England v All Blacks

MiketheSnow

Pine Posse

sparky

Weaknesses of that England team.

Backs

Freddie Steward (15)
• Can be exposed in wide defensive channels
• Predictable kicking game (often deep and central).
• Limited creativity as a playmaker — doesn’t often link attacks.

Tom Roebuck (14)
• Test inexperience; decision-making under pressure still developing.
• Quick, but his defensive positioning may be a problem.

Ollie Lawrence (13)
• Direct but sometimes one-dimensional in attack.
• Can overcommit in defence and leave space outside.
• Distribution and offloading skills not natural parts of his game.

Fraser Dingwall (12)
• Physically lighter than many Test 12s — can be bullied in contact.
• Limited pace and kicking threat reduce tactical variation.
• Struggles to impose himself when the game gets loose or fast.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (11)
• Still learning positional nuances — especially in backfield coverage.
• Can over-chase defensively and miss inside threats.
• Occasionally isolated after line breaks; support play developing.

George Ford (10)
• Defensive liability versus bigger carriers.
• Effectiveness drops when forwards lose collisions.
• Can over-control tempo and blunt England’s attack when momentum dips.

Alex Mitchell (9)
• Box kicking remains inconsistent.
• Defence around fringes can be exploited by strong pick-and-go sides.
• Sometimes rushes play when under scoreboard pressure.

Forwards

Fin Baxter (1)
• Limited international scrummaging experience.
• Can struggle against heavy, technical tightheads.
• Physicality at ruck and maul still developing.

Jamie George (2)
• Lineout throwing wobbles occasionally under stress.
• Mobility declining; not as dynamic around the park as before.
• Fades in impact during long defensive phases.

Dan Heyes (3)
• Scrummaging inconsistent versus elite looseheads.
• Doesn’t offer much in open play; carrying impact low.
• Can be slow to realign defensively.

Maro Itoje (4)
• Discipline — prone to giving away breakdown penalties.
• Tries to do too much at times, reducing efficiency.
• Lineout effectiveness has been patchy since 2021.

Alex Coles (5)
• Inexperienced at Test level.
• Still learning physical edge needed for top-tier packs.
• Lineout timing and lifting coordination under pressure developing.

Guy Pepper (6 / 7)
• Tremendous energy but can be overzealous at breakdown — penalty risk.
• Decision-making under fatigue still maturing; sometimes chases lost causes.
• Carrying game limited — not a natural ball-carrier or line-breaker.
• In defence, can shoot out of line too early and leave gaps.

Sam Underhill (7)
• History of injuries limits minutes and consistency.
• Offers little in attack beyond hard carries.
• Occasionally overcompetes at breakdown and concedes pens.

Ben Earl (8)
• Not the heaviest No.8 — can be dominated by massive packs.
• Sometimes takes unnecessary risks in attack.
• Defensive positioning at scrum and kick transitions inconsistent.

"The Pom and One Kiwi Pom Squad"

Luke Cowan-Dickie (2) – Dynamic but lineout throw still unreliable; durability concerns.

Ellis Genge (1) – Can lose discipline; scrummaging sometimes unstable when chasing dominance.

Will Stuart (3) – Reliable scrum anchor but lacks mobility.

Chandler Cunningham-South (6/8) – Explosive athlete but raw tactically; defensive reads need polish.

Tom Curry (7/8) – Returning from long injury layoff; timing at breakdown and discipline rusty. But I rate really rate.

Henry Pollock (7)
• Very promising but extremely inexperienced at senior level.
• Can be outmuscled physically by Test-standard forwards.
• Tends to overcommit at ruck, leaving defensive gaps.
• Work rate excellent, but still learning when to hold shape instead of chasing every contest.

Ben Spencer (9) – Reliable but lacks tempo and unpredictability compared to Mitchell.

Marcus Smith (10/15) Defence remains a bit dodgy; can struggle to impose structure off slow ball.

No specialist lock, midfield or wing cover. It's an odd bench.

Bones

@MiketheSnow said in England Vs All Blacks:

Pine Posse

Yeah if we're talking NZ, it can't be a positive name eh, got to be some kind of gang/posse/cabal.

MN5

@Bones said in England Vs All Blacks:

@MiketheSnow said in England Vs All Blacks:

Pine Posse

Yeah if we're talking NZ, it can't be a positive name eh, got to be some kind of gang/posse/cabal.

Black Bangers might be considered a bit racist so best to scratch that option.

sparky

Strengths of that England team

It has won nine on the bounce and has lots of potential. It plays with high work rate, smart structure, astute kicking and growing attacking variety.

Defensive Intensity and Breakdown Pressure

With Underhill, Earl, Pepper, Curry, Pollock and Itoje (so many pests who will be looking for turnovers) England have one of the most disruptive defensive packs in world rugby.

Relentless line speed and chop tackling from their defence will also create turnover opportunities.

Aerial and Territorial Control

Steward, Ford, and Mitchell give England a reliable kick-chase and territorial base.

Roebuck and Feyi-Waboso are good at the chase and in the air.

Leadership and Experience

George, Itoje, Ford, and Steward form a calm, experienced axis that anchors younger players.

Composure under pressure has improved dramatically since 2023.

Set-Piece Reliability

Scrum looks solid with Baxter-George-Heyes; lineout options in Itoje, Coles, Earl.

Ford is a solid goalkicker.

England's work on kickoffs is excellent.

Versatility in the Back Row

Earl, Underhill, and Pepper/Curry offer complementary styles — mobility, power, and work rate.

Cunningham-South and Pollock add bench dynamism.

Three back row players on the bench is a bold call.

Counterattack Potential

Feyi-Waboso, Earl and Pollock in broken play are lethal.

Ford and Mitchell can quickly switch to attacking width when turnover ball arises.

Emerging Depth and Balance

Blend of young talent (Baxter, Pepper, Pollock, Feyi-Waboso) with seasoned Test heads (George, Itoje, Curry, Ford)

Strong “finishers” bench — Smith, Genge, Curry, Pollock, Cunningham-South.

JA

Thank you Catogrande and Sparky for the detail about the English players. I know most of the regular players by reputation but appreciate getting to know more about the newer squad members.

Is it fair to say Borthwick has deliberately packed the bench with typical starters / stronger players – specifically front row and Curry?

Catogrande

@JA said in England Vs All Blacks:

Thank you Catogrande and Sparky for the detail about the English players. I know most of the regular players by reputation but appreciate getting to know more about the newer squad members.

Is it fair to say Borthwick has deliberately packed the bench with typical starters / stronger players – specifically front row and Curry?

It certainly looks that way. It could easlly be said that the bench options at forward are stronger than the starters and in the last two games they have brought a lot of power and dynamism to finish the game off. The counter to that though is that we were still in the lead in both instances. Such a strategy may not work if you're 20 points down when all your best players come on. A bit like stacking the back end of your singles at the Ryder Cup to finish the match off only to find you've already lost it.

pakman

@Bones said in England Vs All Blacks:

@MiketheSnow said in England Vs All Blacks:

Pine Posse

Yeah if we're talking NZ, it can't be a positive name eh, got to be some kind of gang/posse/cabal.

I think Black Power's taken.

Bones

Black Bomb Cohort

W32

@Bones said in England Vs All Blacks:

Black Bomb Cohort

Gastro sufferers?

Snowy

While we're on nicknames, that Netflix show "Baby Reindeer", has had me calling the Spring Boks that ever since.

Seems annoy Saffa mates, so I will continue with it.

W32

@Snowy said in England Vs All Blacks:

While we're on nicknames, that Netflix show "Baby Reindeer", has had me calling the Spring Boks that ever since.

Seems annoy Saffa mates, so I will continue with it.

Note to self: never watch that Netflix show Baby Reindeer

Snowy

@W32 said in England Vs All Blacks:

@Snowy said in England Vs All Blacks:

While we're on nicknames, that Netflix show "Baby Reindeer", has had me calling the Spring Boks that ever since.

Seems annoy Saffa mates, so I will continue with it.

Note to self: never watch that Netflix show Baby Reindeer

That is actually very good advice.

cgrant

Imagine if an injury occurs to Itoje or Coles. Who's gonna play lock ? Cunningham-South ? This English pack is shorter than the ABs'.

Boourns

@W32 said in England Vs All Blacks:

@Bones said in England Vs All Blacks:

Black Bomb Cohort

Gastro sufferers?

Blacked?

canefan

The Heimlich Manuever. Prevents choking

W32

@Boourns said in England Vs All Blacks:

@W32 said in England Vs All Blacks:

@Bones said in England Vs All Blacks:

Black Bomb Cohort

Gastro sufferers?

Blacked?

Sorry my twisted sense of humor kicked in. Black bomb cohort sounds like a group of people suffering from irritable bowl syndrome.

The Silver Fern

England v All Blacks