Latest EPS Squad

Forwards
David Attwood (Bath Rugby)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints)
Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)


Backs
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
Christian Wade (London Wasps)
Marland Yarde (London Irish)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Now we wait for who's been released before the Aussie game...

A while yet for that

still persisting with too many full backs!! and ashton

One of the fullbacks should be viewed also as a winger, Ashton if he gets some form back, could do very nicely with the hopefully new look attacking England.

I want him to fight for his shirt though, if he gets it straight back then that's fucked up (unless he puts 3 on the Aussies, then I may just concede it was the right choice).

I've no issue with Ashton keeping his spot. Results haven't been good for him, but a lot of the processes are very close to what he was praised for. Issue for him could well be the game plan, and whilst Burt is talking attack he may be every bit as sincere on such as Rowell, Robinson and Ashton

Players out of both squads. Botha, Dowson, Abendanon, Deacon, Palmer, JTH

Anyone care to advocate for any of them? I suppose one might think Bendy unlucky, but he's never really advanced his case, and there are 3 FBs in the main EPS, albeit Goode likely isn't back for a while.

Nah, glad they're all gone.

Bendy was really only in the Saxons.  But for the rest I still find it a little alarming Burt wanted to call them up in the first place.

Edit, perhaps not Palmer. He might have done okay.

Yeah Palmers fall from grace is a bit sad for him, as he could have done a job. But people like Botha?!?!

I'm supposing such were the sort of players Burt wanted to help set culture. Bring in those with high work rates (in training and in matches) ditch those like Easter. And whilst I'm no fan of Fumbles he does work very hard around the field, indeed has (had) an excellent tackle rate for a lock.

Daily Fail reporting Wood has the captaincy, they tend to be spot on with their rugby rumours, so I'm thinking it's true. Some suggest Robshaws shirt is at risk, but neither Kvesic or Robshaw have exactly shone so far, and Robshaw has the credit in the bank so to speak.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-2420847/Tom-Wood-beats-Chris-Robshaw-land-England-captaincy-autumn-Tests.html

Crofts injury probably helps secure Woods spot too. Another season out, would we want to take him to NZ on the back of that, with potentially no rugby? We were willing to bring him back far too early vs Wales, so who knows, He may not even be healthy by then.

http://www.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/story/202601.html
FFS

Bumpity bump.

Tomorrow sees the announcement, but the Daily Mail are reporting that Ford has just beaten Myler to the spare 10 slot going. Suggests Burns survives even with poor form.

Could well see matches starting with Farrell + 36 + 1 and going to Ford + Farrell + 1 at the 60 min mark.

Though in truth I'd rather see it going in the other direction, giving Ford more time to show what he can do pulling the strings.

Meh - should start with Myler and then bring Ford on

After 1 or 2 minutes?

Watson, May and Nowell all set to be included

Tangy wrote:After 1 or 2 minutes?

Amazing

Burns remains in the EPS, but not in the 6 nations squad...

Don't know that Lancaster is strictly allowed to do that, but seems like a great solution, means Burns still goes to NZ and Myler gets to work with the coaching team for them to assess him more closely perhaps as a emergency injury backup come the rwc.

Is tom Johnson really one of the best flankers available? And I know the squad will be cut but why 4 sh's

Where's Chabal?

 

teddy x

Looks like an interesting side, I think this year England will find this years 6N a tough one though unfortunately

Hmm.

I've read and been referred to the fact that Lancaster has to use this EPS for the NZ tour, but in my mind it's a summer tour, meaning free from such constraints.

And this suggests I'm right?

http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/210647.html

Not a bad way to handle it. Cips has had half a season of decent games (though can Ford claim much more?) but also a long history of not such good form and other problems (Ford doesn't have this...).

So let him have a full season, keep playing well and potentially shift Myler out I guess? And we're going to need some fly halves for the midweek game and the 1st test that aren't involved in the final. At the moment two of Ford/Farrell/Myler are quite likely to be there.