England to whitewash Australia

Bones

Two not quick centres on the wing and a fullback at centre? Looks a bit shit to me.

MN5

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I think 
 
9. Phibbs
10. Foley
11. Kerevi
12. Toomua
13. Folau
14. Kuridrani
15. Beale
 
would have been a great backline. Shame Beale got injured. Any other decent options at 15 to allow Folau to play centre?
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Seems a bit odd to put these guys in those positions.....are they trying to emulate the glory days when they shoehorned three Super Rugby fullbacks into the one starting line up in Roff, Burke and Latham just so they could get all their best players on the park at once ?

KiwiMurph

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would have been a great backline. Shame Beale got injured. Any other decent options at 15 to allow Folau to play centre?
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Dane Haylett-Petty has had a breakout season in a very poor Force side. Worth consideration.

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="582297" data-time="1464125377">Seems a bit odd to put these guys in those positions.....are they trying to emulate the glory days when they shoehorned three Super Rugby fullbacks into the one starting line up in Roff, Burke and Latham just so they could get all their best players on the park at once ?</blockquote>
Bit odd for you to post something harking back to the nineties or early noughties bro. What next, something about big muscly guys? Scotland?

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="582318" data-time="1464127337">
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Bit odd for you to post something harking back to the nineties or early noughties bro. What next, something about big muscly guys? Scotland?
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How's this brudda, two for one, check out the UBS on this Scotsman, give them the gold medal already !!!!!!!
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.rugbydump.com/2016/05/5096/scotland-go-into-beast-mode-with-gymnastics-flip-ahead-of-olympic-7s'>http://www.rugbydump.com/2016/05/5096/scotland-go-into-beast-mode-with-gymnastics-flip-ahead-of-olympic-7s</a>
 
even though they have to compete as Great Britain

NTA

As one commentator said on FoxSports the other day: Yes, you could confidently put Folau at 13. But who else has been ripping it up at 15 this year that would be better than him?
 
9 Phipps
10 Foley
11 Horne
12 Lealiifano
13 Kuridrani
14 DHP
15 Folau
 
That would be alright.

MiketheSnow

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Bugger - we'll no doubt have to get another Samoan to replace him.
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Sam's already acclimatised ;)

MajorRage

The whole Folau at centre thing confuses me. He's done a decent fist of it so far this year, but hardly world beating.
 
It's like Cheika never saw the All Blacks at RWC 99, 03 and 07.

Catogrande

Does Aus not have any other centres? Folau is such a threat from full back it seems a bit of a waste sticking him in the centre.

hydro11

It seems like Folau was defending at fullback a lot for 'tahs anyway. He was only attacking at 13. I can see that working but it depends on who plays fullback if Folau is at centre.

mariner4life

Wallabies 39-man training squad for the England series
Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies)
Rory Arnold (Brumbies)
Sam Carter (Brumbies)
Adam Coleman (Western Force)
Scott Fardy (Brumbies)
Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs)
Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs)
Nick Frisby (Queensland Reds)
Liam Gill (Queensland Reds)
James Hanson (Melbourne Rebels)
Mike Harris (Melbourne Rebels)
Dane Haylett-Petty (Western Force)
Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds)
Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs)
Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
James Horwill (Harlequins)
Leroy Houston (Queensland Reds)
Karmichael Hunt (Queensland Reds)
Sekope Kepu (Bordeaux)
Samu Kerevi (Queensland Reds)
Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies)
Christian Lealiâ€™ifano (Brumbies)
Ben McCalman (Western Force)
Sean McMahon (Melbourne Rebels)
Stephen Moore (captain, Brumbies)
Luke Morahan (Western Force)
Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
Eto Nabuli (Queensland Reds)
Taqele Naiyaravoro (NSW Waratahs)
Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
Nick Phipps (NSW Waratahs)
David Pocock (Brumbies)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
Joe Powell (Brumbies)
Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
Scott Sio (Brumbies)
Will Skelton (NSW Waratahs)
James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
Toby Smith (Melbourne Rebels)

SammyC

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Does Aus not have any other centres? Folau is such a threat from full back it seems a bit of a waste sticking him in the centre.
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Played centre against the crusaders, thought he was a huge threat on attack with limited quality of ball.
 
Defended at fullback, I wonder if that was because of the conditions and the expectation of a kicking game.

Catogrande

Thought I'd post this here - the England v Wales pre tour match. I'm not sure too much can be read into this game as there were some notable absentees on both sides. England ran out comfortable winners in reality although not evidenced by the scoreboard with George Ford missing six out of seven kicks - and some of those pretty much sitters. Five tries to one was more reflective. A wee bit of controversy with Cliffords try though - in the build up with Wales on the attack, Dan Cole went for the one handed intercept and got a paw on it. The ball went backwards, Clifford picked it up and ran 40 meters for the try, showing good pace. The intercept went to the TMO with the ref asking the question "is there any clear reason I cannot award the try?" No clear reason evident, the ball went backwards but the physics would suggest it should have gone forwards - did it hit a Welshman first? Quite likely it did, but it was not clear. Try awarded. I have to say as an Englishman I wouldn't have been too surprised or too pissed off if the ruling was no try but the TMO was right in his answer to the ref's particular question.
 
Plusses for England = Launchbury had a great game, Watson looked dangerous every time he got the ball, we have some very good young front rowers coming along - Ellis Genge could well be one to watch. The line out was very good. Elliot Daly has got a great outside break and serious wheels - but we all know that anyway. Minus points = Ford's place kicking, the 9.10.12 axis not working too well and still no real balance to the back row. Kvesic came on for a cameo at 7 and showed what we need.
 
Plusses for Wales = Hallam Amos looked dangerous, George North looked hungry and Rhys Webb is pretty much the finished article. If ti were Lions year it would be a close call between him and Conor Murray I reckon. Minus points = injuries, line out, defence and coaching in general. Bish, bash, bosh is not going to work in NZ.

sparky

Lots of good news for England yesterday. Clifford, Burrell and Yarde all played as well as I've seen them play. Launchbury and Lawes looked back to their best. Add in the Saracens lads and it is a talented and hungry squad that Eddie Jones is putting together. England are heading to Australia with lots of players in form. Looking forward to the series greatly.

Cookie

Plus Nowell has been in great form for the Chiefs, I'd have him nailed down on the wing with Watson.

MiketheSnow

Great rebuke by Jones
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''></a>

rotated

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Great rebuke by Jones
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''></a>
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He is right and wrong there. The English media is negative, sure. But that kicking performance certainly rated at least a few questions from the press, 5/6 is historically bad for top tier test matches. This was a hit out to warm up for the Aussie tour - it's very reasonable to make a big deal about it as you project forward to the Australia tour. Tries will be at a premium, and goal kicking is the one factor that isn't effected by the quality of opposition.
 
I also find his praise of their performance a little OTT, if Wales had have edged them he would have been the first to play the "it was just a warm up game" card.
 
Hansen was asked at least twice about the poor kicking form of Cruden and Barrett in Super Rugby at the squad announcement on a day which should have been all sweetness and light. Jones went off the reserve here a little IMO.

Margin_Walker

I guess he's just defending his player really. Hit 1 from 7 from the tee in an international and you know it's been a bad day at the office. Eddie knows that, George knows that.
 
In terms of projecting forward to the Oz tour, I'd be pretty confident that Farrell will be one of the first names on the teamsheet (either at 12 or 10), so Ford's goalkicking is unlikely to be too much of a factor. 
 
Agree really about the praise of the performance. Always nice to put 5 tries away against Wales and it looked good on the highlights. However, large passages were pretty loose and ball security at the ruck wasn't as good as it will need to be in a few weeks. That said, confidence will be high on the flight out and they've got the Sarries/Exeter players to slot back in. Not necesarrily what I'd expect Eddie to go with, but I'd go with something like this for the first test:
 
M Vunipola
Hartley
Hill
Kruis
Itoje
Clifford
Haskell
B Vunipola
Care
Ford
Watson
Farrell
Joseph
Nowell
Brown
 
Mullan, Cole, George, Launchbury, Robshaw, Youngs, Slade, Yarde

Billy Tell

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The whole Folau at centre thing confuses me. He's done a decent fist of it so far this year, but hardly world beating.
 
It's like Cheika never saw the All Blacks at RWC 99, 03 and 07.
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I thought Folau was awesome in the weekend.

Ruthless

Given the dominance of southern hemisphere rugby, England's odds of winning any games are slim to none....just watch the Warratahs and Brumbies games last week and you'll see the Aussies are on fire...

The Silver Fern

England to whitewash Australia