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Author Topic: Smith called up into the training squad for England  (Read 1186 times)

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Fearless Fred

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Smith called up into the training squad for England
« on: Monday 11-Mar-2019, 09:50* »
Just announced

He won't get retained for the 25, but he's still on the radar for England...

Monte

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Really pleased for him they have a week off so why not might cheer him up after yesterday’s disaster

A222Quin

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Good for Smithy. Expect the normal moaning about Cipriani to commence from the commentariat (despite this call up clearly being about bringing him into the environment) for the future.

TomBuckQuin

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You can't really blame anyone for wondering why Cips STILL isn't there in WC year though. Of the two of them, on merit and potential to help England achieve a deep WC run in Japan this year, Cips should be there. And if you needed justification for that argument, see yesterday.

Must be personal between Eddie and Cips. There's no other logical explanation.
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nowexnavyquin

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I certainly agree that Cipriani should be with England but some of the comments about Smith from journalists only focus on the game yesterday about Smith V Cipriani and do not take into account Smith's form over the course of the season.

TomBuckQuin

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Agree with that too. But purely based on experience and ability to slip straight in and do the job at international level, you'd be mad not to go with Cips for WC 2019. And it appears Eddie is a bit mad.

After the WC, I'd expect Smith to start making England squads more regularly and start to nab apps from the bench initially - I think we could see him in an England 22 shirt as soon as the 2020 6N.
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A222Quin

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Cips when everything is going well for him is a great player - hence the highlight reel. Cips when serious hard work is required is a different player.
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Fearless Fred

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I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith on the bench for the BaaBaas game the day after the Prem Final (assuming we don't make it to that!). I'd guess that EJ will want to keep Farrell & Ford out of that game as it's a meaningless risk to his plans to play either of them in that game.

TomBuckQuin

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Cips when everything is going well for him is a great player - hence the highlight reel. Cips when serious hard work is required is a different player.

Any 10 struggles when the pack are on the back foot. How is George Ford any better in this regard? Always struggles in defence - but especially when the big guys are taking a beating up front. There isn't a better attacking 10 in England than Cips on current form - and in that sense he's the perfect foil to Farrell. Two completely different styles allow for changing things up. Just feel like England need to start employing some positive selection - i.e. picking players based on what they do well and then addressing their weaknesses as part of team systems. There's always a way of mitigating a player's innate weaknesses - like sticking Ford out on the wing and enabling him to drop back as extra kick cover in defence. I don't mind Ford going to the WC too btw...

I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith on the bench for the BaaBaas game the day after the Prem Final (assuming we don't make it to that!). I'd guess that EJ will want to keep Farrell & Ford out of that game as it's a meaningless risk to his plans to play either of them in that game.

And "guess" is all you can do with Eddie - logic goes out the window.

A222Quin

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Sure every 10 struggles, even the greats. I agree Ford struggles more than most without a zippy 9. Honestly I'd have him in the squad on the off chance he does something great, don't get me wrong. I just find the idea being peddled that he'd immediately elevate England to other levels overdone and not really borne out by much evidence.

Harleys Evil Step Mum

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Really hope to be proved wrong about Smith, but I just don't get it!!

Quinten Poulsen

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You can't really blame anyone for wondering why Cips STILL isn't there in WC year though. Of the two of them, on merit and potential to help England achieve a deep WC run in Japan this year, Cips should be there. And if you needed justification for that argument, see yesterday.

Must be personal between Eddie and Cips. There's no other logical explanation.

Mitchell has said Smith is only there to train, and could be part of the next world cup cycle. If Ford or Faz got injured they wouldn't be calling up Smith. Cips is presumably the 3rd choice.

TomBuckQuin

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Mitchell has said Smith is only there to train, and could be part of the next world cup cycle. If Ford or Faz got injured they wouldn't be calling up Smith. Cips is presumably the 3rd choice.

Yeah, so my question is why isn't Cips in there training with the squad, picking up the systems - if he's 3rd choice with only months and a few games (1 competitive) to go before the WC?

Quinten Poulsen

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I don't know. Maybe they think Slade could slot in if there's an injury during camp. I'm sure there are various factors that EJ considers that we can't work out as fans. I remember during the 2013 Lions Gatland said something along the lines of selection being incredibly difficult with many decisions resting on a knife edge, with a load of different scenarios considered, and not being certain his decisions would prove correct.

Mayor West

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Perhaps some of these players that we only see playing in proper games are not doing as they are asked in the England training. They do various team bonding exercises and maybe they fail in these. When SCW was choosing players for the World Cup squad he used military tasks to work out with the officers who were the team players and who weren’t. As far as I know this is now used regularly for sorting out teams. With clubs where you can’t get rid of players immediately they would be told why and if no improvement, benched and removed at contract time or sometimes before. With England you can tell them why you haven’t chosen them and what they need to change but if they don’t listen............


 

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