Set for debut: Billy Twelvetrees
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England have included uncapped Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees in their 23-man squad for the Six Nations opener with Scotland on Saturday.
With Manu Tuilagi out injured, 24-year-old Twelvetrees has been preferred to London Irish outside centre Jonathan Joseph, who has been sent back to his club.
Saracens wing David Strettle has also been included, but there is no place in the squad for Northampton full-back Ben Foden.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster will confirm his starting XV on Thursday.
Mouritz Botha, who has revealed he is heading to New York "for the rest of the week", Thomas Waldrom, Lee Dickson, Billy Vunipola, Ugo Monye, Henry Thomas and Matt Kvesic were the other players released
"We've had to make some tough calls with a lot of competition for places," Lancaster.
"The players' attitude and application in training has been first rate and we know those going back to their clubs and playing in the LV= Cup will be pushing hard for contention for the Ireland match."
England squad:
Forwards (13): Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Ben Morgan, Geoff Parling, Chris Robshaw, Mako Vunipola, David Wilson, Tom Wood, Tom Youngs,
Backs (10): Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Mike Brown, Danny Care, Owen Farrell, Toby Flood, Alex Goode, David Strettle, Billy Twelvetrees, Ben Youngs.
Players released: Mouritz Botha, Lee Dickson, Ben Foden, Jonathan Joseph, Matt Kvesic, Ugo Monye, Henry Thomas, Billy Vunipola, Thomas Waldrom
Comments
markpat says...
@ArmchairGeneral - would say "Please Goode", but without Foden in the squad, that would mean Strettle starting on the wing. Yet another reason why the selection is so poor. What is the backup option if Barritt gets injured? Flood, 12trees, Farrell; Farrell, 12trees, Strettle? :-(
OMG, I'm actually referring to Brad Barritt as the best centre in out matchday 23.
Posted 10:17 31st January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Farrell and Flood should not be on the pitch at the same time. End of. This poor selection pretty much ensures it if we don't want Strettle to start, and we don't but now perhaps he should start to allow Goode at 13, or 13 himself.. nothing Strettle could have done in training will have proven he can make try saving tackles in Visser and Maitland. Foden can. @Heathy you almost made me feel better, but not quite. Your combinations and all, its great... But then this niggle. fez at centre. No. No way. You are right... It will happen, it's only Scotland but who knows what they can do and who knows what would have come from testing an alternative 13 to Manu. It could cost us dear in development terms and with regards to finding a backs combo to win a grand slam.
Re forwards: same old story. The coaches want the guys to pick up where they left off. Well then don't mess with the team. So: Cole, Youngs, Marler, Launch, Parling, Wood, Robshaw, Morgan. Still wondering Strettle or Goode at 13 as a fix instead of Heathys correct prediction of what it will be.
Posted 20:00 30th January 2013
Michtymauler says...
I think Flood will be the weak link. Farrell the stronger of the two! Flood and 12trees together I can see big Scott and Lamont trampling over them!! Brown's probably the best of the attacking English backs!
Posted 18:47 30th January 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
@APV1 calm down dear - I am NOT defending Strettle rather than defending his selection and I do not expect him to start.
He may not be the best in his position but its unfair to rubbish him, whatever his perceived defensive frailties, he plays in the back line of the tightest defence in the premiership, built largely by the England's present defensive coach and, if selections go as expected, the England back line will largely be Saracens with the exception of 9 and 13.
I nearly slapped the last salesmen that tried to use this word in a presentation, but its all about synergy, and I suspect that its combinations that Lancaster is building not player reputations.
Posted 16:55 30th January 2013
backnforward says...
Oh dear, just when I had accepted no Varndell we lose Foden but keep Strettle, Ashton and Goode!!!
Posted 16:14 30th January 2013
craigsman says...
Ok I know Fas Jnr plays at 12 for is club but putting him in that position does not make sense. Better have Flood replacing him at 10 as Stu has a long term goal to build Fas into a good fly half.
People seem to think we are suddenly back with MJ at the helm... I think to reassure everyone a prayer is in order:
Oh Lord
You have given us your second son
To deliver Us from rugby mediocrity
From false starts and failed potential
From crash ball and the 10 man game
To winning the rugby 2015 World Cup,
With Robshaw your White Knight
And years gloating thereafter
Amen
Posted 14:05 30th January 2013
markpat says...
Have to say that I'm very disappointed in this. My one (really slim) hope is that Lancaster pulls a complete surprise and starts Goode in the center otherwise we are playing right into Scotland's hands with a low scoring game that we'll try and win with the forwards and Farrell's boot :-(.
The only thing I can think of with Joseph is that he must have been terrible in training, but, if that's the case, why wasn't he dropped out of the squad last year?
Posted 13:51 30th January 2013
APV1 says...
I saw this last night and have been fuming ever since.
Strettle just hasn't performed for England in far too long. Why do we insist on giving him so many chances? I can see Visser targeting him and scoring a couple down his channel.
It's a shame for JJ but, as others have mentioned, perhaps SL has his reasons.
I hope we have the following:
10 Farrell 12 Twelvetrees 13 Barritt 15 Brown.
I suspect we'll have:
10 Flood 12 Farrell 13 Barritt 15 Goode.
All that mampy-pamby backs stuff aside, what about where the real work is done - in the pack? Who's going to start in the FR, for example? Cole and Hartley, one would guess (Wilson and Young on the bench), but who will be the other prop? Mako, with Marler on the bench..?
And what about the 2R and BR?
I say start with Launch and Parling, with Lawes on the bench. Start with Haskell, Robshaw and Mogan, with Wood on the bench.
Calcutta Cup! Woo-hoo!
Posted 12:34 30th January 2013
craigsman says...
Strettle will cover wing I think so all is not lost. TBH - the poo the LI have been serving up this season made me question why JJ was in the squad. It seems that to break into the squad sound defense is key. I would say the starting line up will be:
Backline - Ashton, Goode, Brown
12 - 36
13 - Barritt (or the other way round - am a prop...)
10 - Farrell (replaced by Flood)
9 - Care (replaced by Youngs)
8 - Morgan (replaced by Haskell)
7 - Robshaw
6 - Wood
4/5 - Parling/Launchbury (replaced by Lawes - how awesome does that sound)
Front row - Cole, Youngs (Hartley), Marler (Vunipola)
It's a pretty good team tbh!
Posted 12:23 30th January 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Devil's advocate time:
Maybe jonathan joseph is paying for london irish' poor defensive form. if you can't tackle then we can't afford to have him represent england. also ben foden isn't as fast as myth would have it. I've seen him get chased down and that was before the injury. Throw in Brown's work rate and the weather conditions and there is an argument for taking a 4x4 over a F1 sports car.
BTW, I agree with Melkdave that any of the wingers he's mentioned would be preferable to David (scored one try vs Ireland in 1942 and been living off it ever since) Strettle.
Also, Manu will be happy that his place at 13 is under no serious threat. I'm not sure if this is great for Manu though. he's chalk and cheese when compared to the focus and effort that Mike Brown brings to his game. A bit of outside centre competition would do Manu alot of good. I was pretty scathing of his non effort vs the ospreys in swansea. poor, high, one arm, tackling and work rate.
Posted 09:52 30th January 2013
sanka69 says...
Makes no sense not to be developing a proper outside centre (Manu is almost a 12 to be honest but is doing okay at 13 atm), presume there is somewhting else int he JJ dropping, what shame we dont have any other options pushing for selection. Still should be enough to stuff the Jocks this weekend!!
Posted 09:43 30th January 2013
pierredelot1 says...
Oh dear, no problem with choosing Twelvetrees but the rest will hardly compliment him. Looks like Flood at 10 and then Farrell and Barritt to start with hopefully Twelvetrees coming on. No pace, in that lot though, great pity not to see Joseph, everything else smacks of utility in the centre of the park. Can't see them playing Strettle anywhere near centre, the guys defence is average at best, thats why he's a winger. Just don't see where this is going, hope someone proves me wrong, can you imagine this lot of backs against Wales. Doesn't bear thinking about.
Posted 09:26 30th January 2013
Heathy says...
Foden needs a bit more game time. He'll be back so don't worry. It'll be Farrell and Barritt in the centre with Ashton and Brown on the wings. Goode will play full back and Youngster and Flood the half backs. Farrell will kick. The rest will be on the bench. I think there is more to the JJ situation as he could possibly have picked up a knock or something. Just seems a bit strange but there will be a reason. Trust SL. He hasn't let us down yet. Strettle, on his day, can be very effective and I'm assuming hell be on the bench anyway so lets not panic just yet. Still should be good enough to beat the Scots. I hope we come out firing from where we left off. We need to as the Scots certainly will. If we're on it, the Scots will be beaten well. If not it'll be a long afternoon. We need a good win if we are perceived to be improving.
Posted 09:20 30th January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
So dissappointed. Such a lost opportunity for JJ and for us to see JJ as a rival for Manu. Catt must be angry too. A chance to establish strength in depth at 13 blown by a Sarries bias. Completely overshadowed the great news that 12trees is in! Suppose Barritt at 13 to mark Lamont. Change our attack lines to run around 12. Don't need Goode above Foden with a play maker at 12. Two bad decisions both in favor of Sarries backs. Last week Wigglesworth ahead of Simpson. Vini ahead of Mullans.suprised Borthwick isn't back.
Posted 09:14 30th January 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
Who'd be a selector - the choice was always going to be between Twelvetrees and Joseph not Joseph and anyone else, you can't just shoehorn a player in because he's good you have to build a team that's going to be best at what you want it to do.
Strettle a defensive weakness? probably but wing isn't the most exposed position on the field (and frequently where teams hide their attacking fly-halves in defensive set pieces).
To be honest, the back three will be Ashton, Goode and Brown with Strettle on the bench - what will be interesting is the 9, 10, 12, 13 selection with a number of obvious club combinations available within it.
Posted 09:00 30th January 2013
fozza says...
A few harsh comments on Strettle. I seem to remember he was effective but injury prone in his past international tests. I have no issue with him getting another shot.
As for the centre issue, I would hope it's Twelvetrees and Barritt although would've preferred to see an outright 13 with pace supporting Billy rather than Barrit, but remember they'll be facing a decent carrier in Sean Lamont so perhaps the thinking was defensive.
We should not discount this Scottish team, they are very strong and playing for a new coach which tends to boost a team. And they always play 20-30% better against the auld enemy. I want to see their aggression matched early doors and clinical rugby. I have a game to play beforehand then will be surrounded by my Scottish team mates in the pub... come on England!!
Posted 08:59 30th January 2013
Frooschman says...
Echo the below. Righteous indignation. I believe Lancaster is on record as saying he likes to play a second distributor at 12 so it seems likely that Twelvtrees would have been included in the squad regardless of the injury to Tuilagi. That said I don't see the point of playing (presumably) Barrett out of position when you have a specialist 13 in the squad. No offence to London Irish but I think the sooner Joseph leaves and plays for a bigger HC team the better for his international career. Missed opportunity for Joseph and England.
Posted 08:19 30th January 2013
norm says...
Is foden injured at The mo?
Posted 07:36 30th January 2013
NHsaints says...
STRETTLE IN?! FODEN OUT?! WHAT?! Ok in all seriousness though I can understand Ben needs a little more time to get back to his top form before he'll break back into the squad. Strettle should not be there...he's shown consistently he's not up to the job and I don't want to see Barritt or Farrel (but Farrel especially) playing 13.
Posted 07:25 30th January 2013
benski says...
Glad to 12trees in the squad at last. Shame about Manu however and a poor decision to leave JJ out of the squad.
Posted 06:32 30th January 2013