England Team for Wales Match

First topic message reminder :

I'm going to be ridiuclously optimistic on injuries, form and selection and hope against hope for this side to play Wales..


1 Corbisiero
2 Hartley
3 Cole
4 Palmer
5 Lawes
6 Robshaw (Dowson if Wood doesnt recover)
7 Wood (Robsahw if Wood doesnt recover)
8 Morgan
9 Youngs
10 Flood
11 Ashton
12 Barritt
13 Tuilagi
14 Sharples
15 Foden

Mullan/ Marler
Webber
Parling
Croft
Lee Dickson
Farrell
Strettle

I think this pack has a good number of ball carriers with sufficient mongrel and ruck clearing power.

The backline is nicely balanced with a brickwall centre pairing (who can pass and cut angles) and all players in their usual club spots.

Lethal back three.

The bench i think has real impact to come on and cope and impose ourselves on Wales even though they may have superior fitness (?) with love from Poland.

I have hedged my bets on Mullan v Marler. I would love Marler to come on and cause havoc but do we think his scrummaging is up to it vs what Wales offer? Rowntree will know one way or the other.

Strettle is benched because i think that his stepping is best used against tired legs.

Sharples is starting and will help form a back 3 that no fly half will want to kick to.

What do other people think about this?

p.s I look forward to the time if/when Attwood is deemed ready because i think a Lawes/Attwood lock partnership would be fairly tasty!

EnglishReign wrote:When was the last time you saw a creative English team? Sharples, May, Hopper et al will never be selected.

Isn't Tuilagi and Barrit considered creative. I think a few people have called Farrell a creative player too.

Can't wait, this game should be brilliant...!

maestegmafia wrote:

EnglishReign wrote:When was the last time you saw a creative English team? Sharples, May, Hopper et al will never be selected.

Isn't Tuilagi and Barrit considered creative. I think a few people have called Farrell a creative player too.

Can't wait, this game should be brilliant...!

I've never seen Barritt or Farrell run with the ball. Honestly. Admittedly, Barritt tackles hard and Farrell kicks well.

Not really though is it?

maestegmafia wrote:

Triangulation wrote:I'm going to be ridiuclously optimistic on injuries, form and selection and hope against hope for this side to play Wales..


1 Corbisiero
2 Hartley
3 Cole
4 Palmer
5 Lawes
6 Robshaw (Dowson if Wood doesnt recover)
7 Wood (Robsahw if Wood doesnt recover)
8 Morgan
9 Youngs
10 Flood
11 Ashton
12 Barritt
13 Tuilagi
14 Sharples
15 Foden

Mullan/ Marler
Webber
Parling
Croft
Lee Dickson
Farrell
Strettle

I think this pack has a good number of ball carriers with sufficient mongrel and ruck clearing power.

The backline is nicely balanced with a brickwall centre pairing (who can pass and cut angles) and all players in their usual club spots.

Lethal back three.

The bench i think has real impact to come on and cope and impose ourselves on Wales even though they may have superior fitness (?) with love from Poland.

I have hedged my bets on Mullan v Marler. I would love Marler to come on and cause havoc but do we think his scrummaging is up to it vs what Wales offer? Rowntree will know one way or the other.

Strettle is benched because i think that his stepping is best used against tired legs.

Sharples is starting and will help form a back 3 that no fly half will want to kick to.

What do other people think about this?

p.s I look forward to the time if/when Attwood is deemed ready because i think a Lawes/Attwood lock partnership would be fairly tasty!

Your team looks similar to the England last time they played Wales.

15 Ben Foden

14 Matthew Banahan

13 Mike Tindall

12 Shontayne Hape

11 Mark Cueto

10 Toby Flood

9 Richard Wigglesworth

1 Alex Corbisiero

2 Steve Thompson

3 Dan Cole

4 Louis Deacon

5 Courtney Lawes

6 Tom Wood

7 Hendre Fourie

8 Nick Easter

Replacements

16 Lee Mears

17 Matt Stevens

18 Tom Palmer

19 James Haskell

20 Daniel Care

21 Charlie Hodgson

22 Delon Armitage
http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/13/wales-england-world-cup-warm-up?cat=sport&type=article

'Lethal' back 3 ? They haven't done anything yet , Foden was off his game today.

6 players the same in the starting XV and a couple on the bench. Not very similar.