EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Peej]

Didnt Tompkins go to SA with the Saxons a few seasons back?

Pity to lose him and its galling to bring a player all the way through the English club system to top level and then lose him.

Yes, but despite England A playing South Africa A, that game did not count as an A game for capture purposes, as South Africa A were not registered as the South African A side, as they had chosen the Emerging Springboks to be their A side, despite the fact that the Emerging Springboks weren't playing that year and, in fact, hadn't played since 2009.

See also, why Mike Haley is Irish despite two appearances for England representative sides.

Puja

Out of interest - would that have any salary cap implications for Sarries now that he's not an EQP?

[Raggs]

If anything it may benefit them, they get £10k a game for overseas internationals (for some reason), only £5k for EQP (but they miss more games).

[Digby]

When does Ackermann gain England qualified status? Not that he's perhaps enthralled, but he could well bring some qualities Eddie is looking for

[Mikey Brown]

Ugh.

[Scrumhead]

Joe Marchant got his first Blues try today:

[twitchy]

[twitchy]

Lol.

[twitchy]

[twitchy]

Sod it lets get him on the bench for the ireland game.

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... el-quirke/

[Scrumhead]

Yesterday’s game was Ben Curry’s 100th senior appearance for Sale. Pretty amazing for a 21 year old.

[Digby]

Has to be a decent chance Genge starts with Mako leaving the squad. It'll be a deserved chance if Genge starts ahead of Marler

[Digby]

Is Dai Young now an option to take over from Eddie Jones?

[Danno]

No thanks.

I say this for no other reason than I, personally, find him irrationally objectionable.

[Mellsblue]

Sweet Baby Jebus. Could you imagine the crowing if we appointed a Welshman as Head Coach of the England team. It would be unbearable.

[BenHK]

Yesterday’s game was Ben Curry’s 100th senior appearance for Sale. Pretty amazing for a 21 year old.

Bloody impressive. Wonder if he'll ever get another shot in an England Jersey

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[Danno]

Sweet Baby Jebus. Could you imagine the crowing if we appointed a Welshman as Head Coach of the England team. It would be unbearable.

Hadn't even considered that. Maybe it's not so irrational.

[Mikey Brown]

Yesterday’s game was Ben Curry’s 100th senior appearance for Sale. Pretty amazing for a 21 year old.

Bloody impressive. Wonder if he'll ever get another shot in an England Jersey

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I realise I’m now amassing quite a few theories about Eddie’s psyche and his stubbornness, but it doesn’t feel like Ben will ever get a look in under EJ.

Maybe if Tom has a career ending injury he might consider that his identical twin could probably be a good replacement. They do seem to have diverged a bit in their skill set (though not quite to the degree one is an 8 and one is a scrumhalf), and certainly all the international experience will have changed Tom, but it seems ridiculous he’s not even in the conversation.

I guess it says something about the quality coming through at flanker at least.

[Scrumhead]

Yesterday’s game was Ben Curry’s 100th senior appearance for Sale. Pretty amazing for a 21 year old.

Bloody impressive. Wonder if he'll ever get another shot in an England Jersey

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I would hope so.

He’s good enough. The only trouble for him is that back row competition is going to be unreal over the next few years.

[Which Tyler]

Not seen it yet, but by all accounts Mercer comfortably won his head-to-head with Dombrandt yesterday - backing up his MotM on return last week with (Bath board consensus) MotM this.

McConnochie with 2 tries and apparently involved a lot (the other nomination for MotM, with Smith getting a few mentions) - another winger who'd be a better option at Twickenham than JJ, still with lots of time with the squad recently.

[Timbo]

Not surprised Mercer won that battle tbh. I think he’s brilliant and is a better bet for England in the immediate term than either Simmonds or Dombrandt.

[Banquo]

Not surprised Mercer won that battle tbh. I think he’s brilliant and is a better bet for England in the immediate term than either Simmonds or Dombrandt.

He’s a lot of proving to do to win Eddie round I hear. Like him a lot.

[twitchy]

Not seen it yet, but by all accounts Mercer comfortably won his head-to-head with Dombrandt yesterday - backing up his MotM on return last week with (Bath board consensus) MotM this.

McConnochie with 2 tries and apparently involved a lot (the other nomination for MotM, with Smith getting a few mentions) - another winger who'd be a better option at Twickenham than JJ, still with lots of time with the squad recently.

I would have thought thorley would be a better option as well but eddie is eddie.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Not seen it yet, but by all accounts Mercer comfortably won his head-to-head with Dombrandt yesterday - backing up his MotM on return last week with (Bath board consensus) MotM this.

McConnochie with 2 tries and apparently involved a lot (the other nomination for MotM, with Smith getting a few mentions) - another winger who'd be a better option at Twickenham than JJ, still with lots of time with the squad recently.

Is that the same JJ who had a cracking game today?

[Mikey Brown]

Not worth it’s own thread but is anyone else finding the live scores page on the BBC is barely working?

Trying to work out which highlights are worth catching up on.

[Banquo]

Not seen it yet, but by all accounts Mercer comfortably won his head-to-head with Dombrandt yesterday - backing up his MotM on return last week with (Bath board consensus) MotM this.

McConnochie with 2 tries and apparently involved a lot (the other nomination for MotM, with Smith getting a few mentions) - another winger who'd be a better option at Twickenham than JJ, still with lots of time with the squad recently.

Is that the same JJ who had a cracking game today?

He did go well, I was amazed Ireland didn't have a crack at him under the high ball, they cleared touch on their right for some reason or went down the middle. He showed he's still got it in broken play, which was welcome, though he was bumped off a couple of tackles. He's a cracking 13 though