England vs Springbokke
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@nostrildamus 120%
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England team announced. Cato shakes head. Along with several million rugby fans world-wide.
England: Steward; Marchant, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Smith, Youngs; Rodd, Blamire, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Lawes (capt), Underhill, Curry.
Replacements: Dolly, Marler, Stuart, Ewels, Simmonds, Dombrandt, Quirke, *Malins.
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@catogrande can you elaborate for us few hundred that don't know much about English rugby.
I guess the issue with is the two eights on the bench is still there, but what's the story with Marchant?
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@sidbarret I’m not even sure I understand what’s wrong with that backrow/bench selection?
The starting backrow is bloody good. And, in its own way, nicely balanced.
Even if you could convince me that a standard loose trio was a better bet for England’s current style of play (and I’m not sure you could), I like the selection:
- Given the frontrow issues, I wouldn’t throw Dombrandt in as a starter against SA;
- Simmons and Dombrandt running lines off Smith in the last quarter against tired legs worries me.
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@sidbarret said in England vs Springbokke:
@catogrande can you elaborate for us few hundred that don't know much about English rugby.
I guess the issue with is the two eights on the bench is still there, but what's the story with Marchant?
I can understand @Smuts points above but... but. Dombrandt is a bigger more powerful unit than Curry. He is a specialist 8 who can carry and distribute very well and cuts some great lines in attack. He is no slouch defensively either. Not a noted jackal but when you have either of Curry or Underhill there as well as Itoje and Lawes, I don't think that is an area where we are lacking. Curry has been tried at 8 a few times now and whilst he hasn't let us down, I don't think anyone would suggest that experiment has worked. Eddie obviously sees Simmonds as a 6 or 7 replacement, which I can understand but that's a fairly big call for a guy that hasn't really played either for God knows how long.
Marchant is a very good player but primarily a centre. His selection reeks of defensive solidity over any form of attacking objective. Radwan (who I think is fit again) or Malins offer more of a threat, though in different ways. Malins has been playing some wonderful stuff for Bristol last season and Saracens this season, mainly from FB but lately on the wing. His solidity under the high ball and his nose for attack are both bloody good. From the 23, I'd have Malins start and Marchant on the bench to cover mainly centre and at a pinch wing. Slade and Malins offer cover at 10/12/15 and either wing.
Marchant is an understandable choice on the wing if your game plan is to have Youngs kick the ball to SA all bloody day and invite them to run at you. And how did that go for the Lions?
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@catogrande thanks, how quick is Marchant? He'll be marking Mapimpi so there might be an opportunity there
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@sidbarret said in England vs Springbokke:
@catogrande thanks, how quick is Marchant? He'll be marking Mapimpi so there might be an opportunity there
That's one of the main points. He's no slouch for a centre but a bit lacking on the wing. Plus I'm not that sure of his positional play defensively.
it might work out but to me it is high risk/low reward stuff.
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Not wanting to lose, rather than wanting to win
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@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
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@billy-webb said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
"We got the best two front rows in world rugby"
vs
"We got the best front row depth in world rugby with two sets of world class front rows"
Those are v different statements, no?
It is like when NZ used to have a squad with 2 international class XVs. They didn't have the best 2 XVs in world rugby (even if some did argue this was the case), but they did have the strongest depth by far that would be more than competitive when compared to other teams.
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@billy-webb said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
But yes, the Boks are certainly v strong, if not the strongest, in the tight five with world class depth at LH, TH, hooker and lock. The drop off in quality is negligible at best, so they really can select horses for courses.
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@billy-webb said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
I would be intrigued to see how the Irish front row would fare against SA right now. I think the all round SA tight five would edge it, as Etzebeth and De Jaager are probably the pre-eminent locking duo in world rugby right now. Scarily, I think SA could get even better in this area if RG Snyman can get past his recent injury troubles. He is a ball playing monster.
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@billy-webb said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
If the 3 fat guys that had to be substituted in the second game vs us at 35 minutes are world class, then the game is even in worse shape than I thought.
No question that tight 5 depth in SA is the envy of the world, but lets not go nuts.
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@majorrage said in England vs Springbokke:
@billy-webb said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:
@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:
@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.
Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.
I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.
If the 3 fat guys that had to be substituted in the second game vs us at 35 minutes are world class, then the game is even in worse shape than I thought.
No question that tight 5 depth in SA is the envy of the world, but lets not go nuts.
In fairness, if you had to move those guys around for 35 mins you'd be pretty knackered as an opposition player. Pretty ingenious tactic from SA
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@smuts said in England vs Springbokke:
@stodders Me too. I’ve got November 5th next year heavily circled in my calendar…
Boks have several prominent players plying their trade in Ireland these days (DDA, Snyman and soon to be Vermeulen). Add this to SA based players playing the remainder of the this season's URC and both the Irish and Bok players will have a fair amount of knowledge of playing one another by the time next year rolls around.
