Good for Joe, but a bit odd. If EJ told Lynagh he was close, surely when someone who is a winger leaving the squad should be replaced by a winger?

IMO Marchant is best at centre, but I wish him well anyway.

Good for Joe, but a bit odd. If EJ told Lynagh he was close, surely when someone who is a winger leaving the squad should be replaced by a winger?

IMO Marchant is best at centre, but I wish him well anyway.

He'll be considered a bench option at best, so his flexibility gets him the nod as a more useful squad player.

Eddie’s also said that he told Lynagh what he had to work on. He’s good enough to warrant a close up look in camp, but not fully baked yet.

I saw that too.  Sounded v sensible.  I'm glad we're not getting into that thing of capping guys to stop them going elsewhere.  My view is either they want to play for England enough to fight for their place or they don't.

I like the team but Genge and Marler are both looseheads aren't they? So don't think we will be seeing them at 1 & 3.

Whats everyones team for the AI? I don't want to see Tonga treated like a warm up, aka not whoelsale changes for the more "serious" nations in the following weeks.

This is a mix of what I would like to see, but also remaining grounded in what I think EJ will select.

1. Marler
2. George (I would prefer Blamire)
3. Genge
4. Itoje
5. Johnny Hill
6. Lawes
7. Underhill
8. Simmonds

9. Randall
10. Smith
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Tuilagi
14. Radwan
15. Steward

Sorry, this may be my Sharky glasses but why are we dropping Curry?

He was selected for the Lions when Underhill wasn’t and (at the risk of coming across as that guy) had a pretty good first game back.

I  have also never seen the big whoop about Hill.

Whats everyones team for the AI? I don't want to see Tonga treated like a warm up, aka not whoelsale changes for the more "serious" nations in the following weeks.

This is a mix of what I would like to see, but also remaining grounded in what I think EJ will select.

1. Marler
2. George (I would prefer Blamire)
3. Genge
4. Itoje
5. Johnny Hill
6. Lawes
7. Underhill
8. Simmonds

9. Randall
10. Smith
11. May
12. Farrell
13. Tuilagi
14. Radwan
15. Steward

There's little point picking Smithy if Farrell's at 12, the last 6-7 years have shown that if OF is picked (either at 12 or 10) then the play (and the team in general) has to revolve around him. If Smith is there to play the Ford role (to give the ball to OF) then there's little point playing him. If Smith is there to play his Quins game then why play the robotic Farrell next to him? He's just a handbrake on any creativity. Play Tuilagi in the Esterhuizen role with Marchant or Slade at 13.

To be Honest I would leave Curry at Sale and use the AIs to get some other guys into the back row, Curry is amazing and doesn’t need to prove himself.

Underhill needs some game time in a England shirt so keep him in.

Then just get new blood into the shirts.

I can understand that thinking but now Curry is in the squad, it would be pointless to have him hold tackle bags for 4 weeks.

And would you say the same about Itoje or do you feel he has something to prove?

There's little point picking Smithy if Farrell's at 12, the last 6-7 years have shown that if OF is picked (either at 12 or 10) then the play (and the team in general) has to revolve around him. If Smith is there to play the Ford role (to give the ball to OF) then there's little point playing him. If Smith is there to play his Quins game then why play the robotic Farrell next to him? He's just a handbrake on any creativity. Play Tuilagi in the Esterhuizen role with Marchant or Slade at 13.

Not sure I agree. When England were at their most effective in 2018/2019, Ford was calling the phases and was taking the ball when the attack was on but using Farrell as first receiver when it needed to be cleared or there needed to be another phase of forward play. The wheels came off a bit in 2020 and 21 but a big part of that was how little quality gametime the Sarries players had had.

Eddie doesn't do much by chance. The clear out after the SA tour resulted in some very deliberate changes in the style of play, particularly around the back row and back three and it's very unlikely he hadn't planned that. I think the same is happening here - you don't bring in a player like Smith and then not make the most of what he can do, especially when Ford is in form as well.

For me, a lot may come from the time Smith and Farrell spent together on the Lions tour - reportedly they spent a lot of their downtime just talking rugby. If they've begun to build an understanding I think it will translate to the pitch. Marcus certainly isn't afraid to tell much more senior players what to do in the Quins squad, and the way he ran the show in his one Lions game suggests he's not afraid to do it with players he doesn't know so well.