The squads have been announced! Yippee! Now it's time for the inevitable debate of whether Lancaster did a good job or not, and I figured I might as well get in on the action! I'll be picking out certain players from across both squads, containing a mixture of those I agree with and those I don't. Essentially, it's probably going to turn into a rant - enjoy!
The England Senior Squad:
Alex Corbisiero - I love Corbs, and everyone knows I love Corbs, but his selection does slightly confuse me. He has only recently come back from injury, and I'm not entirely sure that his limited game time warrants him a place in the senior squad. Having said that, he is one of the best around in his position. But I would much rather see him play for the Saxons against the Wolfhounds, so that Lancaster can efficiently judge his fitness and upgrade him to the senior squad if he appears ready. Despite all of that, I'm delighted that he has made it in, and I am sure that we will see some great things from him in the England shirt.
Tom Youngs - I know that Youngs, on the whole, does not have a lot of advocates, and up until recently I was not a big fan, predominantly because of his on-field antics in relation to other players. But it is my opinion that his recent form absolutely warrants his selection. I know that this isn't going to be a popular view, so feel free to get in touch if you disagree with me! Webber, on the other hand, does have a significant amount of advocates, and I must agree that I am disappointed that he was not included in the senior squad, even if he would be a third option behind Hartley and Youngs. However he is of course in the Saxons squad, and I am positive that he will play out of his skin and prove SL wrong.
Dan Cole - Cole is in the same boat as Corbs; he hasn't had a huge amount of game time since coming back from injury, and his inclusion in the squad is a bit perplexing. Nevertheless, he is a world class player when he is on form, and so I can understand Lancaster's decision to include him in the senior squad. I, on the other hand, would also have put him in the Saxons squad for one game to test his fitness and be completely sure that he is able to compete in a high intensity match, as well all know that the game against Wales is not going to be a walk in the park.
Nick Easter - Having been pro-Easter in terms of England selection, I am very pleased that Lancaster chose to welcome him back into the senior squad. Many people have referred to his '35k remark' after the 2011 World Cup, but I would suggest that it's time to move on from that and give him the chance to prove to us that he is good enough to have warranted selection. He has been on electric form for Quins this season and, being 36 years of age, it is incredible how fit he appears to be. His selection is exciting, and if he continues on this rich vain of form that he is shown in the Premiership, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Calum Clark - Cal is a great inclusion in the senior squad, particularly as his form this season has been not short of incredible. He is one of the unsung heroes in the Saints squad, and his breakdown work is seriously good. There have been disciplinary problems in his past, but he seems to be a new person, and his game is all the better for it. I'm very excited to see him in an England shirt!
Danny Cipriani - Cips has been on great form this season, and I am delighted that Lancaster has rewarded his hard work with a place in the senior squad! He is a very intelligent and creative player, as well as being a very consistent kicker, and hopefully he can bring some of that whilst donning the England jersey. If Lancaster had left him out he would have had good reason to feel very aggrieved, but luckily that didn't happen and I can say that I'm very excited to see him play.
Stephen Myler - Myler's inclusion is probably one of the ones that I was most happy about. His form both last season and this season has been nothing short of exceptional, and he is one of the best fly-halves in the country right now. Saints are not the same team without him, and that goes to show you just how great a player he has become in recent seasons with the help of Alex King. My one issue is that Lancaster has the propensity to call Myler up, and then release him at the first opportunity. I'm really hoping that SL at least gives him a chance to prove what he can do!
Billy Twelvetrees - I will never agree with TT's inclusion in the senior squad because he just isn't good enough and there are multiple other players that would perform better in that 12 shirt. In my opinion, if I was to select him to play for England, it would be in the Saxons team, and I am not even convinced that he should have a place in that team either. He has shown that he does have so much potential, but it just does not seem to pay off for him in an England jersey. Out of all the players in the senior squad, I disagree with this one the most.
Luther Burrell - I have to admit here that I was seriously, seriously worried that Lancaster was not going to select Burrell at all. But thank the lucky stars that he has, because Luther has some major talent. An absolute force to be reckoned with, he will take you over the gain line time and time again, and that is just what England needs in order to win some of the tougher matches in the 6 Nations. We all know that Lancaster is still undecided on his 12 and 13 match-up, but Luther should be a shoe-in for that 12 spot in my personal opinion.
Jonathan Joseph - Joseph is definitely worthy of a place in the senior squad, and if you check out his performance against Toulouse last weekend you will see exactly why. He actually had me shouting 'whoaaaaaaa' at my laptop at one point, along with the commentators that were watching. His attacking prowess is phenomenal, and I am really excited to see if SL decides to pick him to play against Wales and give him a chance to show us all what he can do - he could be a revelation for England!
Jack Nowell - Nowell's selection is one that I'm not completely sure about. For the Saxons, yes, but for the senior squad I would have to say no. He has a bright future ahead of him, but I don't think that he is there yet in terms of senior squad ability. Having said that, he has played some astonishing rugby in the past couple of seasons, and it's entirely possible that he may come out and put in one hell of a performance. Definitely an inclusion to keep your eye on.
So that is just a little taste of how I feel about the England senior squad selection - if you agree, disagree or have any general comments, please post them in the comments section below the blog! The squad is a highly debatable area, and I'd love for you all to get involved. Now, it's time to move on to the Saxons squad, which does have an impressive line-up!
England Saxons Squad
Kieran Brookes - Brookes has proved himself to be a very very exciting prospect this season, and I do find myself a bit disappointed that he did not make it in to the senior squad. I feel that the coaches tend to turn their noses up at teams like Newcastle because of their Premiership position, but that would be a mistake because they have some quality players in their squad. Brookes is definitely one of those and, even though he did not make it into the senior squad, I am exceptionally pleased that he has been named in the Saxons squad. It provides him with a great foundation to build into the kind of player that SL wants him to be, and gives him the opportunity to fight for senior squad selection.
Christian Day - Day is one of the most reliable players around, and I consider that a real asset. How he has never broken through into the senior squad will always baffle me, but I'm very happy that he has been given a shot in the Saxons squad! He is another unsung hero for Saints, and his work around the pitch in every match is phenomenal. I look forward to seeing him play against the Irish Wolfhounds.
Maro Itoje - Itoje is a very very exciting prospect, and it is great to see him listed in the Saxons squad. Many of you will remember seeing him play for England under-20's, and his name was constantly mentioned as one of those up and coming players that we expect to be constantly knocking on Lancaster's door. Well now is his chance to shine, and I believe that he will one day be in that senior squad on a permanent basis.
Alex Waller - Waller is another great pick in the Saxons squad, and his form the past couple of seasons completely warrants his selection. His scrummaging ability has come on leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, and I'm glad that Lancaster has recognised this and given him a chance to prove his worth.
Sam Burgess - I, like a lot of other people, refuse to believe that his selection is in any way justified. He has done nothing even remotely special enough to get the Saxons call-up, and I'm disappointed that Lancaster has seemingly given into the hype and put him in the squad. I have no doubt that he is going to go on to be a great rugby union player, but right now he is not, and still may not be in time for the World Cup. Burgess needs time to properly learn the game, and it's unfair to other more experienced talent that he was picked ahead of them.
Chris Pennell - Chris is another great inclusion. I fully expected Lancaster to forget about him after he decided to stay on at Worcester after their relegation last season. But SL surprised me, in a good way, with Pennell's selection. He was great for Worcester last season, probably one of their shining lights, and it will be great to see him play against the Wolfhounds.
Henry Slade, Christian Wade, Thomas Waldrom and Ollie Devoto - I've decided to talk about these four together, as I firmly believe that they are in the wrong squad. All four of them are on excellent form, and have done more than enough to warrant a place in the senior squad. It was a massive oversight from Lancaster to not include them in the senior squad, and I sorely hope that they all put into a good shift against the Wolfhounds to persuade SL to do the right thing and upgrade them.
That is my discussion on the two squads done. I hope my insights make for good reading for some of you, and please do get in contact with any comments you may have! I leave you with the identity of one player who is missing from both teams, yet consensus seems to suggest his inclusion is more than warranted - Matt Banahan. I agree with those who believe he should have been included, he has been immense for Bath this season. What do you all think? Let me know!
#CarryThemHome
Jess.
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