EPS Squad Announced

Hel466

This morning the 35 man squad for this year's Six Nations and the EPS squad have been announced. There doesn't seem to have been that much activity though.

Here's the 6N squad:
Forwards (18)
David Attwood, Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley, Matt Kvesic, Tom Johnson, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Ben Morgan, Matt Mullan, Chris Robshaw, Ed Slater, Henry Thomas, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Rob Webber, Tom Wood, Tom Youngs

Backs (17)
Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Mike Brown, Luther Burrell, Danny Care, Lee ****son, Kyle Eastmond, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Alex Goode, Jonny May, Stephen Myler, Jack Nowell, Billy Twelvetrees, Ben Youngs, Anthony Watson, Richard Wigglesworth.

What do we all think? Are things on the right track or is there anyone that should have definitely been picked/ dropped?

1987SamScott

I'm glad wigglesworth is in there, as much as I dislike Sarries as a Tigers supporter, he has been the real form 9 this season.

Myler also deserves some credit - play him with Burrell inside him like at Saints and they prove to be dangerous.

Shame Kitchener isn;;t in there for the 2nd row - he has been incredible this season, one of the players of.... so far. But competition for that position is so tight with Lawes and Launchbury being, I think, first choice.

Youngs should be dropped for Care IMHO, he hasn;t been that much cop at Tigers this season, not done anything outstanding that would deserve it ahead of Care, if anything he has been off the boil for a season now.

Robide

Looks like a strong squad to me. There are one or two still out with injuries at the moment, like Corbesiero and Yarde who you might argue would get a place if they were fit, but in terms of the squad, and who is available to England at the moment, I think it looks strong.

I agree on the Youngs front, I think he's having a poor time at the moment. It will be interesting to see how he does in the England shirt, as in all fairness, he does tend to step his game up when wearing the rose.

Here's to a strong 6 nations. Will be very interesting to see how England get on this year. I went to see Wales vs Australia back in November, and Wales looked very, very good. You have to think they are looking the best side going in to the 6 nations, and I think they will be the biggest hurdle for England this year.

1987SamScott

Agree Robide, Corbesiero would definitely be in there, first choice Loosehead if you ask me. But he's having a really bad time with injuries.

Even as a very vocal Tigers supporter, I don't even think that he is fit to play first choice SH for tigers let alone England!

England need a very strong 6N, we need to win it and then go down to NZ and put some wins on the board there, baring in mind it is World Cup year next year - apparently what Lancaster has been building to. Without a convincing 6N and at least one win in NZ then you will struggle to see whether Lancaster is achieving his mission!

Will be very interesting to watch - not just to see who will win but to see where the watermark is in our progress!!

Hel466

A good 6N is definitely going to be vital in building some momentum in the run up to the World Cup but I think France are going to be the ones to beat. That usually seems the case the year after a Lions tour.

As for the squad, I think we have a pretty solid base but I can't help but get the impression that Lancaster has made some calls and is only sticking by them out of pure stubborness or lack of vision. For example keeping Tom Youngs when his lineouts have been not much more than a liability and Ashton being the go-to winger for so long. I also think his call to make the last 3 years all about new players is the wrong one. Nick Easter may not have centuries left to play but his form demands he is looked at seriously. His vision is fantastic too.

The forwards seem pretty much spot on. We have a good pack and I'm glad Lawes was given a chance even when he was hit and miss.That seems to have paid off. I agree with those who have said Corbs would be included in an ideal world but he's basically missed a season due to injury. Hartley is the right call for starting hooker even though he tends to do better for club than country. That said, we could do with having somebody assigned to making sure neither him nor Marler get us into trouble with their tempers!

The half backs are the real sticking point for me. Care seems sharper mentally and physically and ****son would be my second choice. When Youngs is good, he's great but is it sentimentality that keeps him in the team? I understand that Care and ****son are similar players though so maybe that's why they aren't both selected. At scrum half I honestly can't believe that Farrell's being anywhere near the England squad isn't directly related to his parentage. On that note, anybody noticed that England's attack just isn't the same since Andy Farrell got involved? I say ban him and anyone who has the stink of Saracens anywhere near them (with the possible exception of Billy Vunipola). I'd go with Myler who is well on form at the moment with Cipriani as the wild card. He's really lifted Sale up so imagine what he could do for England. It also needs to be considered whether Flood would consider staying in England if we promised Owen Farrell would be immediately secured in a sack weighted with rocks and deposited in the nearest body of water...

The centres are the last contentious issue with the back line being as good as it can be without the players missing through injury (are we sure Ashton hasn't been injuring anyone who looked like taking his place ;-). It looks like we have the right men for the job -though Hopper is well worth a look - but Lancaster seems to be stuck on the wrecking ball idea. It's not working as is and we need to stop finding a direct replacement for Tuilagi. I'd like to see 12trees/Burrell out of the options we have.