Striking a balance: Stuart Lancaster
England coach Stuart Lancaster has ruled out making wholesale changes for Sunday's clash against Italy at Twickenham but has suggested he will give a few replacements a chance to start.
Toby Flood, Danny Care, Billy Twelvetrees, Mako Vunipola and his brother Billy are all candidates for a starting berth as the England coach looks inject some freshness into his team ahead of the potential Grand Slam decider in Cardiff a week later.
"I wouldn't want to make wholesale changes going into Italy because I think combinations working and learning together on the field is the important part of it as well," Lancaster told the Telegraph.
"One or two people are suggesting let's make seven, eight, nine or ten changes and bring in a whole load of people who are playing well in the Premiership. I think that would be hugely disrespectful to Italy and definitely the route we will not go down.
"I think there is a difference between that and freshening the side up with players of equal quality who have sat on the bench and waited patiently."
Lancaster explained that it was important to strike a balance between the need for immediate results and building for the 2015 World Cup.
"I have always had to balance the needs of winning in the here and now and developing a team for the future and I don't think my mindset is any different now going into these last two games," he added.
"I think it is important to win in the here and now. It does build confidence and builds space for the team to grow. But equally I have never been dominated by it so I have always had one eye on the big picture and think about where we are going.
"But now we are going to the Italy game, it is not a case of experimentation in order to grow a team and bring young players in for 2015. It is actually about giving the right group of players that we think we have got now more experience over the next two games."
Comments
pentwynfarm says...
@heart_of_oak. As far as your guess for the team we'll see against Italy is concerned, I think substitute Youngs for Care and Ashton for Brown and you've probably got it spot on! I think a spot of benchwarming will be SL's subtle way of letting Ashton know that he has to improve.
Posted 16:11 03rd March 2013
heart_of_oak says...
What I'd like to see is :
Mako V
Youngs
Cole
Lunchbox
Parling
Wood
Robshaw
Billly V
Care
Burns
Wade
12trees
Manu
Varndell
Brown
What I think we'll see is :
Mako V
Youngs
Cole
Lunchbox
Parling
Haskell
Robshaw
Wood
Youngs
Flood
Strettle
Barritt
Manu
Ashton
Goode
My respect for Barritt is definitely on the increase but I'd have him on the bench for the Italy game and give 12trees another runout. Barritt has to play against the Welsh though.
Posted 14:46 03rd March 2013
NHsaints says...
I still think we need to drop the weakest of the back 3 to accomodate Wade or Foden, for me that's Goode but Ashton's not been at his best either...
Posted 13:50 03rd March 2013
stumpy says...
I'm a huge fan of Lancaster, but this statement disapointed me. Don't get me wrong, some new players have been playing well for their clubs/from the bench for England, and tactically some changes could be good. However, the tone of the article seems to be 'we should experiment, its only Italy' which is a dangerous road to go down. Having said that, I'd make changes anyway tactically, Italy can't handle attacking flair rugby, so perhaps a more loose gameplan could be required for this game. I would also like to see one of the various talented wingers in the Preimership (e.g- Eastmond, May, Biggs) get a crack. My 15 would be :
1.Marler
2.Youngs
3.Cole
4.Launchbury
5.Parling
6.Wood
7.Robshaw
8.Vunipola
9.Care
10.Flood (if Farrel remains injured)
11.Brown
12.Barritt
13.Tuilagi
14.May
15.Goode
Posted 13:33 03rd March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
So it's Strettle, 36, Flood, Care, maco, t Youngs, Haskell for Ashton, Barrett, Farrell, B. Youngs, Marler, Hartley, Lawes. I don't know of anyone calling for wholesale change, except bring in a new winger. Think of the great back 3 players we've first capped v Italy in the past. I think it's Wades time. But in Lancaster we trust.
Posted 13:11 03rd March 2013
luv2h8 says...
I would like to see Eastmond and Wade given oportunites. Everytime they get the ball they look like they are goind to do something. Besides Care, Burn; Wade, Eastmond, Tuilagi, Ashton and Brown would not be half and attacking line.
Posted 13:07 03rd March 2013
Waz4before says...
Well said pentwynfarm, couldn't agree more
Posted 11:38 03rd March 2013
melkdave says...
I can see the players above in the article getting a start,after all most have already played in games this seaon ,off the bench or even starting.The only other player id think of bringing in is either Wade or Biggs,fr Ashton.Have toalso agree with@Pentwynfarm,i do like how SLand Co keep the players firmily grounded,and the focus always having an eye on the RWC in 2015.England are building a squad ,not just a 15 ,and that will hold us in good stead for a few years ,no matter who plays imo.
Posted 11:36 03rd March 2013
pentwynfarm says...
Every time I hear something new from Lancaster, the more I like him. He's so right, it is a fine balance, you can't get carried away and make so many wholesale changes that you end up losing the Italy game and possibly the Championship.
Putting him in charge was the best decision the RFU ever made.
Posted 11:12 03rd March 2013