England EPS Squad: The Probables, Possibles and Outsiders
Never has an England squad been met with such excitement or anticipation. Probably. Finally tomorrow, Stuart Lancaster will release his squad for the upcoming Six Nations tournament. Speculation has been rife, but now we will try and establish who is in, and who is out.
Probables (16)
Front Row: Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole, Matt Stevens, Dylan Hartley
Second Row: Courtney Lawes
Back Row: Tom Croft, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan
Half-Back: Ben Youngs, Toby Flood, Owen Farrell
Centre: Manu Tuilagi
Back Three: Chris Ashton, Ben Foden, Mike Brown
Possibles (16)
FR: Joe Marler, Paul Doran-Jones, Joe Gray, Jamie George
SR: George Robson, Tom Palmer, Dave Attwood
BR: Andy Saull
HB: Lee Dickson, Joe Simpson, Charlie Hodgson
C: Brad Barritt, Jordan Turner-Hall, Billy Twelvetrees
BT: Charlie Sharples, David Strettle
Outsiders:
FR: Nick Wood, David Paice, Rob Webber
SR: Matt Garvey, Mouritz Botha, Steve Borthwick
BR: Calum Clark, Luke Wallace, David Seymour, Thomas Waldrom, Luke Narraway
HB: Ben Spencer, Danny Cipriani
C: Jonathan Joseph, Henry Trinder, Matt Banahan
BT: Christian Wade, Jonny May, Delon Armitage
Let the debate commence.
by Ben Coles
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Take us on at SuperBru
I think Lancaster should give Twelvetrees a chance to play 12 outside of Farrel. Twelvetrees is on form, has played well for the saxons, playing well for the tigers, I mean single handely scoring 29 points in one match what a player, and he covers 10 and 13 aswell, a true talent.
Sharples will surely be in at the wing with Ashton now.
I applauded Lancaster for dropping Care from the team for the six nations, but it now seems a slightly rash decision, although Dickson might now get the shot he deserves.
Care simply had to be disciplined,he painted himself into a corner by his own actions.We cannot blood too many at once but they should all get game time over the Tournament.Exciting times to be a follower.
My 15 would be:
Cole Hartley Marler
Attwood Palmer
Wood Easter Robshaw
Youngs
Hodgson
Barritt
Farrell
Ashton
Foden
Sharples
Bench:
Chuter Corbisero Stevens
Croft
Simpson
Twelvetrees or Turnerhall
Brown
I try to think each component of the team Front/Back row ect. working together as a unit and look at the team from there.
Front row. Corbisero. Hartley. DoranJones.
2nd row. Attwood. Palmer.{Lawes}
Back row. Wood. Croft. Robshaw. {Morgan} Robshaw.capt.
9 Youngs.
10 Hodgson {Flood}
11 Ashton.
12 Farrell {Tuilagi}
13 Twelvetrees.
14 Strettle
15 Foden
Olney interesting choice but you need big scrummagers. That are mobile around the park now I would like to see.
Cole, Hartley, Marler
Lawes, Botha
Wood, croft, Morgan/robshaw
9 Youngs
10 Twelvetrees( controversial I know)
12 Farrell
13 Tuilangi
11 Strettle
14 Ashton
15 Foden
My bench would be
Barrit (good defender)
Sharples (awesome finisher)
Brown (really is a toss up between him and foden)
Corbisero
Atwood
Stevens
Simpson (pace pace pace)
i don’t think it’s a toss up between brown and foden. foden has been in as good as form as brown, if not better in the last month. he is the incumbent and should keep his starting spot. we shall see!
Can someone explain to me the attraction of Croft?
He played a couple of great games for the Lions but has never reproduced anything close to that form for england
In my view, he doesn’t link well, doesn’t make the tackles that a blindside should and doesn’t do the dirty work in rucks and mauls. The only plus is his line out work
Please please please please not Charlie Hodgson! The guy is a messer who thinks that making tackles is an optional extra. He has gone missing in action on several occasions when on defensive duties. Apparently he has a talent for unleashing his backline??? How many caps has he got and how many times has he done this?
Have you watched him play for saracens this season?