Stuart Lancaster drops seven players from World Cup squad

16 comments on “Stuart Lancaster drops seven players from World Cup squad”

1. 

   egg chaser August 7, 2015 at 6:51 pm -

   Here’s hoping Bomber has seen something in Burgess that others haven’t. Eastmond losing out to him makey no sense….

2. 

   Teecee August 7, 2015 at 7:31 pm -

   I’m afraid bomber has made a huge error here. Surely even the most ardent Bath fan would agree that Burgess is far too much of a tyro to have got anywhere near this squad as a candidate for a centre berth?

   Please tell me this is not solely due to Slammin being six foot five and nigh on 18 stones,because they are the only reasons I can imagine for this awful gaff.

3. 

   harlequin August 7, 2015 at 9:23 pm -

   Absolutely blind spot re Big Sam.Ditto Twelvetrees.May instead of Roko another big error.However even more important is the choice of 8 to be dropped by 31/8.Let’s hope he gets that right.

4. 

   Olie August 7, 2015 at 9:51 pm -

   Bath fan here. Honestly think you’d struggle to find anyone who’d say Sam is a centre.

   Rumours that Eastmond will be back off to League after this rejection. Big loss for us and England if that’s true, especially when you consider 36 is STILL in the squad!!

5. 

   Geat August 8, 2015 at 5:43 am -

   I’m a Bath fan and I agree Burgess isn’t a centre. BUT the coaches have clearly seem something they like there, and it’s worth remembering England don’t play like Bath. For me, there will only be a problem if Burgess is awful in the warm-ups but is still retained.

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     Benjit August 8, 2015 at 10:04 am -

     I think we just have to accept that England’s game plan is based around a big hard running centre. In Tuilagi’s absence the options are Barritt (?), 12t, Burrell and Burgess. Given the other option I’m more than willing to give Burgess a chance.

6. 

   Matt B August 8, 2015 at 10:45 am -

   I think the inclusion of Burgess speaks volumes for the coaches’ confidence in the other centres, especially for the game plan (or alternative game plans) they want to implement. I personally think it’s a waste of time but I am willing to accept he gets a try. Similar to Geat, I will have a serious problem if he is anything but very good in the warm up game and then gets included in the final squad.

7. 

   Taliesin August 9, 2015 at 10:24 am -

   Matt Garvey, displaced in the Bath back row by Burgess. Tweeted that “Burgess is the in form 12 in England”! As The Sunday Times commented “ouch!”

8. 

   Stu August 9, 2015 at 1:17 pm -

   i think these omissions may demonstrate a lack of plan B for England – with Kvesic and Eastmond gone it looks like we are only planning on brawn and not brain

9. 

   Doc August 10, 2015 at 10:05 am -

   From a Welsh point of view, I’m glad he’s dropped Eastmond!

10. 

    Pablito August 10, 2015 at 12:40 pm -

    As per the opinions above, I’ll wait till I see Burgess play before forming an opinion. I think Bath wasted him at centre, using him far too often as a decoy rather than using his power to open and holes and get them on the front foot. He didn’t really suit their set-up.

    If he’s going to play centre, he needs to be used like Wales use Jamie Roberts. England’s tactics are, I think, more set up for this style of play and obviously the coaches are seeing something from him.

    As for Eastmond, its a shame as I’d much prefer him to 12Trees as he offers a point of difference – just cannot understand why they persist with 12Trees. But I just can’t see Ford, Eastmond and Joseph as an international trio

    Also a shame that Rokoduguni and Yarde have been sent back as I think their physicality also offers a point of difference over the likes of May and Watson. Really not sure that having just three wingers in the squad (only one of whom is an out and out winger) is a good idea.

    Not fussed about Ksevic, as don’t feel he’s really holding his hand up above players like Robshaw or Clark. Mullan I like but I guess one of them had to miss out and am happy with the forwards remaininf (hope Corbisiero can recover some of his previous form though)

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      Henry August 10, 2015 at 1:11 pm -

      Agree with you here – Saturday is Burgess’ chance and I will wait before making a comment on his inclusion. As for Eastmond, I think he’s been given a fair shot and found wanting. Slade is the real exciting player for me, but as a 12 (rather than 13 as is likely on Sat).

      My real worry is the lack of 13 cover. Barritt, Burrell and 12T are all 12s and would only be a stop-gap if Joseph is injured. Two of them playing together in the centres would be a backwards step for our style of play. Likewise I think Slade is more suited to the 10/12 position but I guess he is the back up option – unless they bring Farrell in at 12 and shift Burrell/Barrit out (shudder)? I don’t think Lancaster’s claim of one of the back 3 players covering holds up either – Nowell and May have played there and could cover in case of an injury in a match but they aren’t centres and would be found out in a world cup match against good opposition.

      Fine with all the other cuts, though maybe a mistake to send that many wingers home and not given one other a chance in a warm up match? We are light in that department and don’t think anyone really has the shirt locked up. Could have given May and one of Ashton/Yarde/Rocko (would be Ashton for me as I think he would work well with a more creative 13. Tuilagi and Burrell don’t compliment his tracking style of play like Joseph or maybe Slade would) a go and put some pressure on Nowell and Watson.

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        Pablito August 10, 2015 at 5:12 pm -

        Barritt has often played 13 for England so I’d imagine they’ll be thinking that he can play there.

        Slade I’d prefer to see at 12 but there’s no reason he couldn’t play at 13, so long as you put someone powerful in at 12 – a la Nonu and Conrad Smith.

        As you say Nowell and May can also cover 13 – would prefer Nowell there to May though!

        Definitely worried about the lack of wingers! As you say, Ashton’s style of play could well have been suited to having someone like Ford at fly-half or Joseph at 13

11. 

    Dazza August 10, 2015 at 1:42 pm -

    I’m not too worried about the Burgess inclusion, but my worry is that he’s dropped three right sided wingers!! Ashton, Yarde and Rokoduguni. This only leaves Watson and Nowell and May. At the moment I would rather see direct running wingers like Ahston or Rokoduguni than May on either wing.

12. 

    Teecee August 11, 2015 at 11:16 am -

    Are we to presume then, that the first choice midfield pair are Joseph and Barritt? I imagine that the Slade /Burgess experiment,should it work,will form the back up pairing in case of injury or loss of form.

    Like many others I find the wing selections baffling but then I find a lot of bombers ideas about as clear as mud.

    If Burgess/Slade have a ‘mare on Saturday then where do we go from there? Answers on a postcard please!

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      Pablito August 11, 2015 at 11:45 am -

      Dependent on how they have gone in training, I would have thought that inside centre is very much still a toss-up between Burrell and Barritt

      Each has their downside – Burrell didn’t have a great year in an England shirt, so we have to hope he regains his form of the year prior to that. We all know about Barritt’s downsides, so probably best not to dwell.

      If Burgess / Slade have a ‘mare, its not a problem. We have Billy Twelvetrees waiting in the wings! Hurrah!