New and Improved EPS Watch/Player Form Thread

[FKAS]

Gabriel Oghre impressed for Bordeaux this evening and could be World Cup bolter.

Quality player but with McGuigan, Blamire, Dolly and LCD all coming back into fitness ahead of the world cup he's got an uphill battle.

[Puja]

Gabriel Oghre impressed for Bordeaux this evening and could be World Cup bolter.

Bold call. I've always rated him (and was peeved we didn't keep him at Leicester longer), but if we're assuming George and LCD for the first two positions, it's a big leap for Oghre to make up on the likes of Walker and Blamire. Not impossible, as they're hardly cemented in, but has he really been that impressive to jump the queue?

Puja

[Margin_Walker]

The other way of looking at it is that hooker is not the hardest position to push yourself into contention in. LCD is always injured and the likes of Walker and Blamire are okay, but unspectacular imo.

Still a stretch to bring someone in from completely outside the setup though.

[Puja]

And Tom Harrison as scrum coach. Literally recruited the entire Leicester backroom staff.

Puja

I hope we got some good compensation.

I'm more worried about the lack of new voices. I know we won the title last year, but it's surely not impossible that Leicester didn't have the absolute epitome of coach in every single category and that there might've been a better option elsewhere.

Puja

[FKAS]

And Tom Harrison as scrum coach. Literally recruited the entire Leicester backroom staff.

Puja

I hope we got some good compensation.

I'm more worried about the lack of new voices. I know we won the title last year, but it's surely not impossible that Leicester didn't have the absolute epitome of coach in every single category and that there might've been a better option elsewhere.

Puja

Sounds like Peel was the preferred option but Sarries wouldn't play nice and he opted to extend his stay.

[Which Tyler]

Encore?
https://www.midi-olympique.fr/2023/05/0 ... 182209.php

Though he did actually turn up this time (and the French press are still sticking him not attending his first medical - despite IIRC Rob Baxter's denials)

[TheNomad]

BT Sports team of the year, and the awards generally including some good EQP talent:

1. VRR - should blatantly have had more exposure for England
4. George Martin - will likely get more time, great player
5. David Ribbans - shame he's going abroad
6. Ben Earl - not sure he'll quite make it for England regularly, great club player though he is
7. Tom Pearson - future star

9. Alex Mitchell - think he should get more time, better than JVP
12. Fraser Dingwall - interesting player, would like him to get some time
13. Ollie Lawrence - Ace
14. Caden Murley - should get more time
15. Joe Carpenter - excellent player, may struggle to get in over Steward

Nice to see though. All young(ish) too

[Banquo]

BT Sports team of the year, and the awards generally including some good EQP talent:

1. VRR - should blatantly have had more exposure for England
4. George Martin - will likely get more time, great player
5. David Ribbans - shame he's going abroad
6. Ben Earl - not sure he'll quite make it for England regularly, great club player though he is
7. Tom Pearson - future star

9. Alex Mitchell - think he should get more time, better than JVP
12. Fraser Dingwall - interesting player, would like him to get some time
13. Ollie Lawrence - Ace
14. Caden Murley - should get more time
15. Joe Carpenter - excellent player, may struggle to get in over Steward

Nice to see though. All young(ish) too

VRR I think suffered through both injury and 5 change rule; Ribbans is an avoidable loss; Mitchell is good, but has terrible brainfarts, not sure he is better than JVP, who has stalled its true.

[FKAS]

Any team of the season that doesn't feature Bernhard van Rensburg of LI in the centres is questionable. He'd be capped quite a bit by now if he qualified for any nation other than SA.

[Mikey Brown]

Any team of the season that doesn't feature Bernhard van Rensburg of LI in the centres is questionable. He'd be capped quite a bit by now if he qualified for any nation other than SA.

He’s dropped off a bit having moved to 13 mid-season (to accommodate Jennings) no? He’s a class player, but he’s got dumb hair so whatever.

[Margin_Walker]

BJvR is ace, but would agree that whilst he's been very good at 13, he's much more influential at 12. With Rona going during the season and Joseph spending most of the season injured it was probably the best use of resources. Ironically we actually started winning games this season when he did make the shift.

He'd walk into the England team at 12 though, for sure

[Banquo]

Any team of the season is questionable.

FTFY

[Epaminondas Pules]

I hope we got some good compensation.

I'm more worried about the lack of new voices. I know we won the title last year, but it's surely not impossible that Leicester didn't have the absolute epitome of coach in every single category and that there might've been a better option elsewhere.

Puja

Sounds like Peel was the preferred option but Sarries wouldn't play nice and he opted to extend his stay.

I gather it was more Peel than Sarries. He’s not motivated by dollars or status. Quality coach!

[Puja]

BCurry confirmed as needing surgery for his hamstring injury and out of the RWC. Real shame for him, but hopefully he'll come back stronger.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah that’s a tough one after a few years relatively in the cold and now getting chances under Borthwick.

[FKAS]

Yeah it's bad luck for Ben Curry. Might open the door for Tom Pearson to get a crack though.

[Puja]

Yeah it's bad luck for Ben Curry. Might open the door for Tom Pearson to get a crack though.

I was reading the other day that there'll be a one week opportunity for players from clubs 5th-9th to impress, as the training squad will assemble in tranches based around everyone having 5 weeks rest from their season's end. So first week will be no players from Saints, Leicester, Sale, Sarries, which is the majority of the squad and squad adjacent people.

That means definitely Pearson, but could also mean a week to impress for some very fringe players. I've heard Matt Rogerson mentioned as someone who's been notified as being in the running.

Puja

[fivepointer]

That first squad could be very interesting. Looking forward to seeing Seb Atkinson in it.

[Puja]

That first squad could be very interesting. Looking forward to seeing Seb Atkinson in it.

Opportunity for VRR as well.


Looking at the current EPS from the 6N, that first week will be without: George, Cole, MakoV, Heyes, Rodd, Itoje, Hill, Isiekwe, Chessum, Ribbans, Lawes, Ludlam, Earl, JWillis, BCurry, Youngs, JVP, Mitchell, Farrell, FSmith, Daly, Manu, Kelly, Watson, Malins, Steward and Freeman. 27 of the 36 unavailable through club commitments or injury, and most of the players who are next cab off the rank are either from those 4 clubs or in France and thus out of commission (plus TCurry, Martin, Ford, Dingwall, Porter unavailable as 5 from the 8 injury replacements made during the 6N).

I would be interested in Borthwick taking a look at the following as replacements for the above:
Blamire
Stuart
VRR
Who the hell even knows at this point? Do we have another tighthead? I guess Collier, if we must.
Obano
Ewels
Robinson
404FurtherLocksNotFound
Underhill if we can trust him not to bang his head
Pearson
Kenningham
Barbeary if he's fit, I guess
Randall
Spencer?
Care
Bailey?
JSimmonds? I guess? This is really hard!
May
SAtkinson
WJoseph?
JCokanasiga
Lynagh
Radwan


That was so hard to do, although I'm sure I've missed some fairly obvious names.

Puja

[FKAS]

For additional tightheads then Street or Painter at Chiefs?

Robinson is injured and Ewels is in SA isn't he? Maybe Dunne from Exeter, McInally from Bath, Clarke from Glaws.

Ackerman might join Rogerson in being a bit of a surprise addition.

[Puja]

For additional tightheads then Street or Painter at Chiefs?

Robinson is injured and Ewels is in SA isn't he? Maybe Dunne from Exeter, McInally from Bath, Clarke from Glaws.

Ackerman might join Rogerson in being a bit of a surprise addition.

I was imagining Ewels would be coming back from South Africa, considering his stated intention in going there was to prove his fitness to get into the RWC squad. Clarke is a decent shout. If Lamb hadn't gone to Italy, this probably would've been his one chance to get into an England squad!

I hope not on Ackermann - I've always regarded him as highly overrated. Rogerson is a weird one - I was convinced he was Australian, but I'm obviously confusing him with someone else. Doesn't seem likely to be more than squad filler until the semi-final players return, but I suppose he's as good a choice as any.

TBH, with so many players missing, I'm not 100% sure what the point of the first week is. Will anyone really gain anything from it? Will England be better for having had Rogerson train? Might be better to just stuff the gaps with young players like Cunningham-South, Fisilau, Fasogbon, etc just to give them the experience of a senior England camp.

Puja

[Margin_Walker]

I'd be pretty uninspired with Rogerson starting for England at 6 and wouldn't expect to see him make the cut, but can see why he's be in the initial wider squad. He's a protype Borthwick pick.

Tough northern leadership figure from the same part of the country as him (sort of). Started life as an 8, so can carry a bit. Lineout presence. Always right up, at or near the top of the tackle completion and attacking rucks his stats for prem players. To be fair, he has been important for LI and has stopped us going with a flashier Gonzales/Pearson flank combo too often. He's a big part of us playing at a high tempo by winning quick ruck ball.

[Margin_Walker]

On TH, someone like Fasogbon is miles off even an apprentice role in a camp like this.

But if you're looking left field I'd have Chawatama in there to look at in the wider squad. Does little round the park, but can scrum better than any TH we've had in the last decade or so. Just doesn't get folded. Was absolutely fine against a stacked Stormers front row in both HC games this season.

[Which Tyler]

Robinson is injured and Ewels is in SA isn't he?

Ewels' season ends June 10 IIRC
Of course, it's possible that his contract may not run that deep either, if he's wanted for England squads.
As far as I can tell though, he hasn't actually played for the Bulls yet (ETA: Found it - 3 starts then one off the bench; gone the distance in 1 match; which has the appearance of deliberate rotation, given his partners).

From Bath, I'd be looking for
Obano, Dunn, Stuart
Ewels
Hill, Underhill
Spencer, Lawrence, Cokanasiga

To make the extended England squad. If the likes of McNally, Barbeary, Bailey, Ojomo, DeGlanville get a look at the training requirements, I'd be delighted, but very surprised.

[jimKRFC]

Kloska (Tight head) and Thacker would be my suggestions from Bristol.

Thacker has been called up Eddie Jones for the Baabaa's v World XV game.