England Under Eddie Jones

A 500k release fee I believe.

Not a massive amount of compensation

Never ever going to get close to £500k compensation for a forward coach. Just barmy.

Can you imagine going to court and trying to convince a judge there wasn't another forwards coach in world rugby who could operate at Championship level, and btw you'd also be asking the judge to ignore you had Andy Robinson in your setup, a well known World Cup winning forwards coach. You'd need to sell a court on all that to stand any chance of a large damages settlement, so who did they get advice from, and wtf were they thinking?

Leicester look so much improved in attack that much more of this and Jones will be after Mauger.

Manu back yet?

Next week is a possible, but Leicester are about as bad as it gets for telling their fans, and paying customers, where their players are with regard to injury.

Gustaurd in might mean Barritt and Farrell at 10 and 12

The rugby paper were suggesting that too

Jones won't be overridden by Gustard like Lancaster was with Farrell.

However, with the paucity of options at 12, it may be Barritt.

Unless you play Ford at 10 and Farrell at 12. Would allow Cips to be on the bench, also offers an extra kicking option. Or another option would be Daley at 12. JJ will start at 13 I think unless Manu comes back in fantastic form.

Daly or JJ is an option at 12. Main problem with that is the 12 is a different role, with the big differences being distribution under pressure closer in, and a different defensive view of the pitch with different threats to identify and different organisational communication needed, mainly more work to be done with the 10 and pack and less with your openside winger. I would understand more England asking for one of those players to be moved at their club, I'd understand less giving the idea a run with the England team. Of the two I prefer JJ at 13, and too JJ has already shown he can perform at test at 13, so I'd more likely try and get Daly shifted inside.

Basically i think England is more about the best players delivering at the highest level of the game, and less about basic development. So for instance had Burt wanted Manu on the wing that needed to happen first at Leicester, whereas trying it out in a test match away to NZ is just stupid.

He had an alright game against Savea to be fair. Daly has a kicking game and can distrubute which would work at 12. JJ has to play 13

quind wrote:Marler
George
Brookes
Launchbury
Attwood
Itoje
Kvesic
Vunipola
Robson
Ford
May
Tuilagi
Joseph
Yarde
Watson

Youngs
Auterac
Thomas
Lawes
Croft
Simpson
Cipriani
Daly

Clifford for Croft, Nowell for May otherwise 100% agree, Roko I would probably want it to actually

JamesTheShmoop wrote:He had an alright game against Savea to be fair. Daly has a kicking game and can distrubute which would work at 12. JJ has to play 13

Trying to think what Tuilagi did other than louse up a try (in conjunction with Brown), and especially what he did Vs Savea. Certainly he ran passively into Savea and went to ground, and he tackled Savea after Savea was slowed bouncing Yarde. After that?

I agree Daly can pass, and he can kick. But he's never done either from 12, and it is a different role. Also I'd say at this point Daly is better known for his goal kicking than tactical kicking.

He is the most able candidate by far, untill Slade is fit.

Not seeing it, not ahead of Eastmond, Devoto, Twelvetrees, maybe even Barritt, who've all actually played there. I like Daly, especially the pace, he might even be faster than JJ once it gets to 30-40m and above, but he hasn't shown he can read the game from there when it comes to passing and defending, and even at 13 he certainly can be a patchy defender - I'm not sure if that's concentration that makes him patchy, but it might be he's better in bigger games.

Slade has perhaps an even better skillset for 12, and has spent time at 10 so I'd be happier he can read the game from further in. Also Slade doesn't have the outside break at 13 that both JJ and Daly can offer.

Another option in the backrow is Lochlan McCaffery, he is in good form as an 8, he carries well but he is a specialist at the breakdown. Play him and another 7.

Any thoughts on the England Squad?

I'm really not sure about picking a 20 year old prop. We may just have seen the retirement of Corbs this week, and even that doesn't seem to allow pause for thought.

Mostly happy with the squad, though I'd prefer no Hartley, Hill (only due to age), Care, Farrell, Ashton, Brown and Goode.

Only 1 specialist 7 who is injury cover?

Young prop

The young prop is cover for 7?

JamesTheShmoop wrote:Only 1 specialist 7 who is injury cover?

One more than for much of the time post Back.

I think Hill is there to be around the squad. If one of Cole or Thomas goes down, then I'd expect someone to be parachuted in.

I generally like the squad, although I would have preferred to have Fraser in instead of Haskell, and anyone but Goode, whose defense just isn't good enough for international rugby.

Goode is probably the form 15 in the country this season.