England v Japan

[Banquo]

If Guy Porter is the answer then you're asking the wrong question!

quite, lets hope he's learned. Not especially happy with this selection- its a waste of Itoje's tremendous lock talents to play him as a very meh 6. Pleased for Ribbans, he's had to work hard just to be walking let alone playing. Glad JVP is starting and George on the bench. Coka a tad unlucky as he was actually pretty effective with the ball. Nowell...just...no. No Willis is nuts.

Smith/Faz/Porter....what can go wrong against fleet footed attackers.

[jimKRFC]

God that's a depressing selection...

I think we'll win and the selection will be hailed as a masterclass in strategy, but can't see us beating NZ or SA. Personally I'd like a Japan win now just to hurry Eddie out the door.

Would a W1 - l3 record be acceptable before the series started?

[Banquo]

God that's a depressing selection...

I think we'll win and the selection will be hailed as a masterclass in strategy, but can't see us beating NZ or SA. Personally I'd like a Japan win now just to hurry Eddie out the door.

Would a W1 - l3 record be acceptable before the series started?

They won't ditch him this close to a world cup, esp having just won away in Oz.

[Epaminondas Pules]

If Guy Porter is the answer then you're asking the wrong question!

quite, lets hope he's learned. Not especially happy with this selection- its a waste of Itoje's tremendous lock talents to play him as a very meh 6. Pleased for Ribbans, he's had to work hard just to be walking let alone playing. Glad JVP is starting and George on the bench. Coka a tad unlucky as he was actually pretty effective with the ball. Nowell...just...no. No Willis is nuts.

Smith/Faz/Porter....what can go wrong against fleet footed attackers.

Perfect opportunity to play Joseph, or Smith/Farrell/Manu if that's a currently preferred midfield, so they have time together. It's as drab a midfield as can be.

[Banquo]

If Guy Porter is the answer then you're asking the wrong question!

quite, lets hope he's learned. Not especially happy with this selection- its a waste of Itoje's tremendous lock talents to play him as a very meh 6. Pleased for Ribbans, he's had to work hard just to be walking let alone playing. Glad JVP is starting and George on the bench. Coka a tad unlucky as he was actually pretty effective with the ball. Nowell...just...no. No Willis is nuts.

Smith/Faz/Porter....what can go wrong against fleet footed attackers.

Perfect opportunity to play Joseph, or Smith/Farrell/Manu if that's a currently preferred midfield, so they have time together. It's as drab a midfield as can be.

Baffling. Of course Porter does speak the same language as Eddie.

[Oakboy]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

[Banquo]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

Willis should be there, but starting imo, along with Billy.

On Porter neither to answer your question wrt Slade/Manu. No idea on pace tbh, as not seen him run much at this level.

[Mellsblue]

Ffs.

[Mikey Brown]

Other way round really, better hands than Manu and more physical than Slade. Versatility and an Australian accent seems to go a long way with Eddie though.

[Scrumhead]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

100% agree on Willis but why do you want Simmonds at 8? I’d go further than that - he’s been pretty anonymous post-Lions and is lucky to even be in the squad.

[Scrumhead]

Other way round really, better hands than Manu and more physical than Slade. Versatility and an Australian accent seems to go a long way with Eddie though.

Exactly. Plus it’s really not much of an accolade to have ‘better hands than Manu’.

Porter is a decent enough player but I question whether he’s test standard and he has no form to speak of either. He simply should not be there.

[fivepointer]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

100% agree on Willis but why do you want Simmonds at 8? I’d go further than that - he’s been pretty anonymous post-Lions and is lucky to even be in the squad.

Yeah, he was ignored when playing so well for Exeter but his form has tailed off a bit so now he gets picked.

Dombrandt is fit but has he done enough to be considered?

[Oakboy]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

100% agree on Willis but why do you want Simmonds at 8? I’d go further than that - he’s been pretty anonymous post-Lions and is lucky to even be in the squad.

Oh, I'd have Tom Willis from choice but picking from Jones's squad, I'd start Simmonds. I'd be really hard-pushed to sort a back-row and bench from the squad. I thought Billy V's 55 minute contribution on Sunday was dire - 4 ball spills in 13 carries. I suppose I'd start Willis, Curry and Simmonds with two locks on the bench.

[Stom]

Lol.

The thing is, after the world cup, Jones' squads were fine. There wasn't a huge choice, players hadn't come through at club level yet, and picking the same players with a handful of wildcards was absolutely the right choice.

But now we've had players announce themselves and perform well for more than just a few games. Yet they don't get a look in. And the only outsiders who do get a look in to Eddie's England are imports...or players called up on form of years ago, like Ribbans. Not saying he's a bad pick, just that his chance was a good couple of years ago, but we got wasted caps on Ewels. And now we have Willis, Willis, Dombrandt, Kenningham, Evans, WJoseph, Lawrence, Freeman, Murley...and the list goes on. These aren't flash in the pan players, these are players who have put in a body of work already.

[Mikey Brown]

I'm delighted to see Simmonds at 8 though it is yet another case of not picking a player in top form and shoving him in with little. I don't think Billy V even deserves a bench spot ahead of Willis. Should Ribbans need replacing Itoje will move up a row and Simmonds will probably be shunted to the flank. I'd much rather have Willis as back-row back-up.

I can't enter the Porter debate having seen hardly anything of him. Presumably, he is far quicker than Slade or Tuilagi. Why else pick him? Does he have better hands than Slade or more physical presence than Tuilagi?

100% agree on Willis but why do you want Simmonds at 8? I’d go further than that - he’s been pretty anonymous post-Lions and is lucky to even be in the squad.

Yeah, he was ignored when playing so well for Exeter but his form has tailed off a bit so now he gets picked.

Dombrandt is fit but has he done enough to be considered?

Don’t act like Eddie making selections based on form and trends from 18+ months ago is a new thing.

He probably dropped Willis because he heard he just got a bad knee injury.

[Oakboy]

100% agree on Willis but why do you want Simmonds at 8? I’d go further than that - he’s been pretty anonymous post-Lions and is lucky to even be in the squad.

Yeah, he was ignored when playing so well for Exeter but his form has tailed off a bit so now he gets picked.

Dombrandt is fit but has he done enough to be considered?

Don’t act like Eddie making selections based on form and trends from 18+ months ago is a new thing.

He probably dropped Willis because he heard he just got a bad knee injury.

MB, I had to read that three times before I got it. Just seeing 'Willis' and 'knee injury' made me jump to a current conclusion. Sorry to be thick.

[FKAS]

Big Guy's back in. Just what we needed.

Thought Coles deserved another start and if have preferred Cokanasiga to Nowell but at least JVP is starting.

[Timbo]

anyone else got the feeling we could wake up on Sunday with England's women world champs and the men having lost to Japan?

And if you have a lie in you might wake up with England as 20/20 world champs too!

Reasons to be cheerful.

[Banquo]

anyone else got the feeling we could wake up on Sunday with England's women world champs and the men having lost to Japan?

And if you have a lie in you might wake up with England as 20/20 world champs too!

Reasons to be cheerful.

true. It just struck me as sort of ironic

[Banquo]

Big Guy's back in. Just what we needed.

good one

[morepork]

Japan could be worth a sneaky bet here. Pretty sure Jamie Joseph will have been marinating something special for England.

[Which Tyler]

If Guy Porter is the answer then you're asking the wrong question!

Unlike the attack, which won't be asking any questions



On the selection itself - not much to add really; Itoje at 6 just doesn't convince - I'm sure he could, but he'd need an offseason training differently, and a full season playing 6 week-in, week-out.
Simmonds just doesn't convinve as an international player (or even as a #8 outside of a back 5 specifically set up around him)
No JWillis is just insanity.

Smith Farrell axis doesn't work; but there's no really obvious alternative - even if we all have our favourites.

Coka carrying the can for playing well, scoring a try, and failing to pull Nowell's arse out of the fire, twice. No room for any back3 players on the bench.

I think I may have reached my limit on Eddie

[p/d]

Great to see Simmonds and Porter - and of course JVP - starting

[16th man]

If you're an English winger in the premiership other than Nowell or May, and watched last week's game, what are you thinking right now?

Because if I was one I'd be having a chat with my agent about a couple of seasons in France or Japan, because if he isn't dropping Nowell after that showing, then there's absolutely no reason to be sticking around hoping for a world cup spot.

[Which Tyler]

If you're an English winger in the premiership other than Nowell or May, and watched last week's game, what are you thinking right now?

Because if I was one I'd be having a chat with my agent about a couple of seasons in France or Japan, because if he isn't dropping Nowell after that showing, then there's absolutely no reason to be sticking around hoping for a world cup spot.

Again - why leave England at the same time as the coach you don't agree with, because you don't agree with him?
Surely you want to be stating your case to the new guy, not sulking elsewhere whilst he's making his decisions and putting his squad together.