The Official English Rugby Thread

Where goats go to escape
Oxbow
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Soft as shite Isiekwe given yet another chance when you could have Lockett playing alongside his team mate Coles, the perfect opportunity to try him out.
sockwithaticket
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Oxbow wrote: Thu Jun 19, 2025 2:03 pm Soft as shite Isiekwe given yet another chance when you could have Lockett playing alongside his team mate Coles, the perfect opportunity to try him out.
Lockett getting ejected from the squad to give Ewels a shot at a third red card is utterly moronic.
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Hal Jordan
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CCS seems to be the designated bench lock/backrow hybrid when others aren't available.
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SaintK
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Good news and maybe the end of Slade at 13
Sale Sharks have lined up a move to bring former England outside centre Joe Marchant back to the Premiership, despite him having another year left on his contract with Stade Français, as part of a trio of moves.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/joe-ma ... h-rugby/
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Paddington Bear
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SaintK wrote: Thu Jun 19, 2025 4:20 pm Good news and maybe the end of Slade at 13
Sale Sharks have lined up a move to bring former England outside centre Joe Marchant back to the Premiership, despite him having another year left on his contract with Stade Français, as part of a trio of moves.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/joe-ma ... h-rugby/
Fantastic news - another unnecessary victim of Eddie being silly towards the end. Said before and clearly ambitious on Willis but I’d like to think Newcastle with investment may be able to either/or bring some players back from France or provide a home for some others who might have considered it
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
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Hal Jordan
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Are we having co bloody captains? SHIT CONCEPT.

Good news re Marchant, although we aren't short of outside centres, Lawrence will come back from injury next season as well.
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Hal Jordan
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Feyi-Waboso gets a two match ban (three reduced by one for tackle school attendance) so is out of the Argentina Tests, but we pick him anyway, indicating that Borthwick intends to select him for the USA Test come what may.

Furback out, but Ben Curry and Randall make it post-injury.
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SaintK
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Hal Jordan wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:57 pm Feyi-Waboso gets a two match ban (three reduced by one for tackle school attendance) so is out of the Argentina Tests, but we pick him anyway, indicating that Borthwick intends to select him for the USA Test come what may.

Furback out, but Ben Curry and Randall make it post-injury.
Dreadful decision!
Radwan must have pissed in Borthwick's morning coffee!
Dingwall also injured and not available for selection
No grunt in the second row selections.
Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Arthur Clark (Gloucester), Alex Coles (Northampton), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ben Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Ted Hill (Bath), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton), Curtis Langdon (Northampton), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), Guy Pepper (Bath), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Sam Underhill (Bath), Tom Willis (Saracens)

Backs: Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Joe Carpenter (Sale), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), George Ford (Sale), Will Muir (Bath), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Harry Randall (Bristol), Tom Roebuck (Sale), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ben Spencer (Bath), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester)
sockwithaticket
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Someone reminded me that IFW is on one of those special contracts where England are part paying the wage, which suddenly makes sense of doggedly including him despite a half year layoff and ban. Trying to make sure they get ther money's worth come what may even though a proper pre-season with Exeter would probably be a better use of his time.

Always feels a nonsense to offer something like that to young, fairly unproven players.
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Kawazaki
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Borthwick would rather pick a winger who can't play than pick Radwan.

This is shameful stuff we're seeing here, as bad as anything we saw from Eddiot.
Rhubarb & Custard
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IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
Slick
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sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:15 pm Someone reminded me that IFW is on one of those special contracts where England are part paying the wage, which suddenly makes sense of doggedly including him despite a half year layoff and ban. Trying to make sure they get ther money's worth come what may even though a proper pre-season with Exeter would probably be a better use of his time.

Always feels a nonsense to offer something like that to young, fairly unproven players.
Englands new Tuilagi
All the money you made will never buy back your soul
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Hal Jordan
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Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
He does look exceptional, but the circumstances of his recall, addition to the squad and suchlike reflect poorly on general player management.

He should have been left to get a preseason in, get proper time at the start of the season and then get the call up for the AIs if he merits it. As has been said, instead he's getting the Tuilagi rush back treatment.
sockwithaticket
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Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
When fit and in form perhaps, but we've seen more experienced players with a greater degree of proven class come back from shorter layoffs still look like they would've benefitted from a few club games match sharpen them before being tossed back into the international arena.
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fishfoodie
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Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
Because they don't have a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out of ????
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Raggs
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Hal Jordan wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 12:21 pm
Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
He does look exceptional, but the circumstances of his recall, addition to the squad and suchlike reflect poorly on general player management.

He should have been left to get a preseason in, get proper time at the start of the season and then get the call up for the AIs if he merits it. As has been said, instead he's getting the Tuilagi rush back treatment.
Circumstances of his recall being he's fit again, after injury, and showing massive potential at international level?

This is already an England A team, where there's arguably 3 England back 3 players on tour with the lions (Smith, Freeman, Daly) , and another 8 either in the England squad or not available (IFW, Carpenter, Muir, Murley, Roebuck, Steward, Furbank, Sleightholme).

Radwan and OHC have both had decent seasons, but they're clearly so far down the list that it would be basically pointless taking them.

Give the time to IFW in camp to get back up to speed with everything, and ready to go in the autumn.
Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
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Paddington Bear
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fishfoodie wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 9:21 pm
Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
Because they don't have a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out of ????
The sticking point was medical school, and I understand that the powers that be at Cardiff Uni have decided they’re fed up of being messed around by rugby players so weren’t willing to make accommodations. Exeter were
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
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SaintK
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Borthwick has broken another Saints player
Iyogun replaced by Fasogbon. Which is odd as that's a THP replacing a LHP!!
sockwithaticket
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SaintK wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:50 am Borthwick has broken another Saints player
Iyogun replaced by Fasogbon. Which is odd as that's a THP replacing a LHP!!
I always forget, which of Fasogbon and Opoku-Fordjour is the player whose best side of the scrum is disputed by club and country?
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Raggs
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sockwithaticket wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:10 am
SaintK wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:50 am Borthwick has broken another Saints player
Iyogun replaced by Fasogbon. Which is odd as that's a THP replacing a LHP!!
I always forget, which of Fasogbon and Opoku-Fordjour is the player whose best side of the scrum is disputed by club and country?
That's AOF, but he's been used at tighthead and loose by England, mostly tight for Sale I believe.
Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
sockwithaticket
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Raggs wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:24 am
sockwithaticket wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:10 am
SaintK wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:50 am Borthwick has broken another Saints player
Iyogun replaced by Fasogbon. Which is odd as that's a THP replacing a LHP!!
I always forget, which of Fasogbon and Opoku-Fordjour is the player whose best side of the scrum is disputed by club and country?
That's AOF, but he's been used at tighthead and loose by England, mostly tight for Sale I believe.
Ta.

I should remember that because his initials are the same as one of my favourite bands.
TedMaul
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Alexis On Fire?
sockwithaticket
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TedMaul wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 12:23 pm Alexis On Fire?
That's it. Althought the name is typically written as one word, Alexisonfire, I've always seen it initialised as AOF even by the band.
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Hal Jordan
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Raggs wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:22 am
Hal Jordan wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 12:21 pm
Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:17 pm IFW looks clearly the real deal. Heaven knows why Wales let him go, but it should be easy to see why England are so keen to have him involved, easily the best winger available to us
He does look exceptional, but the circumstances of his recall, addition to the squad and suchlike reflect poorly on general player management.

He should have been left to get a preseason in, get proper time at the start of the season and then get the call up for the AIs if he merits it. As has been said, instead he's getting the Tuilagi rush back treatment.
Circumstances of his recall being he's fit again, after injury, and showing massive potential at international level?

This is already an England A team, where there's arguably 3 England back 3 players on tour with the lions (Smith, Freeman, Daly) , and another 8 either in the England squad or not available (IFW, Carpenter, Muir, Murley, Roebuck, Steward, Furbank, Sleightholme).

Radwan and OHC have both had decent seasons, but they're clearly so far down the list that it would be basically pointless taking them.

Give the time to IFW in camp to get back up to speed with everything, and ready to go in the autumn.
Nah, there's running about fit and there's match fit, and almost no one can do the latter straight back.

No objections to him travelling as a non-playing squad attachment to help with his full rehab and get him back into the England fold.

Shit, it's Borthwick, isn't it? SEND THE POOR BASTARD HOME FOR HIS OWN SAFETY!
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