Jako says...

a good team i think. in my opinion, england fans calling for gloucester-style/running/flowing rugby are wrong. play to your strengths: england has a good pack for this test (the back row is more balanced than it was in the first tests), and will get a good share of possesion. you should aim to starve NZ of possesion and close them down effectively when they attack (barrit is, therefore RIGHT for this game. defending as he does, english fans shouldnt even care for his lack of offensive skills). take the points on EVERY ocassion- i sense the english pack will rise to the ocassion and get some penalties. they should throw the ball wide ONLY when the opportunity to do so appears. this may not happen at any point of the game, so dont despair. england can win this game with an effective, low risk, conservative game plan (as long as it is well executed). wouldnt mind if england play this way for the next 20 years, as long as it brings victories.

Posted 15:52 29th November 2012

TVaddict says...

Goode is going to be completely out paced in this game. Brown should be at fullback where he belongs. Ashton is playing so negatively he shouldn't be near the team. Barritt doesn't have the pace or attacking threat to be in the team. Farrell isn't good enough at 10 for his club, let alone his country. Other than that this is an ok team...

On a lighter note our bench could make a hell of an impact. Imagine at 60 mins when players are getting a bit tired bring Vunipola and Wilson, two big ball carrying props on, followed by the hard dynamism and physicality of Lawes and Haskell. Then Care and Burns coming on, fresh and determined to attack from everywhere, with Tuilagi moving to 12 and Joseph coming on at 13. Heck, if we had some decent wingers on the pitch we might even score with the impact of these players.

Posted 14:35 29th November 2012

jamesliveinhope says...

Just so we all understand, New Zealand are head and shoulders above the world at the moment probably the only team in the top 10 who's ranking is a true reflection of where they are.

I will argue that their back line is going to look a little long in the tooth come 2015 and Hansen needs to address that issue but for now there is no-one who can touch them.

UNLESS. The only way that anyone has beaten the ABs in about 15 years is by defensively shutting them down. Their biggest strength is their only weakness and that is the fact that their "A" game is so good, that they rarely take to the field with a "B" game.

If you can keep them out for long enough, the New Zealand of old would have started playing like they were chasing the game which leaves the odd defensive hole. Not sure whether the same can be said now because no-one has managed it for a few seasons but if I was going to pick a side to do that, I'd have Barritt at 12 and a kicking fly-half.

Posted 14:01 29th November 2012

Kiwikev says...

Well the potential IRB Player of the year is in your side so England will undoubtedly win! smh

Posted 13:46 29th November 2012

gazzabok says...

Gets shortlisted for the most prestigious award in rugby. Makes headlines when he gets selected for England.

FAIL.

Posted 13:02 29th November 2012

jappers1983 says...

Not bad. My main concerns for the team are all related to the backline, though:

Carter/A Smith will expose Brown's (significant) positional shortcomings as a winger with their kicking. Jane can cover wing/full back as he has the all round game to do this. Dagg, when needed out wide for the AB's, as well. Brown cannot step and beat a player one on one and does not have the pure gas to play there.

Farrell is not a creative 10. I expect even more emphasis to fall on Tuilagi but against Smith, who's defence of the 13 channel is outstanding, the line breaks will be infrequent. This team is crying out for Joseph to play.

Ben Youngs. One good try against Australia two years ago and that's about it. Massively overrated. The try last week was his fault as he chose not to dive on it and instead boot it at an on-rushing South African who was about 1m away. His decision making is not good enough, his box kicking is all over the place, and he has a questionable temperament. Don't be surprised if McCaw, Messam, Read and the rest of those AB lumps target him and Youngs to spend 10 mins cooling down after another one of his tantrums.

England do not currently have enough variety to win. New Zealand by 10.

Posted 12:25 29th November 2012

ArmchairGeneral says...

Death row for Ashton. One botched scoring opportunity and Joseph to 13 with Manu shifing to wing. Given that the weak link is currently wing I'd like to have seen Biggs start with Ashton on the bench. Or Biggs on bench. Wrong game to start Joseph so happy with the centres for this game. Farrell in the picture looks a tad like Beckham; he's a footballer, sorry. There is some similarity in what they bring to the team other than teeth and hairstyle. Great passing, kicking, tackling and a touch slow on the break and in the head. Please step up Owen. Dont fall to the Carter hand-off; it's powerful enough to put an in form Vickery on his ass and Fez sometimes stands up and faces when tackling backs which Carter will have spotted.

Posted 11:50 29th November 2012

APV1 says...

PAH!

It is what it is, so let's get behind them. I disagree with some of the players both starting and in the squad (and missing from it, of course). But we'll all be shouting ourselves hoarse, won't we?

Posted 11:28 29th November 2012

rugby_rockstar says...

I feel there is an element of feather smoothing going on again with Lancaster picking Farrel over Burns, but the odds of an england win are slim to nothing so Freddie is probably better off out of it.

I'm also thinking of something radical for the 6 nations. Alex Goode at 10 and Toby Flood at 12. Alex can pass and he turns on a six pence. He's not really going to trouble ben foden as far as pace goes but with the lack of invention inthe midfield, get the guy involved. I don't see him as a 12 but Flood is and although he may take it as a slap in the face and a demotion, I still see him as having a strong influence on the england backline.

The botton line is that the current line up isn't firing and I think its the lack of skill from brad barritt thats stopping us scoring. He just another mike tindall. Only not as good at turning over ball... yep, he's worse than Mike Tindall. Lancaster has to be a manager and realise his job isn't to be liked and loved by the players. Which leads us back to owen farrel's inclusion, given his poor form this season.

On the plus side, something I haven't mentioned yet was that Mike Catt got his attacking aligment right vs SA. nicely done. The support play still isn't right, but that's a bread an butter skill that the clubs need to fix. but there is urgency when we have the ball, we do take the ball going forward and we're challenging the defence with our carrying rather than giving the defenders immobile targets to smash. we just need to dump the "rugby by numbers" and pass into space rather than 10 channel, 12 channel, thump. recycle, repeat repeat repeat.... "you know what? We need is a 12 that can pass an accurate ball over a 25m distance..." really? Shocker.

Posted 11:24 29th November 2012

sirtidychris says...

The best team we can field against the all blacks given the lack of international experience for more attack minded guys like Burns and Twelvetrees. With the sarries axis of goode, farrell and barrit dictating how we play i expect to see very little created and strong defense, with almost every ball kicked playing a game of territorial pressure rugby that has defined Stuart lancasters era so far. This team will not beat the all blacks but hopefully if we can start to bring through people like burns and move away from the sarries (chargedown charlie) style and more towards a gloucester open style we may be getting somewhere in 2/3 years.

Posted 11:00 29th November 2012