Blood & Mud

RBS 6 Nations Preview: England

Hodgson no doubt missing the sticks as per, hopes are high that giving kicking duties to Owen Farrell will sort the Sarries man's head and SHITness out.

After a World Cup so bad that most fans wish they could unsee it, it's all change for England prior to the start of this Six Nations.  A new coaching team, a squad full of fresh faces, a new training base in the north for spurious north=tougher reasons, and a new approach.  

Head coach Stuart Lancaster has been in the media talking about getting the structures and performances right and then "the points will take care of themselves" which is music to this blog's ears.  However, a loss to Scotland and anything other than a win in Rome may soon have him rethinking that if the press, fans and RFU upper echelon start to twitch and bitch.  Hopefully this either won't be a problem, or if it does happen he'll have the backbone to ride it out. Here's hoping.

New captain Chris Robshaw is good news, mainly as it means he'll actually be playing, something that should have happened quite some time ago, and it's the performance of the forwards around him, particularly at the breakdown, which must see the greatest improvement.  Beyond that anything in the backs that shows some creativity and doesn't involve Matt Banahan will be pleasing.  Pleasing in way akin to coming up from the basement after a hurricane and seeing your house is half standing, granted, but still enough to perk you up a bit.  

Good results will be welcome, but most fans if they have a brain will want to see more dynamism to start and signs that something can be built upon in the years to come.  

Prediction: 4th

Best Named Player:  Toby Flood - sounds like a peripheral character from This Life.

We All Want A Look At: Owen Farrell, he's young, but he's three years older than his dad when he made his international debut and he didn't do too bad.  And Charlie Hodgson, can he possibly not be be SHIT in an international shirt any more? 

Squad

FORWARDS: Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Calum Clark (Northampton), Dan Cole (Leicester), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Tom Croft (Leicester), Louis Deacon (Leicester), Phil Dowson (Northampton), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Lee Mears (Bath), Ben Morgan (Scarlets), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Rob Webber (Wasps), David Wilson (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton)

BACKS: Chris Ashton (Northampton), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester), Ben Foden (Northampton), Charlie Hodgson (Saracens), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester), Joe Simpson (Wasps), David Strettle (Saracens), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester).

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RBS 6 Nations Preview: England

Hodgson no doubt missing the sticks as per, hopes are high that giving kicking duties to Owen Farrell will sort the Sarries man's head and SHITness out.

After a World Cup so bad that most fans wish they could unsee it, it's all change for England prior to the start of this Six Nations.  A new coaching team, a squad full of fresh faces, a new training base in the north for spurious north=tougher reasons, and a new approach.  

Head coach Stuart Lancaster has been in the media talking about getting the structures and performances right and then "the points will take care of themselves" which is music to this blog's ears.  However, a loss to Scotland and anything other than a win in Rome may soon have him rethinking that if the press, fans and RFU upper echelon start to twitch and bitch.  Hopefully this either won't be a problem, or if it does happen he'll have the backbone to ride it out. Here's hoping.