RugbyRebels

Uh oh. Billy injured.

With or without Billy it feels to me like it’s going to take a monumental effort to retain the 6 Nations. Most of our teams and best players look really flat. The Lions, England tours, the Saracens boys playing virtually non-stop for 2 1/2 years...

Gonna need some Eddie magic, and a boat load of Exeter Chiefs’ players.

Haskell red card might go some way to helping Eddie

True. Hartley red next week and we might be on to something.

Timbo wrote:With or without Billy it feels to me like it’s going to take a monumental effort to retain the 6 Nations. Most of our teams and best players look really flat. The Lions, England tours, the Saracens boys playing virtually non-stop for 2 1/2 years...

Gonna need some Eddie magic, and a boat load of Exeter Chiefs’ players.

Irish are comfortable favs currently. Then it's a dog fight for 2-5th.

Timbo wrote:True. Hartley red next week and we might be on to something.

At the moment (for Eddie) it'd only prove how much we miss him, sadly

Timbo wrote:With or without Billy it feels to me like it’s going to take a monumental effort to retain the 6 Nations. Most of our teams and best players look really flat. The Lions, England tours, the Saracens boys playing virtually non-stop for 2 1/2 years...

Gonna need some Eddie magic, and a boat load of Exeter Chiefs’ players.

players in worn out shock

Mellsblue wrote:Uh oh. Billy injured.

cue inevitable Dors Billy V injury prone comments (which does have a tad of validity, tho this one is just one of them things)

Any news on Billy’s injury?

It’s been reported as a wrist injury. That could be serious, but I was pleased to hear it’s not the shoulder or knee again.

Scrumhead wrote:Any news on Billy’s injury?

It’s been reported as a wrist injury. That could be serious, but I was pleased to hear it’s not the shoulder or knee again.

He played on for a few minutes until half time and I saw him moving it...Sanderson said that he couldn’t feel it, and it’s been reported in a couple of newspapers as some sort of ‘stinger’.

Timbo wrote:

Scrumhead wrote:Any news on Billy’s injury?

It’s been reported as a wrist injury. That could be serious, but I was pleased to hear it’s not the shoulder or knee again.

He played on for a few minutes until half time and I saw him moving it...Sanderson said that he couldn’t feel it, and it’s been reported in a couple of newspapers as some sort of ‘stinger’.

He didn’t look to despondent/upset/in pain when the cameras were on him sat on the bench in the second half.

Oh bollox......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/42682727

Saracens and England number eight Billy Vunipola is set to miss the Six Nations after fracturing his forearm.

Ffs.

So...Sam Simmonds I guess then. When is Hughes back? Clifford?

Is Zach Mercer ready?

Timbo wrote:So...Sam Simmonds I guess then. When is Hughes back? Clifford?

Is Zach Mercer ready?

Perhaps Jones will look at Wray

Disaster

I’m OK without Wray thanks

Time to see if Mercer or Simmonds can step up I feel, even though neither may end up there at Test level, it’s a position they’re comfortable in.

Italy up first, isn’t it? Sod it:
6. Underhill
7. Kvesic
8. Simmonds

20. Mercer

We are screwed.

twitchy wrote:We are screwed.

doesnt look great, but we should have enough to be very competitive. Sounds mean, but I'd rather others were injured instead of Billy and Daly! Upside is that we might find some proper backrow talent

Hopefully it’ll open a door for Don Armand. Wouldn’t be a bad set of backrow; Armand, Robshaw, Simmonds, Mercer, Underhill...MWilson/BCurry...Kvesic or Ewers maybe.

We won the 6 Nations last year and Tom Wood was playing games, so things could be worse.

I think we need to be considering some Sinckler for Cole and/or George for Hartley now so that Mako has some tight carrying support in the starting lineup (we probably should be anyway).

I'd also be looking at shifting Robshaw to 7 and picking a more carrying biased 6.

twitchy wrote:We are screwed.

We’ll see. No Billy and no Hughes isn’t ideal, but I’m hoping that means Simmonds gets a proper run at establishing himself. Obviously we will miss what Billy brings but I’m preferring to look at the potential upside that Simmonds may well prove to be a better reserve than Hughes.

It’s inevitable that all sides are going to be impacted by injuries. Scotland already look like they are going to be hit a lot harder than we are. As it stands their front row is looking like it will be 3rd string. They’re definitely going to be missing Nel and Fagerson at tighthead and Berghan is suspended for at least a few games (I don’t recall how many). On the other side of the scrum, Dell is touch and go, Marfo is injured, Dickinson is out witha long-term injury and Reid has hardly been setting the world alight at London Irish.

Missing Billy and Daly is a blow, but we’re not screwed.

Scrumhead wrote:

twitchy wrote:We are screwed.

Simmonds may well prove to be a better reserve than Hughes.

It’s inevitable that all sides are going to be impacted by injuries.

Missing Billy and Daly is a blow, but we’re not screwed.

This, this and this.

Having said that, there’s still one more match (I think) until the EPS boys disappear in to camp.

Mellsblue wrote:

Scrumhead wrote:

twitchy wrote:We are screwed.

Simmonds may well prove to be a better reserve than Hughes.

It’s inevitable that all sides are going to be impacted by injuries.

Missing Billy and Daly is a blow, but we’re not screwed.

This, this and this.

Having said that, there’s still one more match (I think) until the EPS boys disappear in to camp.

Diggers is in danger of that, with his snowball habit

Banquo wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:

Scrumhead wrote:
Simmonds may well prove to be a better reserve than Hughes.

It’s inevitable that all sides are going to be impacted by injuries.

Missing Billy and Daly is a blow, but we’re not screwed.

This, this and this.

Having said that, there’s still one more match (I think) until the EPS boys disappear in to camp.

Diggers is in danger of that, with his snowball habit

Not to mention the complaints about the temperature of his sherry.....