Preparation Thread - England v Italy

[HammerofThunor]

First topic message reminder :

So the first game is done, time to move on. Anyone know which players are back from injury? Personally I'd rather they went to their club for recovery if they've been out for a while. What squad to pick for Italy? Keep the same one for consistency or 'experiment'?

Personally I want to keep the back line as stable as possible. Forwards, keep the backrow the same, keep the locks. Maybe change things up in the front row.

[lostinwales]

Parling out of the Italy match
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31366397

[BamBam]

So probably an unchanged 23?

[mbernz]

What are you basing that opinion on? one thing Ewers doesn't need to work on is his Work rate! he needs to work on his set piece and skill set if he is to play 8. He is always top of the tackling stats and hits more rucks than any other player at the Chiefs!

I see him as a 6, and while you se him play more than me, in every game I see him play he does something massive then disappears for long periods. I reckon you would have beaten us at Sandy Park if someone like Johnson had played instead of Ewers.

I definitely don't see Ewers' fitness or workrate as a problem, in fact I would say it's one of his better attributes.  Whenever I've seen him play for Exeter he stays on for the whole match, is usually their top tackler and ever present throwing his body at the breakdown.  In the Saxons match the other week he was the top tackler with 19, almost double Kvesic's or Garvey's tally.  The area that he can drift in and out of games in is the more attention grabbing aspect of carrying.

In terms of the original comment about him possibly coming on to the bench for Italy, I think we have to give game time to the players we'll need on the bench for Ireland, and my concern for that game with our starting players is the lineout.  Ireland's attacking and defensive lineout is a big weapon for them, I'd say their 2nd row jumpers have the edge on ours and POM and Heaslip at the tail are better than and will gang up on Robshaw, so I'd want Kitchener/Parling and Wood/Croft on the bench as cover to counter that area of strength which could give us real headaches.

[cb]

For the Italy match I still would like to see a proper lock replacement (e.g. Kitchener on the bench).  Easter or Croft or whosoever should only need to be considered if we lose both starting locks.

Kruis could always move to the backrow, so England have potentially three back row replacements, but if we lost Attwood in the first five minutes against Ireland or France, I think a second row of Easter and Kruis may be vunerable?

[BamBam]

Hopefully Lawes is back for Ireland, that would take a lot of pressure off, in tandem with Hartley I reckon he would shore up our line out nicely

[LondonTiger]

against us Ewers managed 2 tackles I think, while from memory he seemed to be lumbering from ruck to ruck. True one game is a small sample.

[englandglory4ever]

Easter has been the standout No8 in the AP all season. People seem to easily discard/discount him but it would be like throwing the crown jewels out if he was dropped. He also does an extremely good job at lock too.

[SecretFly]

Easter has been the standout No8 in the AP all season. People seem to easily discard/discount him but it would be like throwing the crown jewels out if he was dropped. He also does an extremely good job at lock too.

Crown jewels and locks

...yeah, I suppose he's over qualified as a rugby player really.

[LondonTiger]

As Bomber has announced the same 23 - all discussions can now switch to when he will/should make replacements.

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