Ahead of the South Africa game this weekend, Jamie Hosie and James Hutchison pick what they think the England XV should look like. Have a look at their teams, then vote for yours in the poll below.
Hosie
Mike Brown, Semesa Rokoduguni, Brad Barritt, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, Courtney Lawes, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola.
Wholesale changes aren’t necessary. Ben Youngs should come in for Danny Care to show him how to box kick, and to remind him that his position isn’t guaranteed. James Haskell can bring a bit of extra physicality to a pack that badly needs it, in place of Tom Wood who was ineffectual against New Zealand. If it were a different game I’d bring George Ford in, but Australia might be the game for that as I’m having nightmares about Duane Vermuelen running down the 10/12 channel with Eastmond in there too.
Hutch
Mike Brown, Semesa Rokoduguni, Brad Barritt, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny May, George Ford, Danny Care; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola.
George Ford will be better able to bring the back line into the game, standing flatter to release Bath teammates Kyle Eastmond and Semesa Rokodoguni. Goal kicking is a slight concern without Owen Farrell but the backs will score so many tries that a few kicks here and there won’t be so important!
Who do you think should start against South Africa?
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Exactly the same as Jamie’s team for me.
Youngs in for Care is a must for kicking alone. He also has started the season in better form IMO. Leicesters pack has been crap quite a few times (which almost always makes 9s look awful) but the Exeter game and one other I watched Youngs looked very good.
Haskell is a more important change for me. We need an extra ball carrier in there, and some grunt.
At some point this Autumn I’d like to see Ford/Eastmond/Farrell as a 10-13 axis. Farrell can defend and kick goals, and Barritt offers defense alone so I can’t see what we’d lose here. I’d much prefer a center that can get us over the gain line but Barritt doesn’t offer that anyway. Farrell can take the kicking pressure off Ford allowing him and Eastmond to do their stuff with ball in hand. Farrell has also defended that channel in the past. Not sure starting that way in this game is such a great idea though.
Is Farrell really a fantastic running option in the centres though? Lets face it, whoever holds the 13 shirt is keeping it warm for Mr Tuilagi… in a fully fit England squad he is one of the first names on the team sheet.
No he isn’t but it does give up the opportunity to get Ford in the side without piling the kicking pressure on him too. Plus as I mentioned, whilst he isn’t a running threat, is Barritt?
My team is really going to struggle considering I don’t have the option to pick a flyhalf….
Ahem, good spot. You can now also pick a fly-half, if you so desire.
I could make a snide remark here, but I’m going to be a big man.
No I’m not: England seem to have that policy anyhow.
I went for Ford/Eastmond/Joseph and Watson at 15. Maybe a little lightweight but they all know each other and will offer so much more creativity to the side. Ford should be given the chance to kick, if he wants to be an international 10 then he needs to kick under pressure so lets see if he can.
Went for Watson as I think Brown looks tired.
Just looked at your back line choices and wanted to remind you we are playing SA. They have probably the biggest back line of an SH team. And you’ve chosen almost the same back line that got destroyed by a French team with large backs a couple of weeks ago in a European club game.
Need somebody in there to get back 3 going so I would go with Ford Eastmond and J.J who has been the form centre Haskell for Wood is a must as well
Bring Ben Youngs in for Danny Care to improve the kicking game of the team as a whole, and Haskell in for Wood to bring some forward momentum. These were the two main issues in a hugely weakened side which only lost by 3 points to one of the best All Blacks sides of all time. Chopping and changing will not solve anything, give these boys another go to show what they can do! We know we have Manu coming back at 13, as mentioned about, and I can see a Farrell/Ford – Eastmond – Tuilagi axis working effectively! Ford should be given the chance to show what he can do from the off in the Samoa game.
If you watched the Itish game, South Africa were undone all over the park. England can match the RSA brute force but it’s the tactical kicking game they need to win. Pin the Boks back.
Really not sure Youngs or Care are in the right form at the moment. When Youngs came on last weekend the kicking improved, but some of the passing was atrocious. I think they both need a kick up the arse by bringing in another young scrum half to shake things up a tad. And not Dickson as he’s not exactly on great form either.
Haskell in for Wood, and a back line of Ford, Eastmond, Farrell, May, Yarde and Watson. Brown looks knackered and off the pace. Watson has great pace, a good boot and is a decent defender. Farrell can defend the 13 channel, and with Barritt on the bench, if Ford is wobbling Farrell can switch to 10, and Barritt to 13.
Who else is there for SH?
I used to think Joe Simpson would be in an England shirt before long but he’s never quite made the very top grade.
Wigglesworth, like Strettle, is a solid club player
Karl Dickson doesn’t get the game time
Any other suggestions?
Dan Robson at Gloucester looks a properly classy player. Still young, and can learn from Laidlaw for now, but he’ll want to be pushing for regular game time soon. A post-2015 option, I’d say.