England Team for Autumn Internationals: Fans’ Selection
After last week’s series of polls to pick the England team for the Autumn Internationals and hundreds of voters, a side has emerged as the fans’ selection.
In the front row, Dan Cole was a popular choice with over 93% of the vote, as was Dylan Hartley at hooker (78%), but the loosehead position appears to be very tightly contested between Alex Corbisiero and Joe Marler – Marler edges it by just 2 votes.
In the second row, Courtney Lawes‘ return from injury and subsequent form has been impressive enough to make him the first-choice lock in the fans’ eyes. Geoff Parling, Mouritz Botha, Tom Palmer and George Robson all provide options alongside Lawes, but it’s Parling that gets the nod, presumably as the lineout expert that seems to be mandatory these days.
The back row is a tricky one, with plenty of competition for places. Chris Robshaw and Ben Morgan are the standout options at 7 and 8, with 89% and 73% of the vote respectively, but the blindside flank is not so clear-cut. Tom Croft leads the vote with 38%, assuming he is fit, ahead of Tom Wood (31%) and Tom Johnson (26%). Johnson is the man in possession though, and injury concerns over Croft and Wood could see him continue.
Danny Care won two-thirds of the vote for the scrum-half jersey, with Ben Youngs as the back-up option, and few could argue with that pecking order based on recent performances.
At fly-half, Freddie Burns was a popular choice, attracting nearly one-third of the votes compared to Owen Farrell’s 13%, but Toby Flood is the fans’ favourite with 44%.
In the centres, it’s a question of who plays with Manu Tuilagi – the Tiger received 88% of the vote, with Jonathan Joseph the most popular choice alongside him. Brad Barritt (18%), Billy Twelvetrees (17%) and Anthony Allen (13%) all had more votes than Owen Farrell (10%). Given than Tuilagi and Joseph both play at 13 for their clubs, Tuilagi would probably need to move to 12, as he did in South Africa.
Ben Foden’s absence in the back three makes for a selection headache. Chris Ashton (86%) and Mike Brown (64%) are popular choices at wing and full-back, but the other wing spot is very much up for grabs. Christian Wade attracted the most votes (44%), despite being in the Saxons rather than the elite squad, with Jonny May – also a Saxon – behind him on 28%.
So with the votes counted and recounted, here is the Fans’ England Team for the Autumn Internationals:
1. Joe Marler
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Dan Cole
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Geoff Parling
6. Tom Croft
7. Chris Robshaw
8. Ben Morgan
9. Danny Care
10. Toby Flood
11. Chris Ashton
12. Manu Tuilagi
13. Jonathan Joseph
14. Christian Wade
15. Mike Brown
16. Joe Gray
17. Alex Corbisiero
18. Mako Vunipola
19. Tom Palmer
20. Tom Wood
21. Ben Youngs
22. Brad Barritt
23. Alex Goode
What do you think?
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All sounds good! Agree that Corbs shades it over Marler for me. And i’d have Tom Palmer any day of the week. Think he’s class. Can operate a line out, (especially if Croft is there too, which he was for me).
Mint.
buck_mitchell, i am afraid that I can see no way in which Joe Simpson is better than Danny Care, a man who has been one of the stand out scrum halves in Europe this season. Also have to disagree with the selection of Twelvetrees over Barritt, whos been immense this season, offering far more with the ball in hand, than last season.
Barrett does not offer more than twelve trees with the ball in hand. Plus ’36′ has a monster boot too.
Can’t believe Tom Johnson and steffon Armitage aren’t in the mix. They are both in excellent form. Out of sight out of mind? Wood is getting better but still not 100% match fit and Croft hasn’t had a game this season!
Unfortunately Lancaster said on Wednesday that he won’t consider players based in France, other than in an injury crisis, as it’s just too hard to get them together for training camps and the like.
I do think that Simpson is playing well. Not convinced that he is better than Care, but it would probably be a toss up for Simpson or Youngs behind him in my book. Simpson does bring that raw speed to the position. Might be a godd change of pace bench substitution.
I like Strettle, but I’ve never been convinced that he can pull it off in the big games at international level. Does some good things but then disappears for a while.
Despite being a Glaws fan, am not convinced Billy is completely ready for the next step. He is nearly there, particularly now he is getting regular rugby (George Ford take note!). But one more season in the Saxons to develop him first.
Interested in Daly, he seems to be doing some good things, but once again I think another season in the Saxons.
Varndell and Wade are two of a multitude of wingers that seem to be so so. Will do a job for England without dominating. I still like the idea of Sharples opposite Ashton. Nothing to beat electric pace, although Simpson Daniel has guile, nous and pace! Might be my inner shedhead coming out.
Don’t forget Eastmond, as well. It’s most certainly early days, but he scored again for Bath last night after wrong-footing and then diving under the defending player. Bath also used him at 10 for the last 20 minutes against Bucharest and he looked perfectly at home there, so could be a useful bench option soon.
For the sake of argument, how are we defining “best scrum half in Europe” ? Cos that Quin’s pack has had giving the half backs an armchair ride against everyone but Sarries this season. by all accounts Nick Eaters is in the form of his (very long) life & with Nick Evans outside him even Jimmy Cowan looked like a passable 9.
In the game against Leicester Doussain looked like the best 9 in Europe, mainly cos Picamoles did all the work.
Easter is playing some great rugby, but we need to look to the future!
Parling and Lawes second row. 100% Danny Care at 9 for me. I also like the look of eastmond as new blood, next billy whizz.