First off, the actual squad:
Forwards:
Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints, 10 caps), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 51 caps), Joe Marler (Harlequins, 32 caps), Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 22 caps), David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 43 caps), Jamie George (Saracens, 1 cap), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby, 13 caps), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps), George Kruis (Saracens, 8 caps), Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 23 caps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 39 caps), Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs, 24 caps). James Haskell (Wasps, 60 caps), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 28 caps), Chris Robshaw (captain, Harlequins, 38 caps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 18 caps), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 37 caps)
Backs:
Danny Care (Harlequins, 52 caps), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 22 caps), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 48 caps), Owen Farrell (Saracens, 30 caps), George Ford (Bath Rugby, 12 caps), Brad Barritt (Saracens, 22 caps), Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby, 1 cap), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 12 caps), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 1 cap), Mike Brown (Harlequins, 38 caps), Alex Goode (Saracens, 18 caps), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 15 caps), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 9 caps), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
Right now, I don't feel too arsed about who didn't make it, in that anyone who didn't make it was only really battling to play Uruguay anyway. Do I think Cipriani should have gone? Yes, I think he'd have been in my 23 actually, but since Lancaster clearly didn't want him there, I'll have to trust he knows what he's doing. Attwood is unfortunate to miss out as the only lock with a real impact in the tight and I'd have liked him as an impact sub, but there we go. Cowan-Dickie wasn't ready, Corbisiero hasn't recovered enough, Easter is unlucky to be behind two great players, Clark is unlucky that Lancaster doesn't rate him that highly, while Burrell and Twelvetrees have made too many errors. So be it. They were only going to play Uruguay anyway most like.
What do we have then?
The good points are the tight five are very quick for their positions, by and large, and won't give away much in defence. We'll get some real carrying impact out of our bench front row and presumably whichever of the Flowerpot Men doesn't start. In the backs, there's a lot of pace and if we can work the ball wide quickly, we'll cause trouble. Youngs and Ford looked a decent combo in the spring, really working the fringes. Both Ford and Farrell are 80pc kickers this season, so I imagine we'll take our points when on offer.
The bad is that outside of front row subs and the flowerpot men, we don't really offer impressive physical ball carrying. Yes, Burgess is a monster, but I don't expect him to start - which makes all the sucking of breath really odd. Take away the name and story, and people are focusing all their attention on England's second choice centre. That's pretty weird, right? Meanwhile, back with actual rugby, if we're going to get the ball wide, we could really do with more playmakers in the backline. Slade's a fine one, but he's probably not about to start either. They'll make Uruguay wish they'd never been born, but elsewise they'll see more action with the tackle pads than anything else most like. The somewhat one-paced nature of our flankers is a bit of an issue for going wide as well.
If England can defend stoutly and move the ball wide quickly off of the turnover, set piece, and quick ball provided by Vunipola and Haskell, we're in business. If a team manages to stop those guys and attack our crumbly looking lineout, we have issues. The issues multiply if recent poor discipline continues and renders our defence pointless. That is where we are with this squad. Another way of looking at it is this is our 6N squad only with our first choice locks, Morgan on the bench, Hartley out, and Barritt for Burrell. Most of that's improvement, with the locks and Barritt in particular helping defence and the omission of Hartley particularly helps discipline. That one's funny because its true.
So all in all, it's not too bad. I don't think we're doing the exact right thing, but we're doing something that could work and that's good enough. There comes a time when one must put aside critical thought and misgivings and rally firmly to the flag, such as charging out of a trench or voting for a politician. I might have not posted on this blog for most of a year due to not having anything nice to say about Lancaster, but he's the man, this is his squad and its well capable of making us all very happy. By beating Wales and Australia. If that's not joy for an Englishman, I don't know what is. It might even win the World Cup, although I think we'll need a few breakout performances for that.
However, since I can't resist scratching away at scabs, here's a quick list of what's currently rolling by on the conveyor belt next to the microwave as we see what we could have had...
Forwards:
Cooper-Woolley, Corbisiero, Mullan, Thomas, Waller
Cowan-Dickie, Hartley, Taylor
Attwood, Itoje, Kitchener, Slater
Armitage, Beaumont, Croft, Easter, Kvesic
Backs:
Chudley, Dickson, Simpson
Burns, Cipriani, Flood
Daly, Hill, Tuilagi
Foden, Rokoduguni, Tait, Wade, Yarde
There's a fair few players there I wish that, on peak form and available, had been involved to be honest, and that's without including Delon the Felon and Chris Pennell. Quite what Alex Goode is doing in a list of the best five English full-backs would confound me, nevermind his presence in that squad. A fit Corbisiero was one of our best bets for a World Class player, along with Tuilagi and Croft (I'll fight anyone who says otherwise).
I won't miss Hartley, who wasn't even throwing that well in the 6N, but apparently everyone else missed that and thinks they will. Whatever - although I would point out that only missing the Fiji game was hardly the end of the world for selection purposes. Quite what Lancaster was thinking I don't know, as maybe it was just irritation masked as selection. It's still pretty weird to think we actually cited a first choice international for such a petty and unreported incident, when you consider the ARU delaying a citing committee so that Michael Hooper could be picked to play for Manly and serve that game as a suspension instead. Suspending Tuilagi for assaulting police officers probably is fair though although I wonder if everyone else would have; it's a shame it's not thirty years ago, when the only punishment he'd have received would have been a beasting from the Kangaroo court then being made social secretary on the next tour.
Elsewhere in that squad are our only two grunt locks of note, our only physical wingers of note, our best utility backs outside 10, and our only out and out continuity opensides. I'm not sure whether to blame Armitage for staying in France or Lancaster for not levering him out - in any case, we knew he wasn't being selected and we knew why, but I'd have loved to have known how good he could have been for us. In fact, there's quite a lot of players I'd have loved to have involved. Most of those choices were made long ago though so it might be time to jump on the team and come in for the big win, Full Metal Jacket style. We're gonna win the World Cup and Haskell's gonna make Robshaw kill a wounded sniper.
So, come on England. Yeah. Enthusiasm.
Ok, now I'm a bit more excited.
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