Jonathan Joseph has shaken off the injury that kept him out of the Wales game and will reclaim the number 13 shirt against Australia this weekend, according to reports in several national newspapers this morning.
It means Sam Burgess will drop to the bench, with Brad Barritt reverting to his preferred number 12 role. There had been fears that Joseph’s pectoral injury, suffered in the round 1 win over Fiji, would keep him out of the rest of the group stage, but he has made a surprisingly quick recovery.
Barritt will keep his place in the midfield despite intense criticism of his performance against Wales, when he shifted out to the less-familiar 13 channel.
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Owen Farrell is set to retain the number 10 shirt ahead of George Ford, after a solid showing in the loss to the Welsh, including a perfect record from the tee. Ben Youngs is expected to recover from an injury suffered in that defeat, pending a late fitness test on Thursday morning.
Ben Morgan is another who has recovered from injury in time for the game, meaning the yo-yoing of the number eight shirt will continue. It means Nick Easter, a recent call up to the squad in place of the injured Billy Vunipola, is unlikely to be involved.
Joe Launchbury is also in line to make his first start of the tournament, in place of Courtney Lawes who is one man it is thought will not recover from his injury in time.
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
Surely if someone is out of form and someone is in form then you play the person in form?
At the start of the RWC I was very disappointed that Burgess was in the squad and thought that Barritt should have been the first choice centre, but, two games later, after two terrible Barritt performances… why on earth would England retain Barritt? What does it say to Burgess after he outperformed Barritt against Wales?
So are we expecting: Marler, Youngs, Cole, Launchbury, Parling, Wood, Robshaw, Morgan, Youngs, Farrell, May, Barritt, JJ, Watson, Brown
Webber, Vunipola, Brookes, Kruis, Haskell, Wrigglesworth, Ford, Burgess
Personally, whilst I think Barritt is pretty useless, I don’t see how we can start Burgess opposite Giteau. He failed to drift once against Wales when he got fixed on Roberts (hardly the most deceptive center around), I just fear that Giteau would pull him all over the place. I do know a certain guy called Luther Burrell that might well have been a better option for this game though…
If it was me I’d bring Care in for Wrigglesworth, not because I rate Care (I really don’t). but Wrigglesworth was so awful last week he has to be dropped. I’d also prefer to see Slade and Nowell on the bench over Ford and Burgess but that will not happen unfortunately.
Much as I was mightily relieved when he came on last weekend, I wouldn’t go so far as to say Wigglesworth was awful – just okay, whereas Youngs had played brilliantly.
I can see the draw towards picking him against Australia (if Youngs is out) – England should be looking to stick the ball up their collective jumper for as long as possible and Wigglesworth will be better at this than Care.
Centre-wise, whomever they pick it’ll be a relatively untried combination, so I see Farrell and JJ as the best choice, particularly if they’re going to go for the aforementioned strategy. In such a case they could afford Burgess and Nowell on the bench
I’d go as far as to say awful. Poor/slow sweeping for Welsh try. A terrible cross field kick on Wales five metre line that actually went behind Watson. And having gone to the corner and messed up the first line, Wales clear to thier 22, still good attacking position and wriggles knocked on off the top. Welsh scrum, they rightly take their time, win ball, clock ticks down and kick it out.
Game over.
Wriggles has never been better than half decent club player and at 32 you have to say is just wasted caps.
Wrigglesworth, I would say, was terrible. He completely slowed the game down to a snails pace. Youngs’ withdrawal had a hugely negative affect on the teams performance which we can not afford to happen again. We won’t beat Australia with Wrigglesworth playing a whole half again, and based on Youngs fitness issues the sub 9 may well play quite a large part of the game.
Couldn’t agree more with the above,
Wigglesworth is, like Goode, a good club player who should be nowhere near an England rugby world cup side.
I think he was injured for this world cup, but Simpson should have had a number of caps by now – not just the 1 back in 2011
Personally I would rather see Burgess and Slade start and have JJ on the bench. Burgess and Slade made a very good partnership against France alongside Faz. I think Slade is better in defence than JJ, and is used to playing at 13, unlike Barritt, so will be able to help Burgess more effectively. Also Slade is an extra kicking option at 13, which JJ doesn’t really offer, so he could put chips and grubbers over and through the defence, giving the back three more ball to chase, and put pressure on Aus back three.
JJ on the bench means we still have back three covered, as he can cover wing, and Watson can cover 15 if needed.
Them’s some good points Dazza
I reckon if you asked the back three who they wanted, all would say slade.
If he got Watson and may running in space we’d be a much harder team to play against
care, slade and burgess on the bench for me – a much more versatile trio. Either ford plays or doesn’t get in the squad but I would pick him in the team for he is much more likely to open up the Aussies. Bench would then stick with Farrell and Burgess. Could Slade stretch to scrum half too !!
With JJ injured I would have gone for Burgess and Slade, however JJ has to come back in if fit and then the question is who is best to partner him? Much as Barritt stank at 13 I can see the argument for him at 12 with Burgess on the bench again.
As for how it matches up against the Australian midfield I’m not so concerned about that when the game is more likely to hinge on how our back row matches up against Pocock and Hooper. Something I can’t look at in any way other than pessimistically.
A very good point there twelvestocks, all this attention about who should play in the midfield has taken most peoples attention away from our comparatively slow back row. Wood and Robshaw have shone against the Aus back row before, but Pocock wasn’t fit then. With both Pocock and Hooper fit this could be where the game is won and lost. I can see Launchbury, Farrell and Barritt (if selected) being kept very busy as extra flankers on Saturday.
This leads on to the necessity of Slades inclusion in the team. Farrell will get involved in a lot of breakdown work, and Slade will be required to step in at first receiver. Suddenly Slade’s qualities are essential to an English win on Saturday. An extra first receiver/distributor/kicker in the midfield are what is needed, and although JJ does have dazzling feet, and a good sidestep, he does not have the same creativity as Slade.
Almost any back row is comparatively slow when they’re up against Hooper and Pocock!
England have beaten Aus with Pocock and Aus with Hooper (a couple of time) but never with the two together – but then it is a new thing for Aus
England need to deal with them tactically. Make sure they are being tied in close to the rucks (or at the bottom of them), before spreading the ball. Barritt makes this more difficult as they won’t need to worry much about him from an attacking point of view.
The other thing they need to do (that I have not seen them do properly since they beat the Kiwis) is aggressively clear the Aussies off the ball – whether it is theirs or ours. No more forwards standing in mid-field to take a pass whilst we lose the ball at the ruck. The forward’s foremost priority should be to hit rucks – to give us quick ball and slow down the Aussie ball
I think you’re spot on with what you say is required. However I have no confidence in England being able to carry it out. I think we’ve been very inconsistent game to game when it comes to the breakdown over the last year and that Robshaw and Wood have been poor so far this world cup and their lack of showing has left teammates exposed at the breakdown resulting in penalties. Two games so far and we’ve conceded 24 turnovers. We also conceded 79 in the 6 nations.
Does anyone need reminding of Barritt’s awful perfomrance against Fiji in the first game, while playing in his ‘familiar’ inside centre role…, its not just the Wales game he was bad, he has been out of form for some time now. I would pick Burgess and JJ, but with Slade on the bench as JJ is unlikely to last the whole game and I can only see Barritt being pushed to 13 when that happens, and then god help us. Unfortunately that means Ford is dropped (I’m a Bath fan but if you play Farrell, Slade offers more cover off the bench).
Unfortunately though I think the Slade arguement falls on deaf ears when it concerns Lancaster, I honestly believe he has him in the squad for ‘experience’ so he’ll be ready for the next world cup. I am hoping we can scrape a win on Sat, and see Slade picked for the Uraguay game which will hopefully give him a chance to play again in the knockout stages (if we get through) should JJ take another knock, rather than this insistance to play average players, who are off form, in postions they have never mastered.
Barritt
Although the win is anything but assured for England on Saturday and bearing in mind I may have got my maths wrong, would it be fair to say that if England beat Australia they are as good as qualified, barring try fests in Cardiff and Twickenham.
Beat Aus (even sans bonus point) and muller Uruguay, and England sit on 15 points.
The only way Aus can top that is to get 16 (as if they finish level on points then England overtake them courtesy of their victory). That means they need two losing bonus points against England and a wining bonus point against Wales.
The only way Wales can top that (with Australia still getting the requisite 16 points to also see England out) is to beat Fiji with a bonus point and then lose to Australia with one or two losing bonus points. That way they would finish on at least 15 and by virtue of their win over England they would sit above them.
That seems like a lot of bonus points required. Thoughts?
Charles, That’s not exactly the *only* way Wales can top that, is it? One other permutation, for example, is they beat Australia too…
Of course, but if Wales beat Australia (and England beat Australia) then Australia won’t have the points to overhaul England. Aus will be out and England are through. I’m talking about the results necessary to see England crash out at the group stages even if they beat Australia.
Please can we just all get behind Australia crashing out at the group stages. I would very much like to see that happen.
Here here
I see.
I am the biggest anti Sam guy there is(its all early etc) but I’ve just voted for him 12 as I have more confidence in him than Barritt.I am also concerned about Morgan and feel sure we must have Easter on the bench.
I hope there is so much anger and pride amongst the players to go out and really really give it everything they’ve got.Last chance saloon boys give us loyal Englishmen a victory.You owe us!
For a split second when I read that JJ was going to start I got excited about England’s prospects again. Then I remembered that they’ve had about two decent matches since 2003 and that until they completely change their philosophy and pick a 10,12,13 who can actually run, fix defenders and pass to a man running forwards they don’t stand a chance in this World Cup, even if they scrape through this group.
Hopefully Joseph is fully fit and not being rushed into the frontlines, because Slade is not trusted for the 13 shirt. Burgess to come off the bench for the 13 shirt? does slightly worry me.
it will be a relief to see Barrittt back in his familiar position of 12, so that he can play to his considerable defensive strengths. Might I remind those doubters that Barrittt has been a key component in Saracens rise to the top of the domestic championship and has been also instrumental in helping the club ‘s try fest.. need a JJ or slade outside him to take advantage of his skill set.
I don’t give a sh*t about how he performs for Saracens, I judge him on his England performances. I can’t think of one match where his overrated defensive qualities have been the point of difference in the match, and yes include the face take performance against Australia. Sure he has been a component in may England wins. But never intrumental.
I echo the above, in that Saracens seem to have a lot of decent club players who in their specific team environment compliment each other well, but the likes of Barritt,Goode and Wigglesworth are way short of international quality.
If Barritt is the answer to SL midfield conundrum then I’m afraid he’s asking the wrong questions, and that is the most worrying thing.
I’m certainly hoping for Barritt at 12 against Aus. He’s definitely not quick enough for 13, but 12 is fine. Burgess – i don’t think he has the positional awareness or experience to play 12 vs Aus. Yes Barritt is not the best international 12, but unfortunately what is the other option, apart from Farrell.
I’d rather the 12 be a very solid component of a concerted team effort than relying on him to be a match winner. 13 however – i want a potential match winner, please let JJ be fit!
The problem with Barritt though is he offers literally no attacking threat. It creates a situation like one we had against Fiji where we just were not getting over the gainline regularly. The knock on effects from that means the breakdown is far more difficult to control, our halfbacks then get slower back foot ball and the back three can get starved.
That is how important the gainline is, and the 12 has to lead that.
All that being said, I simply don’t trust Burgess positioning enough to want him in the 12 channel in this game, so Barritt has to play by default. Luther Burrell available?
Yes fair points, Barritt is far from ideal. I wonder if the coaches are regretting dropping Burrell. He did play all 6 nations with JJ and it went ok.
I heard there’s also a guy called 12trees who is big, can run, pass, kick and run defence…
…and make colossal howlers
I have some sympathy for 12t, I think his worst games have been when playing alongside Barritt and Tomkins. Two players who provide zero interest to the opposition defence. Result the centre partner gets clobbered. Risking JJ to this treatment is madness.
I would add that Slade communicated very well in the warm up match, shepherding Burgess well in defence and Farrell in attack. Yes it would be a risk, but we are in the last chance saloon and a roll of the dice is needed.
I knew I forgot something.
Burrell is probably someone they’d love to have at their disposal now. Barritt was been woeful and this was the one game that Burgess really couldn’t have played in my mind.
Twelvetrees frustrates me more any England player I can think of. He has all the attributes to be a really good 12 – kicking, passing, big carrier, good in the tackle – a few years ago i was convinced he was the future 12 for England. Unfortunately though, he has proven himself to be viable to absolute blunders far too often.
Yes, I remember being really excited when 12trees came on the scene for England. And then pulling my hair out every time he did something stupid like pass straight onto the pitch, or out of touch, or miss a tackle.
I can’t help but think (in glorious hindsight) that going with just Barritt and Burgess as 12 options when Barritt didn’t even play in the warm ups was pretty stupid. Just blind faith that Barritt would come through and be in form.. which he doesn’t really look.
Lancaster wouldn’t drop Slade because he offered something different to the squad.. but he doesn’t pick him. And of course he wouldn’t drop Burgess as he owns the rights to his bio-pic (probably shared with Russell Crowe).