England team to face South Africa in 2nd Test
Update: Thomas Waldrom is on the bench for Phil Dowson, who has a tight hamstring.
England have a made a series of major changes to their back line for the 2nd Test in Johannesburg. Injuries to Mike Brown and Brad Barritt have seen Stuart Lancaster re-jig his backline, with Ben Foden returning to full back and David Strettle replacing him on the left wing.
In the centres, Manu Tuilagi has moved infield to accomodate the exciting Jonathan Joseph at 13, with Toby Flood taking over from Owen Farrell at fly-half. Alex Corbisiero and Danny Care join the bench, as do Farrell and Alex Goode.
15. Ben Foden, 14. Chris Ashton, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. David Strettle, 10. Toby Flood, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Joe Marler, 2. Dylan Hartley, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Mouritz Botha, 5. Geoff Parling, 6. Tom Johnson, 7. Chris Robshaw (c), 8. Ben Morgan
Replacements:
16. Lee Mears, 17. Alex Corbisiero, 18. Tom Palmer, 19. Thomas Waldrom, 20. Lee Dickson, 21. Owen Farrell, 22. Alex Goode
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Overall I’m pleased with the selection, and it’s refreshing to see a coach prepared to change things around if they aren’t right.
I’m not convinced that the Flood, Tuilagi, JJ combo is right though – Flood has impressed and disappointed in equal measure at international level, I’m happy with Manu if he gets quick ball (‘give it to Manu’ is not an adequate gameplan) and I can’t help thinking JJ has been fast-tracked into the side just because he’s got a sidestep and we haven’t seen anyone with quick feet in a white jersey since Jason Robinson.
Well there was the fax sent to the ABs ahead of the 95 showdown with England
“Remember that rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Jonah.”
But hopefully we’ll a bit more than passing to him standing still way behind the gain line and hoping he can bosh over it.
England will be very competitive again with that selection.
Overall a pretty solid looking side, should be very competitive. I just hope they don’t exect Manu to be a battering ram. I get the impression that Lancaster’s looking to make him into another Nonu, difference is Nonu aims for the gaps, he doesn’t just try and run over his opposite. All he needs is that half gap and then look for the off load to JJ, once they’ve broken the gain line the Boks will be forced to defend while running back – you’ll always have the advantage if you get front foot ball.
I think possibly going forward, a 11 to 15 combination of 11. Tuilagi, 12. Barritt, 13. Joseph, 14. Ashton, 15. Foden. With Joseph at 13, England have someone who can create and exploit space in the opponents defence, and then offload if necessary. Something we’ve been lacking for some time. Barritt is an out and out crash 12, and needs a Joseph or similar outside him. With Tuilagi on the wing we have a big wrecking ball of a winger not short of pace, and the ability to make holes and create space inside him as well.
With the injuries, i think this is nearly the best team we can field. That said, there are a few selections i’d personally have changed i.e Care instead of Youngs, Waldrom instead of Dowson, Corbisiero starting with Marler on the bench, and possibly Allen instead of Goode.
Just throwing it out there, as SL has already tried playing 2 full backs in the starting team, how about having Abendanon on the wing, with Foden at 15?
All in all, quite happy though. C’mon boys
This combo feels right. We have unbridled power in Tuilagi at 12 and some silky skills outside him in JJ. We just trebled our attacking threat in the mid field in my opinion. Barritt isn’t an international centre. He’s a master in defence but literally only brings a decent crash option at 12, nowhere near the power or gain line breaking ability of manu or the pace and footwork of JJ. Barritt was a hero in the six nations but going forward to 2015 he’s not going to make the cut.
There is one thing which Barritt has, which has on occasion let Manu down, and that is a good temperament. When you’re losing and getting frustrated, would you rather have someone who can keep their cool and help keep the team together, or someone who lets fly with shoulder charges and speak with their fists. Barritt has the skills, Tuilagi the power. I think if Flood was playing 10 with Barritt and Tuilagi outside him it would be a very differrent team than with Farrell. Farrell is still learning his craft, still only 20, and this experience will help him immensely. But the attacking side of things does not come naturally to him, it needs to be coached.
I agree with your comments regarding Flood/Farrell partnering Barritt. Farrell has absolutely no vision whatsoever so a player like Barritt is going to look even more one dimensional. As i just stated on the article by Will Greenwood putting Flood in for Farrell is more important for the attack than JJ in for Barritt.
Dazza do you think that attacking side of the game can be learnt? In my opinion the eye for the gap and timing of distribution is something that people either have or they don’t. The game management/defense is easier to coach.
To a point I would agree, but I also think it is down to the individual and their mentality as well. Certainly the eye for the gap is instinctive, but I do believe that timing of passes etc can be coached.
Ye I agree I just don’t think Farrell will ever be a great attacking fly half.
Whereas there is probably a slight niggle with the subs bench from most of us, it’s amazing to see what SL has done since his appointment. There was revolution at the start and since then there has been continual evolution. How many of us would have predicted this team 12 months ago. Probably half the team are stalwarts but the rest have (in international terms) come from nowhere. I can see why he doesn’t want to keep changing the team wholesale, so there is some continuity. In SL I have faith. The verdict is still out on the coaching of an attacking game.
I think his work with the players is brilliant, in terms of the fundamentals of player attitude, unity and buy in he has rectified everything that was wrong. Still worry we lack the leading rugby intellect within the coaching team that we missed out on with Smith. Where we seem to be struggling is translating the concepts of how Lancaster wants to play (e.g. the tempo game we keep hearing about) into something tangible we see on the pitch. I hope he has another look at the structure when he gets back, e.g. topline defence and skills specialists who could also support midweek teams in future tours. Yesterdays performance, especially from the pack, made me question the strength of the backup coaches further.
Also look at Meyer, brand new in role, no prep time, yes a much more experienced core of players, but from 30 mins onwards they were executing their game plan as their coaches expected. With England what the game plan actually is has not yet been crystal clear.
I’m 100% convinced he is the right man to lead us forward, but I think more work is required to ensure he has a world class coaching team below him. For now fair play on not picking a safety first selection and looking to turn things around from last week not just more of the same.
Can’t agree more.
Have not had an opportunity to see either game so far, very annoyingly, but am hoping to be in the right place this Saturday! I’m sure that I will be posting more if I do get to see it!!
Also couldn’t agree more. We need an attack guru and everyone knows it.
Really excited about the backs, Manu should get more ball now and he will carry a lot. JJ, well lets see hope he does well.
I’m surprised Waldron didn’t even make the bench, i think he offers more brains and brawn than dowson, and I can’t see Morgan lasting 80 min, although I like Ben for the future.
I’m not convinced about Farrell at all, sure he kicks well but it takes more than that to be a fly half. flood has some options outside him now lets see him use them, he can pass a ball.
Glad to see SL offering ben Youngs some confidence, maybe all the box kicks were tactical last week, myabe he’ll feel more comfrotable with flood, hope so.
it’s really nice to look forward to an England game rather than complain about selections.
Good selection Lancaster. Lets just hope Youngs scraps the box kicking, and we spread the ball. Other than Habana and Houghard, we look a betty side in the backs. Big game for Marler as well. Come on England!
Looks like a nice selection. I would have liked to see Care or Dickson on for Youngs though at 9. For me Youngs just dithers too much at the back of the ruck, really destroying at “high tempo” game plan SL has in mind, last thing we want to do is kick the ball back to the Spring Boks.
Hopefully will be a good, enjoyable game though, c’mon England!
Youngs will be much more confident with Flood outside him. They compliment each others play very well.
Waldrom is in for Dowson
Anyone else getting the impression that SL is a lucky manager? Maybe a strtange this to say following an injury, but it enables him to make the selection that most people thought was right, without having to drop a player he rates and to be fair has not done much wrong.