Catt being picked at full back when he was an OH or centre for Bath usually.

Dagg and Smith are fullbacks that can play on the wing, not the other way around.

[Digby]

Yeah. You want to see Savea at fullback, just check out his last act in the game against Ireland yesterday.....

I was caught between laughing at the wife beater and thinking it wasn't the fault of the players that the selection at lock was iffy.

[Rich]

As they've never played there for their clubs, I'll stick to my argument that they can't play fullback.
Monye is quick, athletic and tackled well enough and we all know how his appearance at fullback for England went.
Neither Savea or North can play fullback and both are world class wingers. In fact, you could argue they're the two best wingers in the world.

Because they've not played FB for their present clubs doesn't mean they can't play full back or indeed that they've never played full back

Who knows, maybe Quins will turn to Yarde when Brown retires ?

Oh god - thanks for reminding me, V Argentina in 2009. Monye wasn't actually good enough to play wing for England either - like Varndell all he had was pace.

The Welsh have bigged up North in recent years and he was in fine form for the last Lions tour but watching him against Australia on Saturday, he is well below test standard right now. On current form he wouldn't get into a Lions XV and may lose his place in the Welsh team.

Savea is good but not always first choice for New Zealand - then again, they have a lot of fine players to choose from.

All the same, I stand by what I said, if you're good enough to play wing at test level, you should be good enough to play full back (admittedly not as good as someone who plays there all the time).

[Rich]

I think Rich is the Jngf of backs. All 12s must play 10 and all wings must play 15, regardless of how effective.

Not sure I'd go that far...but a test outside half should be good enough to play inside centre (at least as an emergency from the bench)

A test inside centre should be good enough to play outside centre

A test outside centre should be good enough to play wing



Where coaches screw up is when they pick a forward in the backs like Burgess or Mauro Bergamasco to scrum-half.

[Rich]

Dagg and Smith are fullbacks that can play on the wing, not the other way around.

And I'm guessing they both started as wings and were moved to full back ?

[morepork]

Dagg and Smith are fullbacks that can play on the wing, not the other way around.

And I'm guessing they both started as wings and were moved to full back ?

Other way around. Dagg in particular is a specialist fullback. Ben Smiths selections on the wing have been for his fullback skills, not as an out and out winger. Defensive positioning catching balls like a border collie and kicking acumen. A better example of wing sometimes fullback would be Corey Jane.

[Stom]

As they've never played there for their clubs, I'll stick to my argument that they can't play fullback.
Monye is quick, athletic and tackled well enough and we all know how his appearance at fullback for England went.
Neither Savea or North can play fullback and both are world class wingers. In fact, you could argue they're the two best wingers in the world.

Because they've not played FB for their present clubs doesn't mean they can't play full back or indeed that they've never played full back

Who knows, maybe Quins will turn to Yarde when Brown retires ?

Oh god - thanks for reminding me, V Argentina in 2009. Monye wasn't actually good enough to play wing for England either - like Varndell all he had was pace.

The Welsh have bigged up North in recent years and he was in fine form for the last Lions tour but watching him against Australia on Saturday, he is well below test standard right now. On current form he wouldn't get into a Lions XV and may lose his place in the Welsh team.

Savea is good but not always first choice for New Zealand - then again, they have a lot of fine players to choose from.

All the same, I stand by what I said, if you're good enough to play wing at test level, you should be good enough to play full back (admittedly not as good as someone who plays there all the time).

You do know the reason Monye was picked FB for England was because his defense was good, right? Later in his career, Monye had a very, very good defensive game, coupled with a perfectly good kicking game to go with pace and power. Taking a player who had worked so hard on the details of his wing play and moving him to FB was never going to end well, and we all saw it.

Monye and Varndell are completely different beasts. Monye was about more than just out and out pace, while Varndell is one of the best out and out finishers, but has consistently been a liability in other areas.

[Oakboy]

Can Haley play on the wing?

[fivepointer]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

[Which Tyler]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

good news - it's what our best combination would have been for the last 2 years

[TheNomad]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

Would be pleased with that personally. They'd have been my picks

When he's back, feasibly you could start phasing Watson in at 15 instead of Brown. Not sure he's 100% ready but I think the potential's there and when all are fit I hope/presume he'll (mostly) play there for Bath

[Mellsblue]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

Would be pleased with that personally. They'd have been my picks

When he's back, feasibly you could start phasing Watson in at 15 instead of Brown. Not sure he's 100% ready but I think the potential's there and when all are fit I hope/presume he'll (mostly) play there for Bath

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, Jones has said it will be another couple of seasons before he starts working on our counter-attacking. If that's true I can't see us moving beyond Brown anytime soon.

[Puja]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

Great news, although I fully expect one or both of them to get injured this week just to make me cry.

Surprised that no-one's posted that the England camp are confident that Lawes will be okay to play SA. That's very good news, as I'd be worried about either Launch/Attwood or Launch/Ewels (for different reasons).

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Looks like May & Roko lined up for the wing spots.

Squad to be cut tomorrow.

Great news, although I fully expect one or both of them to get injured this week just to make me cry.

Surprised that no-one's posted that the England camp are confident that Lawes will be okay to play SA. That's very good news, as I'd be worried about either Launch/Attwood or Launch/Ewels (for different reasons).

Puja

The Times have him as 'struggling' and 'must train fully by tomorrow if he is to be considered'. They also have Jones sharing your issue with the possibly combinations should he not be fit. To take the tale of woe to its nth degree they hint that Wood will be in the side of Lawes is not.