This shouldn’t be the big talking point as they are both
playing extremely well at Harlequins and Sale respectively the true shock of
this training squad is Gloucester’s captain Billy Twelvetrees.
I can’t express how I feel about this player I’m sure he’s a
nice bloke and stand up guy, but as an England International centre he’s not
good enough (and I’m putting that nicely) to describe how useless Twelvetrees is he’s
the rugby equivalent of Emile Heskey!!!
You know the Welsh are smiling smugly while England fans
have their head in their hands questioning WHY??? How can Twelvetrees be picked
ahead of a great talent like Henry Slade?
You know what the biggest insult, I bet the Gloucester
captain will be picked at inside centre ahead of Luther Burrell and Kyle
Eastmond against Wales!! Yeah, yeah, laugh now Welsh people while England fans
cry. Let’s just hope Twelvetrees gets dropped and called back to Kingholm.
Meanwhile, Easter has got his first call back to the England
set – up for the first time since the 2011 World Cup as the 36 year old
Halequins number eight will provide cover for Billy Vunipola as Ben Morgan is
out injured, but surely the best cover for Vunipola is having competition so
shouldn’t Exeter Chiefs Tom ‘the tank’ Waldrom have been included.
I’m not saying Easter shouldn’t be in the squad he has been
the best number eight in the Premiership this season, but lets face it, he won’t
be in the World Cup squad and without Morgan in the squad there’s no real
challenge for Vunipola apart from Waldrom.
The other player joining the squad which surprised people was
Cipirani but why? He was involved in the Summer tour of New Zealand granted
because Geroge Ford was out injured, but still I think he gives England a spark
much like Ford. However, I do think he will be providing cover for fullback
with Ben Foden out injured Lancaster only has Mike Brown and Alex
Goode.
I think the 15 shirt could be his as well, even though Brown
is first choice and was excellent is England's Six Nations campaign last year,
but his form this season hasn’t been up to those heights yet which could be
because of burnout so a rest could do him some good and I haven’t been
convinced by Goode this season.
I’m sure Anthony Watson will also be providing cover, but I
think it’d be a good for the squad to have both Ford and Cipirani starting
because the creativity both players can produce is exciting.
Apart from those issues I’m happy with Lancaster's picks in attack
apart from the aforementioned Slade but I think having Christian Wade not in
the squad along with his Wasps teammate Joe Simpson is a missed step just
because they’re the form players at the moment and their attacking and pace outweighs
their defensive skills.
The same goes for the forwards we know Joe Launchbury and
Courtney Lawes will be missing because of injury, but I am surprised to see Dan
Coles included because he’s injured at the moment and I’m guessing Richard
Cockerill won’t be happy about his inclusion even though England have great medical facilities and I can’t see him playing until he gets game time at
Leicester.
It’s a shame Kieran Brookes wasn’t selected because he has
been in great form at Newcastle and has been involved with the senior squad for a
while and the same goes for Bath’s Rob Webber was dropped for
Leicester’s Tom Youngs but I can’t see why Webber has been the better hooker
(even though Youngs has been injured) of the two.
Hopefully the likes of Brookes, Simpson, Slade, Wade,
Waldrom and Webber can prove what they could bring when the England Saxons play
the Ireland Wolfhounds.
I supposed we should have a quick mention of Sam Burgess,
who has been fast tracked into the Saxons squad and will probably start at
centre against the Wolfhounds and we could see the rugby league convert play
for the senior side against Italy or Scotland.
Even though Steffon Armitage isn’t included, yet, this looks
exciting, especially in the backs lets hope England can get a result against
Wales on 6th Feburary.
England Six Nations Training Squad
Forwards
Dave Attwood
(Bath)
Calum Clark
(Northampton Saints)
Dan Coles
(Leicester Tigers)
Alex
Corbisiero (Northampton Saints)
Nick Easter
(Harlequins)
Dylan
Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James
Haskell (Wasps)
Graham
Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
George Kruis
(Saracens)
Joe Marler
(Harlequins)
Geoff
Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris
Robshaw (Harlequins)
Billy
Vunipola (Saracens)
Mako
Vunipola (Saracens)
Dave Wilson
(Bath)
Tom Wood
(Northampton Saints)
Tom Youngs
(Leicester Tigers)
Backs
Brad Barrett
(Saracens)
Mike Brown
(Harlequins)
Luther
Burrell (Northampton Saints)
Danny Care
(Harlequins)
Danny
Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
Kyle
Eastmond (Bath)
Owen Farrell
(Saracens)
George Ford
(Bath)
Alex Goode
(Saracens)
Jonathan
Joseph (Bath)
Jonny May (Gloucester)
Stephen
Myler (Northampton Saints)
Jack Norwell
(Exeter Chiefs)
Billy
Twelvetrees (Gloucester)
Anthony
Watson (Bath)
Richard
Wigglesworth (Saracens)
Ben Youngs
(Leicester Tigers)
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