EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Scrumhead]

No - it's just a squad for a training camp next week. Not the squad for the AIs.

[Stom]

It's interesting, that's for sure.

I do hope that Joseph and Sinckler are absent for a good reason, and not because they're going to be left out... That wouldn't be good.

Out of that lot, we're looking at:

Mako, George, Cole
Itoje, Launch
Robshaw, Billy, Underhill
Youngs, Ford
Daly, Te'o, Slade, Nowell
Watson

As our best bet. And I wouldn't be happy with that midfield...

[Digby]

No JJ. Head meet wall, wall meet head, repeat

[Puja]

Dunn in, no Singleton. Hah - shows what I know.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

I mean I think it is just a training squad, but I like the drama of believing this is the final selection. It wouldn't be awful if it were. I really don't want to see any more of the Hask.

[Stom]

I mean I think it is just a training squad, but I like the drama of believing this is the final selection. It wouldn't be awful if it were. I really don't want to see any more of the Hask.

Is it worth losing our best back for?

[Scrumhead]

Yes, but they're not actually playing a game, so it really doesn't matter ...

No picking JJ for a training squad is not 'losing' him.

[Digby]

Also I don't maybe mind there's no Robson, it's possible he'd show the same problems as Youngs (though I'd like to find out). Just if we're going to let Smith attend are there really no young 9s who could be along to try and push their development? It's not as if we're crying out for 10s when we've got the batch we've got and Cips is by far the oldest.

[Mikey Brown]

I mean I think it is just a training squad, but I like the drama of believing this is the final selection. It wouldn't be awful if it were. I really don't want to see any more of the Hask.

Is it worth losing our best back for?

I'm still there mate, don't worry.

Joseph would be nice too though.

[twitchy]

Calling up marcus smith is a very aussie type of move from EJ and I love it.

[Mikey Brown]

Yes, but they're not actually playing a game, so it really doesn't matter ...

No picking JJ for a training squad is not 'losing' him.

I was saying I wouldn't mind if it was, though. I think that's what he was responding to.

[Scrumhead]

Calling up marcus smith is a very aussie type of move from EJ and I love it.

Except that the Aussies have no good young 10s ATM

[twitchy]

Calling up marcus smith is a very aussie type of move from EJ and I love it.

Except that the Aussies have no good young 10s ATM

If they did they would call them up.

[Scrumhead]

Well they've called up Mack Mason recently but with no real threat of playing him.

Cheika doesn't seem quite as bold as previous Aussie coaches when it comes to young players. Uelese only got a game because Moore was injured and the cupboard is pretty bare for other options at hooker. As it happens, he lucked-out and Uelese looks the part, otherwise, I think he would have persevered with the old guard out of some weird loyalty. Why Moore keeps getting games when he's already announced his retirement and in really poor form is just baffling.

[Mikey Brown]

Just say JJ is out. Who do we pick in the centres? Anyone actually have any interest in seeing 12. Farrell 13. Te'o again?

[Which Tyler]

Given that it's "just" a training camp - might Bath have requested to keep one of their 2 fit centres for the weekend?
Am I grasping at straws here?

[Raggs]

May in place of Daly, Daly in place of Slade. I'd be fine with a Teo Daly midfield. Though none of them have the defensive ability of Joseph, wingers may see a bit more ball with Daly though. And out of that lot, Farrell could easily still be 12.

[bitts]

Jonathan Joseph and George Kruis both left out!

Kyle Sinckler, James Haskell too...

Cole, Williams
MVunipola, Marler, Genge
Hartley, George, Dunn
Itoje, Lawes, Launchbury, Isiekwe, Ewels
Underhill, Robshaw, TCurry, Hughes, BVunipola

Youngs, Care
Ford, Farrell, Lozowski, Smith
Te'o, Daly, Francis, Slade
Watson, Brown, Yarde, May, Nowell

Not sure what to make of that. My guess is that if you were in Argentina but not in this squad you may struggle to get back into Eddie's thoughts.

Only two scrum halfs, so guess Eddie isn't looking for options there.

My guess is that Eddie is using this to get his core squad together and run the rule over some possible third choice players/ train a couple of project players like Smith and Williams.

Doubt that JJ will be behind Francis come the SN. No clue what Eddie is planning during the AIs. Will he name another squad for that?

[Oakboy]

Let's face it, the Lions tour always sets a few back, whether by injury, loss of form or mental fatigue. Eddie's assessment that those four need the break means little long-term, I'd guess. I'm delighted that there aren't half a dozen more at this stage. There could be more to come after the training camp, of course.

The absence of a 3rd SH worries me a lot.

[Puja]

This smacks of Eddie mind-games again. Think about it - he's entitled to call up 45 players, so there's no reason that he couldn't have Sinckler, Joseph, Haskell, etc. It's not like he'd have to not have any of his other selections.

I reckon he's picked people who he thinks have another 10% in them and has decided he'd rather put a rocket up their a*ses than have them run a few training moves in a two day camp. Joseph especially - he is doing well and is still showing as a good player, but he's got the potential to be dominating the AP rather than just showing up as "good enough". I think Eddie wants the JJ that tore Toulouse apart when Burt was ignoring him.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Aye. Possibly. Whilst Hask and Sinkler both made good attempts at losing the game for their club sides last weekend with terrible discipline.

[Puja]

Let's face it, the Lions tour always sets a few back, whether by injury, loss of form or mental fatigue. Eddie's assessment that those four need the break means little long-term, I'd guess. I'm delighted that there aren't half a dozen more at this stage. There could be more to come after the training camp, of course.

The absence of a 3rd SH worries me a lot.

The issue with the scrum-half is who would it be? Maunder and Spencer aren't playing, Robson's not playing well enough, Wigglesworth is a waste of a space - who else is there?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Didn't Spencer start last week? And surely having Maunder/Spencer/Townsend at the expense of yet another centre could still be very valuable.

[Oakboy]

Let's face it, the Lions tour always sets a few back, whether by injury, loss of form or mental fatigue. Eddie's assessment that those four need the break means little long-term, I'd guess. I'm delighted that there aren't half a dozen more at this stage. There could be more to come after the training camp, of course.

The absence of a 3rd SH worries me a lot.

The issue with the scrum-half is who would it be? Maunder and Spencer aren't playing, Robson's not playing well enough, Wigglesworth is a waste of a space - who else is there?

Puja

Quite! That's the worry. Having said that, if Care or Youngs was injured, somebody has to get the 21 shirt. All things considered, I think Robson should get some game time just to test him out. Let's face it, both the selected SHs could get injured on the eve of the RWC. Stranger things have happened.

[Banquo]

I've thought for a while that JJ isn't Eddie's cup of tea; either its a dispensation to Bath (in which case, say so) or he's out, imo. Makes no sense to not pick him otherwise, as training time together is valuable. Looks to me like, as per a lot of pundits on here have been saying, Eddie is going down the distributor at 12 route, and doesn't think JJ fits in with that (I fundamentally disagree if that is the case). Not sure why Sinckler isn't in, and I'd say the Hask has had his day.

If Daly is to play at 13 our defence will suffer, and imo he brings a lot to the back three.