Egg chasers of the SMB



I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons that Redpath and Tompkins chose to represent Scotland and Wales respectively is because they knew they’d be waiting years for Farrell to vacate the 12 shirt.

Redpath may well have chosen Scotland anyway given his father but Tompkins to Wales always struck me as strange.
 
chelt_mackem said:
Even more frustrating that the only way we can play the captain Jones has selected is to play him out of position at the expense of better specialist inside centres.
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And not using players in the way that works for them. Farrell is good at 10 for Saracens because they have big fucker at 12 and a ball playing 15 to essentially run a second back line behind Farrell's midfield options. Does Jones play that way? Does he fuck.
 
Owen Farrell has now been ruled out of the entire Six Nations. Harsh as it sounds, it's good news for England not to have to shoe-horn him into the XV and instead play a specialist 12 at 12 while starting the process of building the team around Marcus Smith at 10.
 
chelt_mackem said:
Owen Farrell has now been ruled out of the entire Six Nations. Harsh as it sounds, it's good news for England not to have to shoe-horn him into the XV and instead play a specialist 12 at 12 while starting the process of building the team around Marcus Smith at 10.
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Or the best fly half in Europe, if not the world. I didn’t realise George Ford was still only 28 years old.
 
Walter Ego said:
Or the best fly half in Europe, if not the world. I didn’t realise George Ford was still only 28 years old.
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The good news is that while their playing style is not identical Ford and Smith are similar in that they are about ball in hand and are of similar build, so the rest of the back line composition should be the same whoever plays and England's overall patterns should be settled whoever plays. It gives them the opportunity to make better use of some very good outside backs than we usually get.

Whether Jones takes that opportunity is another question entirely.
 
Based on club form I'll put it out there that Ireland will be very good in the 6N this year. The only area where we are lacking good cover these days is at outhalf where none of the possibles have really put up their hand to take over from Sexton.

But what I hope is that every country will be able to play their best teams against each other, with no Covid disruption. It should be a great tournament with plenty of tight matches.
 
Ember said:
Based on club form I'll put it out there that Ireland will be very good in the 6N this year. The only area where we are lacking good cover these days is at outhalf where none of the possibles have really put up their hand to take over from Sexton.

But what I hope is that every country will be able to play their best teams against each other, with no Covid disruption. It should be a great tournament with plenty of tight matches.
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Ireland look very settled. They're going to have problems if Sexton isn't available, but that's been the case for years now and they always seem to keep him available. Keenan at full back is very important to them as well.

France have it won if they don't brainfart at key moments in matches. Big if though.

Scotland and Wales will have their moments and should be pretty competitive.

England will do what they always do. Look absolutely devastating at times and capable of beating any rugby team on the planet, but not for a whole game. In at least one game they will be total dogshit and ruin their chances of winning the tournament. Various selection problems at 9, 12 and across the back row will stop them being a cohesive team over 5 matches. At least the fly half position has been resolved for them by circumstances.
 
Cockney Mackem said:
Ireland look very settled. They're going to have problems if Sexton isn't available, but that's been the case for years now and they always seem to keep him available. Keenan at full back is very important to them as well.

France have it won if they don't brainfart at key moments in matches. Big if though.

Scotland and Wales will have their moments and should be pretty competitive.

England will do what they always do. Look absolutely devastating at times and capable of beating any rugby team on the planet, but not for a whole game. In at least one game they will be total dogshit and ruin their chances of winning the tournament. Various selection problems at 9, 12 and across the back row will stop them being a cohesive team over 5 matches. At least the fly half position has been resolved for them by circumstances.
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Ireland will give France a rattle in Paris although will probably lose to them in the end. I wouldn't have said that a few years ago when we were beaten before we walked out on the pitch there. We are a lot more confident now and with more players in depth. We have a couple of front rowers coming through like Kelleher and Sheehan, who people outside Ireland haven't seen much of yet, who are extremely mobile in the loose and who could make an impact.

I expect France to edge it this year. Hard to know how good England will be but should be there or thereabouts and its a guessing game with Wales and Scotland this year. All 5 could well be very competitive with each other.
 

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