Steve Borthwick has named his England team to take on Eddie Jones’ Japan in Tokyo this Saturday. Marcus Smith starts at fly-half and Tom Curry is on the bench. Overall there isn’t much in the way of experimentation.
Marcus Smith is a class game manager and always has been. Idk why folk think Fin is better when Marcus is way more experienced, more capable athletically and has better experience as a game manager at international level. Not even a contest in my opinion, but I do get the need for development
You’ll only get the best of the new players if they come into a settled side and this England squad is not settled yet. This selection is a great step forward to a settled side though and once it is settled it should be easy to swap the props or any of the other problem positions
Probably the most positive and exciting England team selection I’ve seen since the 2001-2 peak of the Woodward era. I’ve really no complaints at all with the selections except to say that Beno Obano would absolutely be on that flight were it not for the suspension.
Marcus Smith selected at fly half is absolutely the right selection and he needs to be given the no 10 shirt. He is better than Finn Smith without doubt. Marcus has also not been given a proper run , but now has his chance to establish himself and I’m convinced he will, especially with Lawrence outside and no undermining Owen Farrell in the way. I was never an Owen Farrell fan, good club player but in reality he’s held England back. Marcus Smith is way better in attack than Finn Smith and I love Marcus’s reaction when he scores fist pumping blooded minded determination to win.
What's interesting about the Roebuck selection for me is that it suggests they see Freeman as a genuine option to cover 12/13. Where I think he may end up. Sadly, because I rate him, I think it's IFW or Sleighthome unless the latter becomes a genuine aerial threat or Borthwick moves freeman to 13 but still has him doing kick-chase. I don't get Curry because I can't see him pushing past Underhill for the NZ games and I'm not sure he's a better bench option than Dombrandt. I'd also love to know why Ewels over Coles (as Coles can play six, both good players). I'd have also gone Marcus (although Fin quality too). I wonder if Marcus' speed may have helped him get the nod defensively. Helps with that quick press and the scramble?
Agree with most of that although I think the best back row will be Tom Curry, Underhill and Earl. When Curry came on for Sale after his injury he was immense.
@@johnrichards4097 I'm just not sure Curry is a good enough LO forward for six. He can do a job, but he's not as tall and springy as players like CCH, Hill, Chessum.
@@JohnRidley12 Not every six needs to be tall and springy, though, in order to be effective as part of the BR unit. Remember the Robshaw-Vunipola-Underhill backrow for England? Very successful. But if you want balance, then at least one of the three needs to be a genuine target man for the LO, so I can see your point. For me, England’s future backrow looks a lot like CCH-Earl-Undercurry (Curry on the bench covering both flanks).
I would say Curry is a better bench option than Dombrandt. Firstly because he’s proven at Test level and has been close to world class before his injury. Secondly Curry can cover every position in the backrow, while Dombrandt can cover 2 at a push.
@@06alepea1 Yes, but if CCH starts at six, with Curry on the bench, and Earl gets injured, then shifting CCH to Number 8 and moving Underhill to blindside with Curry slotting in at 7 offers England all the options necessary. Curry can then focus on flanking, which he’s better at, anyway, and that still leaves England with a powerful, mobile, and capable backrow unit.
Fin Smith had a poor end of season and was an easy second best against Quins at Twickenham. So why start him. I get you’re bitter that Faz has left but one great game against Munster does not make Fin a better international.
I know what you're saying about Henry Slade, there is so much to his game that we only get glimpses of, but I think the same was true about Jonny Wilkinson. The thing you get/got with both is they are asked to do a job and they do it, and this in itself is a great trait as a team player.
