The news has just broken that Toby Flood will replace Riki Flutey in England’s starting line-up.
Flutey suffered a thigh injury during training yesterday, and he has failed a fitness test today.
Flood steps into the starting line-up, whilst Shontayne Hape takes Flood’s place on the bench.
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Bugger. I’d just made my prediction for Eng to win by 9. Now Jamie Roberts and Andy powell are going to have a very enjoyable afternoon out in South London running at the most lightweight midfield since Phil De Glanville was paired with Jeremy Guscott. Trouble.
Not ideal. I can now see Tait having a difficult first half, and then Johnno replacing him with Hape. I’m not half as excited about Flood and Hape as I was about Flutey and Tait.
England by 9 was quite punchy even before this news…
AARRRRRRRGGHHHHHHH massive shift in pre match momemtum back to Wales!
It is a blow, but Flutey hasn’t played much recently, and he hasn’t really found his Lions form just yet. Flood is a fairly able replacement…
completely changes the dynamic of the game for me, Wilko now to sit deep again and boot everything! Only positive of this is that’s an old Falcons 10-12-13 line up!
What the hell is everybody doing in training this week? It’s carnage.
Key is going to be whether Flood will take the initiative in the way Flutey would have. If Jonny had been dropping deep, Flutey would have stepped up and played flat himself at first receiver. Let’s hope Flood, having grown up worshipping Jonny at Newcastle, isn’t too deferential to do the same thing. Otherwise the potential shape and dynamic of the team could be changed for the worse.
I wonder if they’ll consider playing Flood as first receiver most of the time, with Wilko playing in the 12 position?
Hutch agree that might be a plan, especially in defence as Wilko will do a far better job of stopping Roberts than Flood!
Good call. When Flutey’s back I’d like to see them with Wilko at 10 controlling things until they get into the attacking 3rd when Flutey should step up and add some dynamism and threaten the gain line. That’s where England could have had years of use out of Sinbad – he did it on debut back in 2002, stepping in and creating stuff in the red zone, offering a different threat to Wilko.
I’d far prefer to loose Fluty than to loose Gethin Jenkins. Lets hope Wales can win enough ball.
big blow not so much in attack as in defence. i can see flood or tait playing flanker again in some of the defensive scrums and haskel or moody put into back line like what happened against Ireland last year. agree with flood more likely to be at first reciever as well which will help push things forward. too close to call right now. had wales by 1-5 then the front row injurys i had england by 1-5, now i just can’t call it!
It has swayed it for me a little too if I’m honest. But Gats has said he’ll be planning a far more aerial game for territory and with Armitage back, I’d hope for a bit more ball in hand, splitting the back line so as to avoid Roberts and potentially release Tait. Defensively though, despite Flood being lightweight – should the line look breachable, I share the fear he’ll pull Tait and opt for more bulk in Hape. I’m back to worrying if Johnno knows the right calls to make having just trusted his selection for the first time!
A definite blow, but not a nightmare. Flutey offers more in attack and defence but his return has been slightly over-hyped. He has hardly played, and people seem to forget was actually very ordinary in an England shirt for a good few games. He came good with some quick feet and useful breaks at the end of last year’s 6Ns and had an awesome 3rd Test for the Lions, but shouldn’t be looked at as a saviour. Flood can do a job and England still to win. Just.
Well the former Geordies have at least played together before and Noon doesn’t feature among them so I should be a bit grateful at least. That said I don’t set much store by this ‘need time to play together’ BS. Jamie Roberts and BOD were one of the finest centre partnerships I’ve ever seen after only a few games together.
Still not sure why Hape is on the bench and good point about Sinbad Stuart! I’d have put in Geraghty myself but even I’d admit that would be a lightweight looking midfield!