Discussion
Finally caught up with the rugby after being away at the weekend
France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
Rockettvr said:
Finally caught up with the rugby after being away at the weekend
France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
I think keep Daley at 13 and bring in a proper FB instead of Smith and put him back on the bench.France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
Tom8 said:
Rockettvr said:
Finally caught up with the rugby after being away at the weekend
France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
I think keep Daley at 13 and bring in a proper FB instead of Smith and put him back on the bench.France were a step ahead even without DuPont
Ireland not the team they were - Farrell being on lions duty probably a factor
Scotland should have won at a canter but wobbled
Wales spirited but doomed
Italy still bobbing along at the bottom
England at last showed some attacking intent but were very “Clunky” , the reffing and early loss of Lawrence not helping. Thought some of Englands defending was shocking
Didn’t seem like borthwick had planned for possible injuries to his midfield- no one seemed to know who was playing where when forced into a substitution.
What’s the likely back line on Saturday?
As they were last week with Daly at 13 or Slade back in ?
England squad announced with some seemingly bizarre selections.
Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
W211 said:
Can Ford cover anywhere other than 10? If not, we look like we have a bench imbalance? What happens if, for example, Freeman gets injured? Daly to centre, Marcus to Wing, Ford to FB?
I thought you were joking about ford riding the pine 
I would like to think that Borewick has forgotten more about rugby so far today than I've ever known - this makes me seriously question that. With 2 flys already on the field you could argue that that is perfectly set up for a 7:1...
Sn1ckers said:
England squad announced with some seemingly bizarre selections.
Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
You can tell that Steve used to be part of Eddie Jones staff - this is straight out of Eddies playbook, lose a big burly centre , so draft in an uncapped wing and shuffle 1/2 the backline, rather than bring in a direct replacement. Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
The backline despite scoring tries last week was clunky at times , looked all at sea both in defence and in attack at others. Obviously hadn’t planned for an injury to Lawrence- that’s poor prep
Ford can play centre-ish. Back in the Ford/Farrell axis days Farrell would usually be at 12 but they’d play a bit of left/right at times with Ford at 2nd receiver. Unlikely to see him making line breaks though. It Could mean a lot of shuffling in the back line depending on who might get injured
I like a proper 8 Willis is unlucky to be dropped to the bench but SB going for mobility/jackalling rather than heft
Don’t know why LCD is starting ahead of George
It all rather smacks of SB understanding that the team isn’t operating at the level it should be, but hasn’t a fecking clue how to fix it , so do what Eddie did and just keep shuffling the players about and hope it clicks.
Buffoon
ETA
Unfortunately unless we get hammered tomorrow the , I’m going to say the word results rather than wins -seems more fitting, against France and Scotland probably means he’s safe in the job for another year
Edited by Rockettvr on Wednesday 12th March 18:19
Sn1ckers said:
England squad announced with some seemingly bizarre selections.
Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
Typical of what we’ve come to expect of Borthwick. Completely lacking in logic. Apart from his Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
Smollet said:
Sn1ckers said:
England squad announced with some seemingly bizarre selections.
Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
Typical of what we’ve come to expect of Borthwick. Completely lacking in logic. Apart from his Freeman at 13 is catching the media’s attention, as is Roebuck at 14 but little is being said about Ford being the only non scrum half replacement in a team that already has Fin at 10 and Marcus at 15?
Would love to know what’s going to happen if a centre or wing gets injured?!
Also feel sorry for Willis who seems to be doing a job but has been dropped to the bench. Ditto for Ted Hill who has hardly featured and is now dropped altogether to make room for Pollock.
Overall a pretty odd selection imo.
DeejRC said:
MS doesn’t appear to have grasped how to “manage” a game at 10 at international level. He knows how to Carlos Spencer it, but not how to Dan Carter it.
FS looks a natural game manager, helped by having a Saints back line with him.
This. Oppo just know he won’t pass. So they nail him. He predictable by being so unpredictable. Hitch kick haircut.FS looks a natural game manager, helped by having a Saints back line with him.
Brown was a superb 15 back in the day. MS is a utility, a Cipriani but without the tackling.
He could make a great 9.
W211 said:
No lock cover on the bench is a bit worrying too. CCS or Willis could cover in a pinch? Bearl could cover centre?
Earl could probably cover centre if injury dictates but why put yourself into the position of having to do that ??Slade has been rather anonymous in an England shirt of late but he could have been brought back in place of Lawrence and then everybody else stays the same - less disruption a bit of continuity rather than changing 1/2 the backline.
He’s chopping and changing the backs at s almost every turn
Full back Stewart discarded for Marcus who in turn is quickly discarded for Daly who covered outside centre due to injuries only to be moved to wing this week so freeman can play outside centre despite playing wing for all his other caps. Meanwhile Slade a real centre discarded altogether and slieghthome despite scoring twice last week out of the match day 23 altogether to be replaced by a debutant this week and Ford brought onto the bench even though we’ve already got 2 specialist fly halves on the pitch
Hasn’t got a clue.
Now that we’ve almost exhausted the full English media curve on Marcus Smith (from much talked about but uncapped Wunderkind, through one man England saviour, to lumbered with a positional change and unbearable level of expectation, to general slagging off for not being good enough), it really is a credit to Borthwick’s managerial genius that he’s timed Pollock’s introduction just in time for the journos to start the cycle afresh.
England are utter s
te at managing talent and Fin Smith should probably expect to be added to the fked about list in due course.
England are utter s
te at managing talent and Fin Smith should probably expect to be added to the fked about list in due course. Guardian journo seems to be proclaiming Borthwick selection to be genius....
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/12/rugb...
Or is it all tongue in cheek?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/12/rugb...
Or is it all tongue in cheek?
BlackTails said:
Hmm. Really? I remember a bloke who was pretty good under a high ball, hard as, but who could be solidly relied upon - after taking a high ball - to run straight into contact at pace.
It was as if he were phobic about space.
I used to think this, frustratingly playing for England, Brown always would head into contact and never pass the ball. Then i found out he was nothing like this for Harlequins, and had the Premiership's highest offload rate.It was as if he were phobic about space.
So his England performances could all be explained by playing rhe percentages, team orders.
A993LAD said:
Guardian journo seems to be proclaiming Borthwick selection to be genius....
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/12/rugb...
Or is it all tongue in cheek?
"Borthwick has been establishing a reputation as a bold selector..."https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/12/rugb...
Or is it all tongue in cheek?
Really? I can think of several other words and phrases to use
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff