6 Nations Squad Announcement - 11:30am

[FKAS]

Interesting to see Chessum beats Martin on dominant tackles, which I thought was kind of a USP of his, but not sure how their minutes compared. Don’t think Chessum played a huge amount and a few games at 6?

No one runs straight at George Martin anymore. He's got such a reputation for sending people backwards. His knee issues have effected his agility as well so he's not hunting people down, mainly doing the grunt work around the ruck defence. Chessum on the other hand seems to fly oddly under the radar for physicality because he's not as powerful as Martin, gets about freakishly well for a man of his size though. Hence slotting in at 6 last year and putting some good hits in on kick chases.

[Mellsblue]

I don’t know where the bit about silky passing skills comes from but what part are we questioning?

Most people who’ve watched him see that’s he’s fast and powerful, and can be very physical in contact. I’m not sure what his stats on ball retention, silly penalties conceded or ignoring players outside would be though.

They describe him as:
‘star to watch’, ‘ably filling the void left by Manu Tuilagi’ and, as you highlighted ‘silky passing’ all of which I’d disagree with.
They also note his ‘talent to both get over the gainline (64%)’ without then mentioning he drops a fair few of those carries.

[Puja]

Telegraph interview with Slightly Bashful: https://archive.ph/BLSdC

A lot of fluff and editorialising, but the direct quotes are interesting, especially in light of the caricature that is often drawn of him on here as Mr DataRobot McKicksNoFlair.

“If I’m at a game, I’ll be there watching two or three specific players – tracking them – and the benefit of being there is that you’re able to watch them off the ball. You’re watching how they’re moving off the ball or their reactions when something doesn’t go quite right. When it’s all going smoothly, lots of people can deal with those scenarios; when there are bumps in the road, you find out a lot more about people.

“When you read about American sports and scouting, one thing they always look for is how people react under pressure or when they’ve made a mistake. I was chatting to a coach the other day and he always liked going to watch players when they’re away from home. People are used to the fans at home and he would specifically track players away.

“Sometimes, I’ll go to games because I want to watch something that a specific team is doing really well and have a really good look at it. You can’t always see that on TV.”

...
When it is put to Borthwick that England’s attack regressed in the autumn after the zenith against Ireland and France at the tail end of last year’s Six Nations, he bristles.

“I’d counter the point about the autumn,” he says. “If you look at the way the team attacked and some of the tries they scored, the manner in which the fans got behind the team, some of those tries... Chandler’s [Cunningham-South] try, the first on the right-hand side versus Australia, was outstanding. The number of pairs of hands that went through – Tom Curry with multiple involvements – I think there were seven passes and six by forwards. When was the last time you saw an England team handle the ball like that?”

...
“Typically, in World Cup cycles, the period between the World Cup, the game becomes more attack-dominant and then there are certain trends which happen in World Cup year. It is almost exclusively that the team which has the best defence wins the World Cup. If you look at the number of tries scored by these teams, it’s not a huge number. In the last semi-final against South Africa, we had two clear chances to score tries, in a game we lost by one point. We took neither of those chances.

“In this period, we now have to make sure that our attack is developed because in World Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, there might only be one or two chances and you have to take them. You have to be ready. Your attack has to be in shape. Trying to do that in a World Cup year, as we had to in 2023, is not realistic so what you have to do is develop through this period.”

...
This team, at its best, can run,” Borthwick says. “And I’m going to tell the players to make sure they’re ready to run because against Ireland they’re going to have to run; having a defensive system which makes sure that you have the ability for the players to run for each other.”

“What I see now is a bunch of young men who are desperate to do well and play with pace, skill and endeavour. They want to put their skill-sets on the park. When I see Tommy Freeman passing the ball around his back very deliberately, very calculated, to pull the defender out wide, put it behind his back, and then hit George Furbank in that final Test – having come off the back of some results that weren’t...

“It’s telling me that each player is going to bring their skill-sets in an England shirt.

“Lots of England teams haven’t previously. I played in an England shirt where the team changed left, right and centre; tactically, we changed left, right and centre. And personnel changes. People were more interested in keeping their place in the team than actually bringing their point of difference to win for England. I’m desperate for this England team to win.”

...
So on the challenge of making the difference against Ireland, Borthwick says: “You can either be daunted or embrace it. I sense these players are embracing this challenge. We know Ireland are great. They’re going to be big favourites to win the game. Huge favourites. They were huge favourites last year, as well. That’s the nature of it.

“We’ll make sure we go and put in a really good performance; that we’re proud of, that our supporters are proud of. If we do that, we’ll put ourselves in a position to win the game.”

Puja

[Banquo]

Telegraph interview with Slightly Bashful: https://archive.ph/BLSdC

A lot of fluff and editorialising, but the direct quotes are interesting, especially in light of the caricature that is often drawn of him on here as Mr DataRobot McKicksNoFlair.

“If I’m at a game, I’ll be there watching two or three specific players – tracking them – and the benefit of being there is that you’re able to watch them off the ball. You’re watching how they’re moving off the ball or their reactions when something doesn’t go quite right. When it’s all going smoothly, lots of people can deal with those scenarios; when there are bumps in the road, you find out a lot more about people.

“When you read about American sports and scouting, one thing they always look for is how people react under pressure or when they’ve made a mistake. I was chatting to a coach the other day and he always liked going to watch players when they’re away from home. People are used to the fans at home and he would specifically track players away.

“Sometimes, I’ll go to games because I want to watch something that a specific team is doing really well and have a really good look at it. You can’t always see that on TV.”

...
When it is put to Borthwick that England’s attack regressed in the autumn after the zenith against Ireland and France at the tail end of last year’s Six Nations, he bristles.

“I’d counter the point about the autumn,” he says. “If you look at the way the team attacked and some of the tries they scored, the manner in which the fans got behind the team, some of those tries... Chandler’s [Cunningham-South] try, the first on the right-hand side versus Australia, was outstanding. The number of pairs of hands that went through – Tom Curry with multiple involvements – I think there were seven passes and six by forwards. When was the last time you saw an England team handle the ball like that?”

...
“Typically, in World Cup cycles, the period between the World Cup, the game becomes more attack-dominant and then there are certain trends which happen in World Cup year. It is almost exclusively that the team which has the best defence wins the World Cup. If you look at the number of tries scored by these teams, it’s not a huge number. In the last semi-final against South Africa, we had two clear chances to score tries, in a game we lost by one point. We took neither of those chances.

“In this period, we now have to make sure that our attack is developed because in World Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, there might only be one or two chances and you have to take them. You have to be ready. Your attack has to be in shape. Trying to do that in a World Cup year, as we had to in 2023, is not realistic so what you have to do is develop through this period.”

...
This team, at its best, can run,” Borthwick says. “And I’m going to tell the players to make sure they’re ready to run because against Ireland they’re going to have to run; having a defensive system which makes sure that you have the ability for the players to run for each other.”

“What I see now is a bunch of young men who are desperate to do well and play with pace, skill and endeavour. They want to put their skill-sets on the park. When I see Tommy Freeman passing the ball around his back very deliberately, very calculated, to pull the defender out wide, put it behind his back, and then hit George Furbank in that final Test – having come off the back of some results that weren’t...

“It’s telling me that each player is going to bring their skill-sets in an England shirt.

“Lots of England teams haven’t previously. I played in an England shirt where the team changed left, right and centre; tactically, we changed left, right and centre. And personnel changes. People were more interested in keeping their place in the team than actually bringing their point of difference to win for England. I’m desperate for this England team to win.”

...
So on the challenge of making the difference against Ireland, Borthwick says: “You can either be daunted or embrace it. I sense these players are embracing this challenge. We know Ireland are great. They’re going to be big favourites to win the game. Huge favourites. They were huge favourites last year, as well. That’s the nature of it.

“We’ll make sure we go and put in a really good performance; that we’re proud of, that our supporters are proud of. If we do that, we’ll put ourselves in a position to win the game.”

Puja

Veneer of deepseek cliche covering up an AI driven coach

[Oakboy]

I don’t know where the bit about silky passing skills comes from but what part are we questioning?

Most people who’ve watched him see that’s he’s fast and powerful, and can be very physical in contact. I’m not sure what his stats on ball retention, silly penalties conceded or ignoring players outside would be though.

They describe him as:
‘star to watch’, ‘ably filling the void left by Manu Tuilagi’ and, as you highlighted ‘silky passing’ all of which I’d disagree with.
They also note his ‘talent to both get over the gainline (64%)’ without then mentioning he drops a fair few of those carries.

Until we get the concept of Tuilagi being 'our ideal centre' well and truly buried will we ever move on? Top international sides learnt how to negate battering-ram tactics decades ago. Yes, he sometimes got over the gainline without coughing up the ball but his ability to create openings by tying up defenders only really counted in his early years. Subtlety is a more desirable attribute - some combination of Gibson, BOD and Greenwood perhaps, with Duckham's pace.

[Banquo]

I don’t know where the bit about silky passing skills comes from but what part are we questioning?

Most people who’ve watched him see that’s he’s fast and powerful, and can be very physical in contact. I’m not sure what his stats on ball retention, silly penalties conceded or ignoring players outside would be though.

They describe him as:
‘star to watch’, ‘ably filling the void left by Manu Tuilagi’ and, as you highlighted ‘silky passing’ all of which I’d disagree with.
They also note his ‘talent to both get over the gainline (64%)’ without then mentioning he drops a fair few of those carries.

Until we get the concept of Tuilagi being 'our ideal centre' well and truly buried will we ever move on? Top international sides learnt how to negate battering-ram tactics decades ago. Yes, he sometimes got over the gainline without coughing up the ball but his ability to create openings by tying up defenders only really counted in his early years. Subtlety is a more desirable attribute - some combination of Gibson, BOD and Greenwood perhaps, with Duckham's pace.

Tuilagi is far from an ideal centre, but definitely when fit our most effective one in a long time, with JJ just behind. Many sides still select a battering ram with skill at 12, just in case you hadn't noticed .

Obviously ideally you want two quick centres who can defend, handle, make breaks and kick. But apparently that's not allowed any more

[FKAS]

I don’t know where the bit about silky passing skills comes from but what part are we questioning?

Most people who’ve watched him see that’s he’s fast and powerful, and can be very physical in contact. I’m not sure what his stats on ball retention, silly penalties conceded or ignoring players outside would be though.

They describe him as:
‘star to watch’, ‘ably filling the void left by Manu Tuilagi’ and, as you highlighted ‘silky passing’ all of which I’d disagree with.
They also note his ‘talent to both get over the gainline (64%)’ without then mentioning he drops a fair few of those carries.

Until we get the concept of Tuilagi being 'our ideal centre' well and truly buried will we ever move on? Top international sides learnt how to negate battering-ram tactics decades ago. Yes, he sometimes got over the gainline without coughing up the ball but his ability to create openings by tying up defenders only really counted in his early years. Subtlety is a more desirable attribute - some combination of Gibson, BOD and Greenwood perhaps, with Duckham's pace.

Yet Tuipulotu, Aki, Danty etc are all still regulars when fit. I don't think there is a need to do away with a direct running threat and a big lad offers that well. There's just a need to use that direct running threat as more than a blunt tool though. They are useful for narrowing defences and generating momentum. England has just been to insistent on being smash it up through the battering ram or go wide as a black or white option where as say Ireland operate in shades of grey probing across the defensive line.

[Banquo]

They describe him as:
‘star to watch’, ‘ably filling the void left by Manu Tuilagi’ and, as you highlighted ‘silky passing’ all of which I’d disagree with.
They also note his ‘talent to both get over the gainline (64%)’ without then mentioning he drops a fair few of those carries.

Until we get the concept of Tuilagi being 'our ideal centre' well and truly buried will we ever move on? Top international sides learnt how to negate battering-ram tactics decades ago. Yes, he sometimes got over the gainline without coughing up the ball but his ability to create openings by tying up defenders only really counted in his early years. Subtlety is a more desirable attribute - some combination of Gibson, BOD and Greenwood perhaps, with Duckham's pace.

Yet Tuipulotu, Aki, Danty etc are all still regulars when fit. I don't think there is a need to do away with a direct running threat and a big lad offers that well. There's just a need to use that direct running threat as more than a blunt tool though. They are useful for narrowing defences and generating momentum. England has just been to insistent on being smash it up through the battering ram or go wide as a black or white option where as say Ireland operate in shades of grey probing across the defensive line.

Exactly right. Though outside Tuilagi playing we've hardly gone big time on battering rams til Syd, historically reverting to the 12-bot.