606v2 picks the England World Cup squad: Locks

Martin Johnson World Cup training squad announcement a couple of weeks ago got us all talking about who should be there/shouldn't be there/should go to the World Cup/shouldn't go to the World Cup etc. Now that the heat has died down a little bit and the squad has had a bit of time to sink in, who do we think should make the final 30? Over the next few weeks I'll post a series of polls so that we can select a 30 man World Cup squad.

Current squad- as chosen by you:
Props: Dan Cole, Alex Corbisiero, Andrew Sheridan, Matt Stevens
Hookers: Dylan Hartley, Lee Mears, Steve Thompson

Next up are the locks. The options in Martin Johnson's squad are: Mouritz Botha, Louis Deacon, Courtney Lawes, Tom Palmer and Simon Shaw. Multiple voting is allowed.

Squad selection criteria: The 3 locks with the most votes will be automatically selected and added to the squad. As there are questions over the balance of the squad, after the back-row voting an extra poll will be set up to see whether people want a 4th lock or a 6th back row. So vote for whichever locks you want to see at the World Cup, be it 3 or 4.

Lawes and Palmer are easy. The problem for me is between Simon Shaw, for whom I the the utmost respect, and Louis Deacon. In the end I chose Deacon because he is younger and quicker. I think the inestimable Mr. Shaw, might finally be just a bit past it. I never really thought Deacon was quite England worthy, but he has played well, and desreves his due.

But we can revisit this when we get to your extra poll about the 4th Lock or 6th Back Row. One thing which is interesting is Lawes can play back row which is an extra option in that direction.

Went for the same Doctor. Think this may be one to far for the old warhorse!

Agreed Lawes, Palmer & Deacon with 4th lock or 6th back row tbc.

I went for Palmer, Lawes and Deacon, leaving the space for a sixth backrow, the World Cup is a year or 2 late for Shaw to have an impact, even off the bench.

I can see MJ swinging a surprise and taking 3 locks (Lawes , Palmer and Deacon). He does seem to be a big fan on Tom Croft in the engine room , Croft played there against Ireland this year and covered lock at the start of his international career.

I know people might be getting fed up with my twining about the squad on these threads. But... Deacon has been out injured for large chunks of the season (and many question his abilities), there are questions about Simon Shaw’s fitness and I don’t want to get started on Botha. I can’t understand how George Robson, Christian Day or Graham Kitchener didn’t make the squad. I suspect had Attwood been fit, he’d have missed out too.

I chose:

Lawes
Palmer
Deacon
Shaw


But I didn't really have much choice.

Agree with that Cumbrian, although players can be added to the squad (if a player like Attwood were to regain fitness or if one of the squad members got injured). It would have been nice to see a 6th lock (possibly Kitchener) with a few question marks over some of the players in the squad to give us more options. As it is I went for the same 4, although now I'm flip-flopping in my mind between 3 and 4 locks.

Looking at the poll I cant help thinking that these players would be better locks than hookers

(You can delete this when you edit the poll heading)

Can't edit a poll after posting it. You all know what I mean though!

Did you miss the title? Both in the main forum and at the top of this page? Insufferable pedantry.

Attwood would have been my 3rd choice, if he wasn't injured.

I think Cumbrian has it right, but I agree with bathmad that I'd have taken Attwood over Shaw given the choice.

I think a second string of Attwood and Deacon is better than Deacon and Shaw.

Shaw is one of the great locks in recent times, but he hasn't done anything this season for England or Wasps to justify being in the WC squad, and had he not been so good in the 2nd Lions test, I suspect he wouldn't be involved.

Picked Lawes and Palmer as they have been awesome for England recently, out of the final three I picked Botha - this is because out of the final 3 I feel he has had the best season.

I went for Deacon, Lawes and Palmer. For the fourth perhaps MJ could include a back 5 player; Tom Croft?

(And now that I read the comments it seems everybody had the same idea. No brainer really).

I guess if you used Croft as the 4th lock, then you could take either Fourie or Waldrom as additional back row cover (assuming Haskell, Wood, Moody and Easter are already on the plane).

Personally I'd take 4 specialist locks. With Haskell and Wood going as back row options, England have enough versatility to cover in the back row.

Perhaps Hape could cover flanker as well. His only role for England is to tackle....

I think Shaw needs to put aside now....greatthough he was, he is not the player he was.

Botha...please NO!!!!

Yes i would agree Kitchener or Attwood (if fit)would be good calls to take for experience of being at a WC but also the fact they are big bruising SR's who will be a part of englands future.

I voted everyone bar Shaw. Just don't think he's up to it. Of course he'll go and prove us all wrong with an outstanding performance and be hailed the best england lock ever, bar Johno.

Flanker...if hes voted the best ever prop....it'll be even more amazing

Damm. Was hoping I was quick enough for no one to see!

3 obvious candidates pulling away. Keep on voting people, and I'll post the back row poll when I get back from rugby training later tonight.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that the squad appears to have been so easy to predict?

Err... good question! I would say that there will be more bones of contention later on anyway.

What I would say is that it suggests that our first choices (so far) are all universally considered good enough, while none of the back up are universally considered good enough, so I guess it's okay as long as we don't get any injuries! To be honest 1 prop injury wouldn't be the end of the world with someone like PDJ coming in, but if we lose Hartley or Thompson or one of the top 3 locks, I would start to worry a little.