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No idea what Ben Spencer has/hasn't done to miss out
This is a very good point to which I have no answer other than to nod accordingly.
Controversially, I am not sure of all those ball carriers are up there - Itoje is always brought up as one people rate. A fantastic athlete sure, second to none, but he does get knocked back quite a lot, even for Sarries - he is very upright into contact. Lawes has improved since the Scott Williams incident (aaaargh!), but is still more about lung-busting work-rate. And Ludlam seemed a bit underpowered to me at the RWC. I hope I am wrong. The props are definitely good in this respect though (with Genge to come in and do his thing).
George/LCD is a nice quandary to have.
About my reasons for Morgan - yes, I agree he is not the future, definitely more a stepping stone option. But he seems to have an intelligent rugby brain (moreso than, say, Nathan Hughes, whom I love watching as a Bris supporter. But he doesn't half give away some dopey pens and yellow cards!) - and he looks to hit gaps, rather than the man. I think he offers some of the beef required, along with some soft hands, and has been back to form with the pacey game Ackermann is looking for at Glos - akin to the expansive game Jones applied at RWC. If he can help the other back row develop their game, then I'm for it. There are lots more fixtures before the next WC to develop the full package and find another 8 / get Billy back fit and to form. Simmonds, the other form option for me, is sadly too small when put together with the other options, which is a terrible shame, as he is a class act - and that pace (!!!).
c00ps-
Scrum half is an awkward position, feels like we haven't had a truly world class scrum half for ages, current scrum halfs seem to fit into three groups
- Current favourites, but unlikely to see next WC: Youngs, Heinze
- Done something to annoy Eddie: Spencer, Robson
- Too young but potential: Maunder, Townsend, Mitchell
I always think Ben Morgan is older than he is, only 30, but still can't see Eddie going backwards. I think he will do bits and pieces, but he really does need a plan for when Billy is injured, he will be 31 at the next world cup, and given his record there is no guarantee he will be there, and he does make so many of our hard yards. I agree that Simmonds is too small to line up with the current pack, but he is tougher than he looks, and does make hard yards, not just breaks. I would love to see him on the bench, he could cause havoc from the 60th minute onwards.
LCD has been playing brilliantly, I think he is currently playing better than George, he has worked hard at his set piece, and given how potent a weapon it is for chiefs it is obviously working! - Current favourites, but unlikely to see next WC: Youngs, Heinze
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I think your critique of Maro was spot on 12 months ago, but I feel like this is something he's really stepped up on, he's clearly not Billy but he seems to take contact more powerfully now, making decent breaks and rarely going backwards. I haven't watched an enormous amount of Ludlam but I don't remember thinking he looked underpowered but I may well be wrong on that...
Agree re Morgan's intelligence, and he's a very good domestic player, but I haven't seen anything from him this season (intermittent Glaws attendee) to particular suggest he's got a huge amount to offer at international level.
Jack Willis and Zach Mercer are two big talents that will hopefully step-up over the next year or two...
Are you going to the Bris - Glaws game on saturday? I'm very much looking forward to it, albeit not as much as when I misread the Semi Radrada transfer story and thought he'd be playing by now...
Sam_w
owl
I think England do have enough heavy-traffic carriers in Mako, George, Sinclair and Maro, they can make do with a workrate/turnover-heavy backrow so I'm not sure I'd bring Morgan back, who whilst he has had some great games often looks pretty ponderous and probably isn't the future of the increasingly fast-paced international game. I'd definitely have had Dombrandt in, but not unhappy with a backrow picked from Curry, Underhill, Ludlam, Hill, Earl etc... We also have such a glut of locks I don't mind seeing Lawes/Maro at 6 if it means Launchbury gets in, who has been so unlucky and would walk into any other international team...
No idea what Ben Spencer has/hasn't done to miss out.