EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Mr Mwenda]

Missing a joke here, why is May difficult to understand?

[Banquo]

Missing a joke here, why is May difficult to understand?

can anyone explain why she called the election, for a start??

(Jonny has the reputation of being a bit of a space cadet as the kids say)

[Mr Mwenda]

Thanjs. You've also made me realise i've never seen either May in the same room...

[skidger]

No English players to be called up to the Lions now according to the press. Just Welsh and Scottish players only. I am sure the Scots,most of whom seem to be loving this Lions tour will be delighted.

[Puja]

Makes sense - Gatland's said that he will call up another 5/6 to help support the midweek team and, much as Robshaw, Launchbury, and Ford deserve call-ups, by the time they'd recovered from travelling to New Zealand from Argentina, they'd be no use to anyone. Far more sensible to call tackle-bag holders from people already in the right time zone.

Puja

[skidger]

Makes sense - Gatland's said that he will call up another 5/6 to help support the midweek team and, much as Robshaw, Launchbury, and Ford deserve call-ups, by the time they'd recovered from travelling to New Zealand from Argentina, they'd be no use to anyone. Far more sensible to call tackle-bag holders from people already in the right time zone.

Puja

Would not be happy if Scottish or Welsh and thrilled to bits its not English players wasting their time. This is just like 2005 lions then. Them and us.

[skidger]

That said I would love to see Cuthbert become a Lion. It then ends all debate about worst lion ever. Would be remarkable for such a naturally untalented rugby player to get the call.

[I R Geech]

That said I would love to see Cuthbert become a Lion. It then ends all debate about worst lion ever. Would be remarkable for such a naturally untalented rugby player to get the call.

He was on the last tour and a Test player. Wasn't quite as gash back then mind, but they are certainly welcome to him now.

[skidger]

That said I would love to see Cuthbert become a Lion. It then ends all debate about worst lion ever. Would be remarkable for such a naturally untalented rugby player to get the call.

He was on the last tour and a Test player. Wasn't quite as gash back then mind, but they are certainly welcome to him now.

Really? Cuthbert is a Lion? Good god.

[Spiffy]

Makes sense - Gatland's said that he will call up another 5/6 to help support the midweek team and, much as Robshaw, Launchbury, and Ford deserve call-ups, by the time they'd recovered from travelling to New Zealand from Argentina, they'd be no use to anyone. Far more sensible to call tackle-bag holders from people already in the right time zone.

Puja

Far rather see him send 5/6 home for being totally crap -here's few to be going on with - Haskell, Cole, Nowell, Laidlaw, L.Williams.

[Mellsblue]

Makes sense - Gatland's said that he will call up another 5/6 to help support the midweek team and, much as Robshaw, Launchbury, and Ford deserve call-ups, by the time they'd recovered from travelling to New Zealand from Argentina, they'd be no use to anyone. Far more sensible to call tackle-bag holders from people already in the right time zone.

Puja

Far rather see him send 5/6 home for being totally crap -here's few to be going on with - Haskell, Cole, Nowell, Laidlaw, L.Williams.

I'd rather he'd nust not taken some of those in the first place.

[fivepointer]

If we are sending home underperforming Lions there wouldnt be many of them left in NZ. That so few players have put their hands up and demanded selection is a bit of a puzzle. i mean, there are some pretty good players out there.

[Sourdust]

Really? Cuthbert is a Lion? Good god.

He's a Lions test tryscorer.

Amazing what a few seasons of being a shower of shit will do to folks' memories, innit?

[skidger]

Really? Cuthbert is a Lion? Good god.

He's a Lions test tryscorer.

Amazing what a few seasons of being a shower of shit will do to folks' memories, innit?

Have no recollection of him playing. I even watched the last three Lions tests in Rhiwbina,Cardiff with a Blues fan.

[Stom]

Really? Cuthbert is a Lion? Good god.

He's a Lions test tryscorer.

Amazing what a few seasons of being a shower of shit will do to folks' memories, innit?

Have no recollection of him playing. I even watched the last three Lions tests in Rhiwbina,Cardiff with a Blues fan.

You'd probably had a few too many Ribenas...

[Scrumhead]

Te'o made some excellent breaks again for the Lions today and is looking very much like he'll make the test side at 12.

Food for thought for Eddie?

[Digby]

A change at 12 must surely be on the cards even if Te'o stinks the place out on tour, it's been a too weak area for England

[Banquo]

Te'o made some excellent breaks again for the Lions today and is looking very much like he'll make the test side at 12.

Food for thought for Eddie?

Pretty obvious to me that Teo would suit England to a tee (o) at 12, outside Ford and inside JJ; Watson at 15, Daly and someone like Roko. Tasty.

[Digby]

Te'o made some excellent breaks again for the Lions today and is looking very much like he'll make the test side at 12.

Food for thought for Eddie?

Pretty obvious to me that Teo would suit England to a tee (o) at 12, outside Ford and inside JJ; Watson at 15, Daly and someone like Roko. Tasty.

And for p/d it means he can perform the banana boat song with the name Te'o being repeated over and over

[Scrumhead]

A change at 12 must surely be on the cards even if Te'o stinks the place out on tour, it's been a too weak area for England

I don't think so. Farrell obviously isn't a running threat, but on the occasions where the Ford/Farrell combination has clicked, we've played some very nice rugby.

Te'o is a different option altogether. It's a shame that 'The Fox' meant we never really got a proper look the Ford/Te'o/JJ combination against Italy in the 6N, but I see it as a variation, not necessarily a replacement for Ford/Farrell.

Te'o's often compared to Tuilagi and while I can see why, they're actually quite different players IMO. Te'o runs very straight, hard lines on the inside shoulder and looks to offload whereas Tuilagi tends to run outside his man and use a massive fend to get past. Obviously Tuilagi needs to get back to fitness and form first, but even if he does I think it would be a bit too one dimensional to try at test level. Might be interesting to see for the last quarter of a game though.

[Scrumhead]

Does anyone know if we have a summer tour scheduled for next season? I'm trying to figure out how many games we'll have before Japan.

At the moment, I make it something like 18-20.

Tonight's game, 3 AIs, 5 6N (2018), 3-4 AIs, 5 6N (2019) plus a couple of World Cup warm-up games.

That said, we do normally have some kind of June tour and the Old Mutual game might go back to another capped fixture rather than a Barbarians game, so there could be somewhere between 4-6 more.

[Spiffy]

Makes sense - Gatland's said that he will call up another 5/6 to help support the midweek team and, much as Robshaw, Launchbury, and Ford deserve call-ups, by the time they'd recovered from travelling to New Zealand from Argentina, they'd be no use to anyone. Far more sensible to call tackle-bag holders from people already in the right time zone.

Puja

Far rather see him send 5/6 home for being totally crap -here's few to be going on with - Haskell, Cole, Nowell, Laidlaw, L.Williams.

I would like to amend my send-home list and place George North at the top of it.

[Digby]

A change at 12 must surely be on the cards even if Te'o stinks the place out on tour, it's been a too weak area for England

I don't think so. Farrell obviously isn't a running threat, but on the occasions where the Ford/Farrell combination has clicked, we've played some very nice rugby.

So we could have plan A of change the team for a selection that makes sense, or plan B of waiting for those games where the opposition allow our self inflicted lack of running options not to be an issue

[Timbo]

Does anyone know if we have a summer tour scheduled for next season? I'm trying to figure out how many games we'll have before Japan.

At the moment, I make it something like 18-20.

Tonight's game, 3 AIs, 5 6N (2018), 3-4 AIs, 5 6N (2019) plus a couple of World Cup warm-up games.

That said, we do normally have some kind of June tour and the Old Mutual game might go back to another capped fixture rather than a Barbarians game, so there could be somewhere between 4-6 more.

I think 3 tests against the Springboks next summer.

[Banquo]

A change at 12 must surely be on the cards even if Te'o stinks the place out on tour, it's been a too weak area for England

I don't think so. Farrell obviously isn't a running threat, but on the occasions where the Ford/Farrell combination has clicked, we've played some very nice rugby.

Te'o is a different option altogether. It's a shame that 'The Fox' meant we never really got a proper look the Ford/Te'o/JJ combination against Italy in the 6N, but I see it as a variation, not necessarily a replacement for Ford/Farrell.

Te'o's often compared to Tuilagi and while I can see why, they're actually quite different players IMO. Te'o runs very straight, hard lines on the inside shoulder and looks to offload whereas Tuilagi tends to run outside his man and use a massive fend to get past. Obviously Tuilagi needs to get back to fitness and form first, but even if he does I think it would be a bit too one dimensional to try at test level. Might be interesting to see for the last quarter of a game though.

Whoever is comparing Teo and Tuilagi really doesn't know what they are on about.

''very nice rugby'...yay. Does it worry good defences? No, imo. Faz is hardly a multi-dimensional 12.