The countdown to the World Cup continues. For those who missed the last post, here's a quick recap. With the upcoming selection cuts, I have taken the task of predicting who will be selected for Stuart Lancaster's match day squad against France on August 15th. Now since the first post, I have found out that Lancaster intends to cut a further 9 from his squad before the France game. So if I have to, I will enter updates to the previous appointments if it turns out they have been left to one side.
Today is the day of the centres, and these positions are already being wildly speculated as two stand-outs who will contest for a position in the World Cup squad.
#13. Henry Slade.
The Exeter fly-half was forced to play outside his comfort zone all season. Pushed out wide by Rob Baxter, the decision has opened up Slade to a world of new possibilities. His kicking ability offers the extra option that Lancaster seems to have adored in Billy Twelvetrees, as well as a left footed kicking option for the tricky shots at goal, and for getting the team out of trouble. Following his outstanding performance during the Six Nations, Jonathan Joseph has cemented himself into the 13 shirt for the opening fixture against Fiji, and Luther Burrell has proven himself at both centre positions in the 2014 Autumn internationals. Slade has the ability to play as a fly half, centre and a full back, and has his previously mentioned kicking prowess. He offers something that the other centre options don't have. Baxter sees it, and he begs for Lancaster to select Slade over the next option to be picked at...
#12. Sam Burgess.
The Bath based League convert seems to dominate opinion polls, newspaper articles and the internet. He divides opinion between those who love and adore everything he does, and those who think he is not ready. My personal feeling is irrelevant here, though it may be made clearer as this post goes on. If you've been living under a rock for the past 9 months, Burgess came over from Sydney in October, following a Man of the Match performance in the Super League final. His debut in a Bath shirt was massively delayed by a fractured cheekbone, and when it came, a game of Burgess Bingo was a popular drinking game. His debut came as an inside centre, and was unremarkable. Which was to be expected; no-one picks up this game in less than 5 months. He was soon selected for the Saxons game against the Irish Wolfhounds, squaring up against the likes of Gordon D'arcy and Keith Earls. And he was targeted, so much so that he made very little impact on the game. His best games for Bath have come since then, where he was switched to the forwards. And he has looked better, but not the complete article. Which is why Mike Ford seems to be wanting to state his players case.Since Lancaster categorically stated that Burgess's immediate future in an England shirt is as a centre, Ford has done everything he can to sway the public opinion. Including the strange statement of "if he had been with us, he would've learnt about the lineout." Odd propaganda aside, Burgess will likely be given a chance to play against France. My worry is he will be found out as a positional concern. Defensively, the safer bet is Brad Barritt, and he will be most likely joining Burrell and Joseph in the inked in side of the ledger. Sadly, this means that Twelvetrees and Kyle Eastmond will be left to head back to their respective West Country clubs, with the single remaining slot left for the two who will #WearTheRose on the 15th.
So that's the centres. Burgess and Slade squaring up against the French. We shall have to wait and see if this is the correct prediction, but this squad will be crucial in the Lancaster decision. Let's look forward to the next installment, where we will challenge the tricky consideration of the Half-Backs.
The Squad So Far...
#15 - Mike Brown/Ben Foden (Depending on fitness)
#14 - Chris Ashton
#13 - Henry Slade
#12 - Sam Burgess
#11 - Semesa Rokogunduni
#10 -
#9 -
#8 -
#7 -
#6 -
#5 -
#4 -
#3 -
#2 -
#1 -
#16 -
#17 -
#18 -
#19 -
#20 -
#21 -
#22 -
#23 - Jonny May
If you want to recap, here is the link for Part 1.
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