Stuart Lancaster has named the England squad to take on France at Twickenham this weekend, in what is the first of their warm-up matches before the World Cup in a month’s time.
Much focus will be on the midfield, where as expected Sam Burgess is paired with Henry Slade. Burgess has played his best rugby for Bath in the number six shirt, so there was an element of surprise when it was announced he would be considered solely as a centre.
“What I’ve said all along is that what we need in our backline is a balance – a balance of ball players, ball carriers and finishers,” said Lancaster. “I think Sam ticks the ball-carrying box.
“When he plays for Bath, whether he was played at six or at centre, he is used off first phase [ball] as a threat at the line. Whether it was him, or Matt Banahan, the way Bath constructed their attack, their power runners were attracting defenders. As a consequence you can play the ball out the back, and so on and so forth.
“There’s a physicality in the nature of backlines in international rugby, where you need to look at that element of things, particularly defensively. It’s an option for us to look at, and it’ll be an interesting insight to see whether it goes well at the weekend or not.”
Video credit: Rugby Media
Lancaster admitted that this was an experimental side and that places in the final squad were certainly up for grabs still.
“The prmiary objective is to win, fairly obviously,” he stated. “The second is to see where we’re at in terms of our preparations. The third, and most important, is to narrow down those selection decisions. This isn’t the team that’s going to play against Fiji, this is a team for us to look at options.
“I was looking back through the history books and the 2003 first warm-up game, and there were loads of people who played in that game who didn’t make the World Cup squad at all. From our point of view, the majority of the players that are in this team will make the 31 man squad.”
In the back-row, Ben Morgan makes his long-awaited return from injury while Calum Clark, after several years of hovering near the squad, finally makes his England debut at openside.
“I’m 100% confident that he [Ben Morgan] is ready to play. There were components of last week’s training that he didn’t do but once he ticked those final boxes, he was 100% good to go. Obviously it will be a big step for him, but the reality is you haven’t got any other games to find out [if he’s ready].
“I think someone like Calum Clark, who although he doesn’t have an international cap was around in the first training squad in Leeds in January 2012. The guy’s worked hard and I don’t consider him inexperienced, certainly in this environment.”
ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY FRANCE
15. Alex Goode, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Sam Burgess, 11. Jonny May, 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Richard Wigglesworth; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Kieron Brookes, 4. George Kruis, 5. Geoff Parling, 6. Tom Wood, 7. Calum Clark, 8. Ben Morgan
Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17. Alex Corbisiero, 18. David Wilson, 19. Dave Attwood, 20. James Haskell, 21. Danny Care, 22. Danny Cipriani, 23. Billy Twelvetrees
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
It’s quite refreshing to see an experimental England line-up, although we knew it was coming.
Great to see Morgan is back, I’m really hoping he goes well. Overall it looks quite exciting.. except Goode.
Interesting team. Would look better without 15. Alex Goode and say 15. Chris Pennell or 15. Ben Foden instead
The props should be superb round the park. No so sure about scrum time, tho M Vunipola seems to have been improving
Farrell needs to play very flat to bring Burgess in otherwise he’ll be getting the ball too deep and the defence will see him coming a mile off
What is the logic of having Twelvetrees on the bench? Surely he and Burgess are playing for one place, and half a game each doesn’t really seem sufficient…
Didn’t really notice that but a good point. I really hope we’re not going to see a half of Burgess and a half of 12Trees
How is Twelvetrees still in the squad after failing to take his chance over and over again, the same applies to Goode. You don’t need Goode in there if Slade can cover 10, much better trialling Eastmond and Rocko
Cannot agree more re 12T and Goode. Neither has consistently delivered in an England shirt, and there are far more exciting options in the squad who deserve a shot.
Lancaster has mentioned the need for versatility, and hence Goode is in as a 15 that can play 10. However, I’d argue he’s a 10 that can’t play 15.
This isn’t a team it’s 15 individuals thrown together 3 games before the World Cup as an experiment.The rest are ring rusty and need all the game time they can get before the serious stuff starts.He has now tried 72 players in the last 3 years.In my view he should be playing probables and not possibles and we run the risk of getting off to a slow start against Fiji who are arriving match hard.
We’ll field the same XV against Ireland as will start against Fiji, and I assume a half-strength team in the second France test. We don’t want to play 3 tests with the first XV, what with the risk of injuries (think Stoddart, Wallace and now O’Donnell)
Plus these games are useful. No-one’s played in an England team since the spring. Training can only show so much. Who is going to put their hand up and who will be a bit iffy?
We learnt a lot from Wales / Ireland for example
Interesting to see reports that Cipriani and Goode are actually in competition with each other for the 15/10 cover place. I would prefer the selection of Cipriani over Goode because Watson can cover full back as well which leaves more options with Cips in the squad if either Ford or Farrell get injured. Agree RE: twelvetrees, should have no place in the final squad as Slades form is far superior. Could also be bizarre to see Burgess (12) and Webber (2) in the final squad when neither are first choice in their respective positions for Bath!
So 3 centre in our team confirms, Burrell and Barrit are the most likely 12 to pair with Joseph with the rest fighting for the last spot.
Goode why is he there, just pure terrible, Clark, just why, would’ve been more better to have Kvesic. And our wingers sad that roko was never allowed to prove himself. Webber be interesting to see if he’s still crap, I see Attwood as sub hope he is not crap. I see Morgan is to do 80 mins this gives me hope of not seeing Easter.
Agree with you on Goode, Roko and Webber
Clark had a fantastic premiership season and I believe was either top or near to the top of the turnover stats. So can understand his place
Attwood needs to remember he’s a big lump and should play like one. He seemed to lose some his power and aggression recently. When he’s playing well though, he is excellent
Always happy to have Easter as back up, but not in the starting team if either BV or Morgan are fit!
I think Atwood’s change of playing style is down to England – they like their locks mobile and athletic, guys like Lawes or Launchbury who could easily play 6. So Atwood lightened up and got a bit more mobile to suit this style, however that’s not what made him so good in the first place… If England want to play with that style of second row (more like NZ than the England teams of old – when we had cavemen like Johnson, Grewcock, Shaw etc) then not sure he fits in. Guys like Itoje or Slater would be a better bet going forward.
hehe world cup assured members are mike brown jonathan joseph jack nowell courtney lawes ben youngs
Some interesting combinations in there. Of all the new combinations I would think the most likely one to work is Burgess and Slade. Burgess can take the ball forward crash ball style, but is also a good offloader, and Slade can then play second playmaker off this ball to bring in May and Watson.
Mako V and Brookes is an exciting one, and I expect they could give us some good go forward ball. Assuming that Youngs and George
Wood, Clark and Morgan could work, and I suspect we might see Clark or Wood filling in a centre spot at some points of the game, with Burgess moving into the scrum?
Back three should function very well. With Watson and May being able to drop back and cover Goode if needed. I just hope we don’t see May running straight across the pitch again!! Goode is also in there because he can come into the line and cover centre if Burgess gets caught up in forward play (bound to happen at some point), and recycle the ball.
Kruis and Parling will provide good line out ball, and plenty of grunt in the second row.
Trouble about discussing the 12/13 selection is you have to believe Owen “daddy’s boy” Farrell is capable of running the game well enough to allow that partnership to flourish……He really is third choice in my selection criteria and offers very little in attack. I will concede he can man up, but has the proven capability to boil over and resort to petulance…not what I want in my leadership group.
Is that the same Owen Farrell who ran the game well enough for Saracens to lift the Premiership trophy? Nothing wrong with his game management, but agree on his occasional petulance.
The Farrell bashing really is getting tedious. He may have his limitations, but so do Ford and Cipriani. I think the combination in the squad of Farrell and Ford really covers all the bases.
Criticism of Farrell really does baffle me. He has a tendency to sit too deep if he pack aren’t on top, but it has improved tenfold since he first emerged.
Ford can’t pick at goal and Cipriani lacks the tactical kicking game of the other two. Luckily, between the three we have a nice blend of 10s. Personally, I really want to see Ford, Farrell and Joseph have a go together as a midfield.
Baffles me as much as it baffles me that Ford gets it for his goal kicking so much, which has also improved massively since he was first playing, his kicking stats were pretty much on a par with Farrell’s for this season.
Looks like what we can all agree on is that all three fly-halves have made vast improvements in their respective areas of weakness! I do think Cipriani is going to have to do something pretty special off the bench this weekend (at fullback) if he is to make the final squad though.
I am also keen on seeing a Ford/Farrell/Joseph line-up – I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw it at some point during the warm-up games, although perhaps not starting.
I don’t see a Ford, Farrell, Joseph line up as being at all interesting.
Farrell doesn’t have the strength, speed or footwork to cause defences problems from inside centre. It would allow the opposition to focus their attention on Ford and Jospeh as the major threats.
We need someone at i/c who will cause defences problems, create holes, draw defenders in. Burrell and Burgess have the size to worry people. Slade has Farrell’s passing abilities but is faster and more elusive.
Farrell at centre wouild be like a slightly more reliable 12Trees
Agree on every point there Pablito.
This, in effect is Eastmond’s problem isn’t it?
Once Joseph is nailed on at 13, and there is a back three of (pick from) May/Nowell/Watson/Brown/Goode/Cipriani; there is no-one to provide the back line ballast.
In theory it doesn’t have to be a 12, BUT given the personnel elsewhere, in this England set-up, it is the only position available. Hence no Eastmond as 12 seems to be his only position. Sadly.
Agreed Blub.
Did Bath ever try Eastmond on the wing a la Jason Robinson?
As a Bath supporter I ought to know more definitely, but I am pretty sure they did at the beginning, if memory serves correct, he used to come off his wing quite a lot and play as first reciever in attacking plays as well.
I think those three together could be great.
Ford and JJ provide a considerable amount of gain line threat. Farrell offers the game management that Ford sometimes lacks (i.e. Prem Final). There is a lack of ballast there; which is why I would use players like Morgan/Vunipola/Haskell/Youngs in wider channels to offer that threat. You can also get Brown/Nowell involved in those channels too.
I also have a major lack of confidence in Fords goal kicking; not only is it inconsistent but he isn’t. The reason people like Farrell and Halfpenny are so invaluable is not just that they kick goals, but that opposition back rows know they have to be careful anywhere in their own half. The amount of time this buys us at the breakdown in invaluable. With Ford playing, it really needs to be within 40 meters for them to start to worry.
He ran the game well on the front foot. I have never been impressed by his decision making or execution. I like his commitment, character and passion, but he doesn’t have the capabilities to make things happen at test level, and as such isn’t someone I would pick. I don’t trust him to turn a game or find other plans if plan A or B fail. I trust Ford then Cipriani to deliver ahead of him.
I think Farrell is a very capable committed player but wonder if this 10/12 selection suits either him or Burgess. For Burgess to impact the game he needs to receive the ball close to the line at speed and I’m not certain Farrell can create those opportunities consistently through game. I do believe Cips could and wonder whether, if plan A is to attack the line with 12, he might not be a better understudy to Ford in the final 31 than Farrell.
On another note looking forward to seeing Clark at 7, thought he was excellent last year and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him win a few turnovers.
Interesting thought stu. If you have watched rugby union all your life you know that a big man taking the ball late close to the line is much much more dangerous. But if you have watched bath playing you’ll notice that burgess isn’t that happy with that arrangement, I would guess that is due to the run up you get in league, but despite him scoring a couple of time off nice support lines, if you watch all the bath games he has played in he often knocks the ball on if he takes it close to the line. I wonder if this is because he is used to being able to look for the weaker shoulder about 2-3m away from the defence so now is doing that subconsciously whilst he should have already picked the gap and be concentrating on catching the ball.
Personally I think he is better in the back row but I want him to be awesome today because he has hands and hands and power is so good for Joseph watson, nowell and brown.
I’m not a fan of the crash ball centre but he actually does have hands rather than everyone wishing tuilagi would stop hitting women and grow some hands.
Also where is my partner in crime brighty when you need him? Clark shouldn’t be playing the game let alone pulling on a white shirt