2025 6Ns
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Dewi Lake gone for 12 weeks
Not a good start
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Fancy France to win it, Ireland probably second but will be interesting to see if they really are on the down slope. Scotland probably are the second best side at the moment. England - who bloody knows, no coaches of any quality to speak of, paranoid head coach, I shall be watching through my fingers. Wales and Italy? No. One. Cares
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Fergus Burke in mix for Scotland call-up
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Wales Squad, no Anscombe despite Costelow injury - it's all about the yoof
Two uncapped players in Wales' 34-man Six Nations squad as stalwarts return
The uncapped duo of Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards and Scarlets wing Ellis Mee have been selected by Warren Gatland...
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@Machpants said in 2025 6Ns:
Wales Squad, no Anscombe despite Costelow injury - it's all about the yoof
Two uncapped players in Wales' 34-man Six Nations squad as stalwarts return
The uncapped duo of Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards and Scarlets wing Ellis Mee have been selected by Warren Gatland...
Weird selections
One midget replaced by another midget
No Llewelyn, Winnett, Dyer, Jarrod Evans
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All about the yoof…. And Faletau
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ABI. France or Scotland please.
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England squad announced. Maro Itoje named as the new captain, replacing Jamie George. Borthwick will likely stick with most of the incumbents. Chessum will probably return to the blindside and at fullback, it looks like it will be between Freddie Steward and Elliot Daly.
Alex Mitchell being back should at least help, he's been impressive for Northampton since his return. Still, Ireland (in Dublin) and France (at Twickenham) in the first two rounds is a very challenging schedule. You'd expect the English to have plenty of motivation for the France game, after the 10-53 Twickenham demolition job by the French in 2023.
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Such confusion in that squad selection. I’m a fan of Dombrandt but England do not play his sort of game and Borthwick does not allow him the freedom to play his game. So what’s the point? Willis has been on fire for Sarries for two seasons now, ffs give him a chance. Steward has been playing well for Tigers but seems to have been found out at International level. He was again left floundering a few times during the AIs but with Furbank out I’m not sure what the answer is but the evidence is that it’s not Steward. T Curry is just not ready yet and imo is there purely because he’s on a hybrid contract. The starting and best 9 in the AIs, Spencer is not there but JvP who has been constantly found wanting is there? How does that work? I’m a fan of Chessum as a lock but I fear he will get picked at 6 and we will continue to “learn” the same old lessons.
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squad is ok, but i agree with Cato re Dombrandt. Willis has to play. Hate that Chessum has got better just because he hasn't played, he's too lightweight for a lock and not a good 6 IMO but our lineout is a mess because Martin is heavy and we don't have a jumping option in the back row otherwise.
Steward will have to start at 15 and Maus - please wash your mouth out for suggesting Daly is ever an option at full back ever again. Mitchell coming back should help Marcus at 10 and Finn Smith should be on the bench, he somehow got man of the match against Northampton last week and IMO he was less than average, he looks tired to me.
Our front row is poor or too young.
Overall yet another underwhelming group of players.
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Leaving aside for the moment that Chessum hasn't had much rugby, you're not happy with him because he's too lightweight and you're not keen on Martin because he's a heavy lump. You're difficult to please mate. There's about 6kgs between them apparently so not an awful lot, but I guess it is the way you do (or don't) throw that weight around that counts. However, I'd rather have Chessum, or Coles for that matter in the engine room than either of Ewels or Isiekwe..
Solving the non jumping back row option should be easy if Borthwick picks Ted Hill (which he won't) and Willis at 8 (which he won't). A back row of Hill at 6, Willis at 8 and either Earl or B Curry at 7 would offer a good balance imo.
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Steward will have to start at 15 and Maus - please wash your mouth out for suggesting Daly is ever an option at full back ever again.
Surely Daly's picked as a fullback-option, next to Steward? Who else could possibly fill that slot in the squad selected? Marcus Smith doesn’t strike me as a natural fullback and why would Borthwick move him now that he seems to have finally settled into the 10-role at Test level. Murley, Roebuck and Sleightholme are wingers and Freeman’s last game at fullback came over two years ago, in a Premiership game against Exeter. If Furbank is the template for the Borthwick counter-attack from 15, then Daly comes a lot closer to that than someone like Steward. But, considering Borthwick’s conservative tendencies, I still presume Steward will get first crack.
Again, I’m not saying that Daly would be my choice – he wouldn’t – but the Premiership isn’t exactly overflowing with options either. Joe Carpenter, George Barton, Rich Lane, Josh Hodge, Tom de Glanville, ... Talented players, for sure, but hardly screaming Test quality. Tyrone Green, if convinced to choose England, would’ve been a good option in my view, but maybe he’s still waiting for a call from Rassie.
With Furbank's injury, Steward's issues at Test level and the lack of clear candidates in the Premiership, Daly's inclusion sort of makes sense. But, what it really does, is show that the cupboard is rather bare when it comes to 15s.
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If Smith x 2 are in the squad why is Ford there?
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Steward will have to start at 15 and Maus - please wash your mouth out for suggesting Daly is ever an option at full back ever again.
…But, what it really does, is show that the cupboard is rather bare when it comes to 15s.
What it really shows is the reluctance of Borthwick and Eddie before, him to look at bringing on players with actual involvement and game time in some positions.
Eddie did fuck all to bring on any future scrum halves or wingers. Borthwick has done nothing to bring on any centres, full backs scrum halves or fly halves save when his hand has been forced.
Take Mitchell as an example. Undisputed No9 by a long way but was not even in the RWC squad until injury made him a necessity, then he’s No1. Until this last 8/9 months how much game time did either of the Smiths have at 10? And he still reverts to Ford even now. Same in the centres and Feyi-Waboso was rushed in as injury cover at wing. In all these cases the evidence to give these blokes a go was overwhelming.
Borthwick is so conservative that even Margaret Thatcher would be shaking her head.
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it's weird because England's best periods in November is when they were forced to play with freedom and let Smith cook. They looked dangerous as hell. They have athletic dynamic forwards that can play that game, and 10 who is best playing that game, i am sure they have some pace in the backs. Why restrict it?
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@mariner4life said in 2025 6Ns:
Why restrict it?
Does the coach look like he was a fan of playing at pace?
I will say that I've changed my opinion of Marcus Smith. At first I thought he was Temu Mo'unga. But he's showing maturity and execution worthy of the hype. I'm astonished Borethwick doesn't pick a squad to take advantage of him, Mitchell, Steward etc.
