EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Digby]

.and he's called Graham.

Not actually as reliable a method as some looking at English sporting stars, Le Saux, Hick, Thorpe, Swann, Onions, Gooch, Dawe, Rowntree

All true but those surnames are not that of a famous war hero.

War hero, or someone promoted out of harms way?

Created concentration camps, backed one of the bigger disasters in the Dardanelles, and appeared on a poster are the main claims to fame. And now that I've been made aware of such created the conditions for the ascension to power of Hillary Clinton(we're just lucky to have Rowan to correct our learning)

[Oakboy]

Itoje confirmed as out of AIs with a broken hand!

[Mellsblue]

Not actually as reliable a method as some looking at English sporting stars, Le Saux, Hick, Thorpe, Swann, Onions, Gooch, Dawe, Rowntree

All true but those surnames are not that of a famous war hero.

War hero, or someone promoted out of harms way?

Created concentration camps, backed one of the bigger disasters in the Dardanelles, and appeared on a poster are the main claims to fame. And now that I've been made aware of such created the conditions for the ascension to power of Hillary Clinton(we're just lucky to have Rowan to correct our learning)

Sorry, I forgot where I was. The surname of a famous war criminal.

[twitchy]

Definitely seems like the heart of the new england team has been so successful under EJ has been ripped out. It's going to be a weird series.

[Mellsblue]

Definitely seems like the heart of the new england team has been so successful under EJ has been ripped out. It's going to be a weird series.

Don't worry. Captain Hartley is back.

[WaspInWales]

In respect to Jimmy Perry...

[Stom]

So how does the pack look now?

Launch, Lawes
Robshaw, Billy, Hughes? Harrison?

19. Slater? Attwood? Ewels?
20. Hughes? Harrison? Beaumont?

Starting to look a bit lacking... Need some new blood at flank desperately. Eddie won't rush, though.

[Oakboy]

DT says squad announced tomorrow.

[twitchy]

Slater and attwood sound like a decent plan against the boks. How about symons as well?

[jngf]

So who will Eddie pick at openside now? Will Harrison be given a chance at 7 again? or will Will Evans be given a test debut? or is Eddie he finally going to go against type, finally give Kvesic a proper chance? hell , is he going to phone up 'the Steffler' in France (wishful thinking)?

A further point to consider is that SA No.6 candidate Jaco Kriel appears to more of a 'traditional' style fetching openside than Louw, so now may be as good a time as any for Eddie to take the plunge. Please for the rugby gods' sake Eddie, no 6 Wood 7 Robshaw combo or 6 Hughes 7 Robshaw or 6 Beaumont 7 Robshaw combos for that matter

[fivepointer]

Harrison? Maybe Kvesic? Unlikely Evans? Too early Armitage? Not a chance

Which leaves us with.......er, Tom Wood. In fairness he's playing well and wouldn't be the worst short term selection.

Lock cover will be Attwood and/or Slater I think. Bit early for Ewels.

[jngf]

Which leaves us with.......er, Tom Wood. In fairness he's playing well and wouldn't be the worst short term selection.

can we agree to differ on that? such a pick would be pretty much a de-evolution straight back to Burt era imo...

[Digby]

Slater and attwood sound like a decent plan against the boks. How about symons as well?

EJ seems to have taken against Attwood, so that's likely a non starter

[Puja]

I think we're actually still in a pretty solid situation. Our pack will still have Mako, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Launch, Robshaw and Billy - that's 5 of the players who've been unbeaten for Eddie and Lawes/Launch who were our 2nd row saviours not so long ago. Openside's a problem, but it's always been. I'd be comfortable with Thompson there myself.

Puja

[Stom]

I think we're actually still in a pretty solid situation. Our pack will still have Mako, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Launch, Robshaw and Billy - that's 5 of the players who've been unbeaten for Eddie and Lawes/Launch who were our 2nd row saviours not so long ago. Openside's a problem, but it's always been. I'd be comfortable with Thompson there myself.

Puja

And the bench? Who's covering lock? I think it's likely to be Ewels, tbh, or Slater may come in. But it's not the best situation to be in. Thompson hasn't been picked yet, either. Which leaves us with an out of touch Harrison or a crowbarred Hughes/Beaumont...which wouldn't be ideal.

I wouldn't want to see a backrow of Robshaw, Billy and Hughes. Poor Chris would be swamped.

[Puja]

I think we're actually still in a pretty solid situation. Our pack will still have Mako, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Launch, Robshaw and Billy - that's 5 of the players who've been unbeaten for Eddie and Lawes/Launch who were our 2nd row saviours not so long ago. Openside's a problem, but it's always been. I'd be comfortable with Thompson there myself.

Puja

And the bench? Who's covering lock? I think it's likely to be Ewels, tbh, or Slater may come in. But it's not the best situation to be in. Thompson hasn't been picked yet, either. Which leaves us with an out of touch Harrison or a crowbarred Hughes/Beaumont...which wouldn't be ideal.

I wouldn't want to see a backrow of Robshaw, Billy and Hughes. Poor Chris would be swamped.

I'd like to hope Eddie's got more sense than to try and put Hughes or Beaumont in at 7. Then again, we are talking about the man who once picked Hendrik Tui on the wing for Japan so he could have 4 back rows.

Harrison is massively disappointing in how he's regressed this year. It's starting to look like last season's form was a blip, rather than a real blossoming and this is the regression to the mean. If so, he might have a case for having the second shortest England career ever (after Chris Pennell's glorious 1 minute of action).

A bench of Marler, George, Hill/Sinckler, Ewels, ANOther, Robson, Slade and Yarde doesn't sound too bad to me. Of course, a lot will depend on who the ANOther is and on us having no more injuries. We're fine right now, but one more would really make it awkward.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Puja says we're in a pretty solid situation.

I think thats fair enough.

FR - All props fit and generally playing well. No LCD but Hartley's back and George and Taylor are in fine form at hooker.
Lock - Kruis and Itoje are BIG losses. Thankfully we have very high quality understudies in Lawes and Launch, as well as very good depth with Attwood, Slater and Ewels (and even Kitchener and Symons at a pinch)
BR - Billy and Robshaw are in great form form. 7 is the headache and will be filled by someone either not in great form, or playing out of position. Injuries have limited options here and its going to be a bit of make do for the AI's
SH - Care came back and played well at the weekend, Youngs was so-so, Robson and Simpson looking sharp
Fh - Ford going well, Faz back looking in good order. Cips having a good season
Centre - Outside of Manu, everyone is fit, though formwise its a mixed picture.
B3 - No Nowell or Watson but May is back now and all the FB's are fit.

Some issues in certain areas but overall things aren't quite at crisis levels.

An injury or two this weekend though...............

[Peej]

Guy Thompson had another good game when he came off the bench on Sunday for Wasps. As a stop-gap, we could do a lot worse.

[Oakboy]

It may or may not be a crisis to have to choose between Hughes, Beaumont, Harrison and Wood for the third back-row slot but I still see less of a problem there than having either or both of Youngs and Care in the 23. As for the 2nd row, I think a fully fit and firing pairing of Launchbury and Lawes is stronger than the Kruis and Itoje one. (That's not to say that Itoje would not be in my first choice XV.)

We are going to miss the two first choice wingers though.

[Mikey Brown]

Guy Thompson had another good game when he came off the bench on Sunday for Wasps. As a stop-gap, we could do a lot worse.

Yep, this is my conclusion too. Seems like he'd a be a good fit against this side too.

[Beasties]

At this stage of withdrawals it seems to me that Thompson would be the ideal 7 out of all the options available and considering EJ's lack of interest in the likes of Kvesic. He could keep Robshaw at 6 whilst bringing in a player who tackles, is very good in the tight, is quick, makes few mistakes but also has the added bonus of being a very good linking player. I'm not sure what's not to like other than his age perhaps. But we could indeed do a lot worse (see Harrison above).

[Mikey Brown]

I know Eddie is thinking long-term, and I appreciate that, but is he even beyond another world cup?

[Mellsblue]

The Times have Attwood as the next lock off the rank and Ewels having usurped Beaumont as the lock/backrow option. They also think Sinckler is pushing Hill hard for replacement th but that he will definitely be in the announced squad regardless.

[Puja]

The Fail and Telegraph say that neither Thompson or Wray have been contacted by England and that Harrison is unlikely to be named in the squad. Suggests either Hughes or Ewels for 7. The latter would be preferable, but it's still not much of a choice.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Is this it?