EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Mellsblue]

Expect to see Burrell in the matchday XV this autumn. Stephen Jones reckons that 'Burrell is one of the best centres in the game....he is also clever....His barrelling defending can be almost frightening in its intensity.'

[Timbo]

Burrell’s defending can definitely be frightening.

[Mikey Brown]

Expect to see Burrell in the matchday XV this autumn. Stephen Jones reckons that 'Burrell is one of the best centres in the game....he is also clever....His barrelling defending can be almost frightening in its intensity.'

And don't forget his passing game that he has added in the last couple of years. He fires a big drifty miss pass at least every other game. He's basically a bigger Matt Toomua.

[bitts]

Expect to see Burrell in the matchday XV this autumn. Stephen Jones reckons that 'Burrell is one of the best centres in the game....he is also clever....His barrelling defending can be almost frightening in its intensity.'

Burrell is his new Ayoola Erinle. Makes me wonder, at what point does a preference for big but average centers become a fetish?

[Digby]

Burrell has tried to add to his game, but it's not really developed. And even though he can pass left/right it's more of a fling and hope than judged for weight/distance, certainly it doesn't remind one of watching Greenwood in his pomp.

There is something there with Burrell mind, and there was with 36 too, and it's not like we've found any other answers to our problems at 12. So it's quite possible our coaching hasn't done enough to progress the career of Burrell, how much that's the general limitations Saints are happy to accept in their play I don't know.

[Digby]

Hartley for England I say, looks a top captain and capable player

[Banquo]

I struggle to consider anyone thought JJ would get into a Gatland side. He'd have been a contender in just a Lions side though, at least I can't think of a better centre, but he's not big enough for Gats

Indeed, and it was not much of a secret JJ only scraped in. There seems to be a confusion that those of us saying JJ may not make Eddies team are arguing that this is a good thing, it’s not. It’s Eddie that needs to agree, not us.

[Scrumhead]

I would hope that JJ's past performances are more than enough to warrant his place.

Even if he was under threat of missing out, Te'o may now be injured which would end any debate. Eddie may still look at Slade at 13, but there's surely no way JJ would be out of contention altogether?

[Oakboy]

I'd pick Farrell at 10, Slade at 12 and JJ at 13. Let's find out if it works.

[Digby]

I'd pick Farrell at 10, Slade at 12 and JJ at 13. Let's find out if it works.

And who in the back row and back three?

[TheNomad]

I'd pick Farrell at 10, Slade at 12 and JJ at 13. Let's find out if it works.

And who in the back row and back three?

My take on the back three would be:

- Tricky not to pick two starting back three Lions, so Daly and Watson...albeit one of those players is consistently playing at 15 for his club
- Tricky not to pick one of the form wingers in Europe in May

So May at LW, Daly at RW, Watson at FB

Not a lot of bulk but plenty of skill and pace

[Oakboy]

I'd pick Farrell at 10, Slade at 12 and JJ at 13. Let's find out if it works.

And who in the back row and back three?

My take on the back three would be:

- Tricky not to pick two starting back three Lions, so Daly and Watson...albeit one of those players is consistently playing at 15 for his club
- Tricky not to pick one of the form wingers in Europe in May

So May at LW, Daly at RW, Watson at FB

Not a lot of bulk but plenty of skill and pace

Agreed. I'd pick Lawes, Robshaw and Hughes in the back-row with various bench options from the younger brigade.

[Digby]

Lawes, Robshaw and Hughes to support Farrell and Slade looking to split the field and put width on the game does seem a little odd to me

[Oakboy]

Lawes, Robshaw and Hughes to support Farrell and Slade looking to split the field and put width on the game does seem a little odd to me

Your alternatives?

[Mikey Brown]

I'd pick Farrell at 10, Slade at 12 and JJ at 13. Let's find out if it works.

And who in the back row and back three?

My take on the back three would be:

- Tricky not to pick two starting back three Lions, so Daly and Watson...albeit one of those players is consistently playing at 15 for his club
- Tricky not to pick one of the form wingers in Europe in May

So May at LW, Daly at RW, Watson at FB

Not a lot of bulk but plenty of skill and pace

Is Daly particularly deserving of a spot right now? He's looked a little underwhelming from what I've seen but Wasps aren't exactly firing on all cylinders. Is he still in need of a bit more of a rest?

Could it be a chance to balance the backline a little with a real strike runner? I guess Roko is out of the picture so I don't really know why I'm suggesting it.

[Digby]

Not sure. Picking free from injury I'd have a front three of Ford, Tuilagi and Joseph, clearly Manu isn't available, and now Te'o mayn't be either.

I'm not wholly averse to trying a midfield of Farrell, Slade and JJ, though I'd prefer Ford over Farrell, and I'd lean more towards Lozowski than Slade but not by enough I'd worry about starting either. Given there isn't much physical threat in that group, and given we're missing Billy I might even opt for a backrow of Robshaw, Simmonds and Hughes. I'd like to have a look at Kvesic still, but it's not easy to advance a case for that until Kvesic plays a little more.

Back 3, I'd have Daly on the left wing, Watson at fullback and I'm undecided on right wing. May is the most likely candidate, but I still think there are decent cases for Roko, Solomona, Wade...

[Mikey Brown]

Are there really decent cases for Solomona? We might as well pick Ashton if we're going that route.

[Digby]

If we're picking wingers in France I'd rather have Bendy, and why wouldn't there be a case for a winger who can score tries in a number of ways?

[Oakboy]

And who in the back row and back three?

My take on the back three would be:

- Tricky not to pick two starting back three Lions, so Daly and Watson...albeit one of those players is consistently playing at 15 for his club
- Tricky not to pick one of the form wingers in Europe in May

So May at LW, Daly at RW, Watson at FB

Not a lot of bulk but plenty of skill and pace

Is Daly particularly deserving of a spot right now? He's looked a little underwhelming from what I've seen but Wasps aren't exactly firing on all cylinders. Is he still in need of a bit more of a rest?

Could it be a chance to balance the backline a little with a real strike runner? I guess Roko is out of the picture so I don't really know why I'm suggesting it.

I don't understand why you consider Roko a 'real strike runner' ahead of Daly, May and Watson. I'd still have Banahan higher in the ranking than Roko.

[Puja]

What is a strike runner?

Puja

[fivepointer]

Perhaps power runner might be a better description? Someone you can get through traffic and bust tackles.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah that would have been a better choice of words. Just somebody to mitigate the opposition defence drifting off Farrel basically. I've said it a bunch but obviously if we can do that effectively with Daly/May/Watson great, but I'd see Roko/Yarde/Nowell being more suited to it. They're just not as rounded players elsewhere though.

Solomona to me will run in a try just as frequently as he is an empty shirt in defence. Don't really see the point of him unless he adds something else. But that comes with the caveat that I decided a long time ago I dislike him and he's just in it for the money.

[bitts]

I'd love to see Ford/Slade/JJ at some point in the Autumn.

While Faz is clearly very good, he doesn't do enough I the final third for me.

Actually moving towards Yards on one wing. He has a host of limitations, but if we're looking for a hard working with get to smash it up the middle a bit the he's our best option.

That said a May, Roko,Watson back three would be great to watch.

[Oakboy]

I'd love to see Ford/Slade/JJ at some point in the Autumn.

While Faz is clearly very good, he doesn't do enough I the final third for me.

Actually moving towards Yards on one wing. He has a host of limitations, but if we're looking for a hard working with get to smash it up the middle a bit the he's our best option.

That said a May, Roko,Watson back three would be great to watch.

Ideally, I'd pick Ford/Slade/JJ too but I simply don't think we will see a XV for a significant game without Farrell in it this side of the RWC, assuming he is fit and Eddie is still in charge. Farrell in the XV is 99% certain, IMO, and Ford/Farrell together is probably 70%+. There is a small chance only that we will see Slade and JJ tried together. If it has to be with Farrell at 10, I'd rather have that than not see it all.

[Scrumhead]

Not sure. Picking free from injury I'd have a front three of Ford, Tuilagi and Joseph, clearly Manu isn't available, and now Te'o mayn't be either.

I'm not wholly averse to trying a midfield of Farrell, Slade and JJ, though I'd prefer Ford over Farrell, and I'd lean more towards Lozowski than Slade but not by enough I'd worry about starting either. Given there isn't much physical threat in that group, and given we're missing Billy I might even opt for a backrow of Robshaw, Simmonds and Hughes. I'd like to have a look at Kvesic still, but it's not easy to advance a case for that until Kvesic plays a little more.

Back 3, I'd have Daly on the left wing, Watson at fullback and I'm undecided on right wing. May is the most likely candidate, but I still think there are decent cases for Roko, Solomona, Wade...

Sounds like we would be picking a very similar team.

I'm not so sure about the last sentence though. May is the most deserving of any of our back three candidates right now and should be in the side on merit. Wade is barely making a case for a place in the Wasps side at the moment, let alone the EPS.

Kvesic's anonymity is a bit of a worry at Chiefs. Baxter talked about being excited to have signed him, but he seems to be behind pretty much everyone else, which definitely raises questions. Is he just completely off the boil?