Devon born Henry Slade of the Exeter Chiefs..

[elginCity]

Yes, reckon our 'enery is considererd a tad lightweight for the likely October pitches. Not defensively, after all he's seen off the likes of Tuilagi before now, but offensively. I can see the quartet chosen being Burgess, Barritt, Burrell and JJ. Hopefully, I'll be wrong !

Jack needs a performance, but it'll have to be the defensive variety, not sure he'll be seeing much of the ball with the Centres needing to shine also. Being in Paris, even more unlikely. Hopefully, I'll be wrong again !!

 

[Stuffy]

Jack needs a performance, but it'll have to be the defensive variety, not sure he'll be seeing much of the ball with the Centres needing to shine also. Being in Paris, even more unlikely. Hopefully, I'll be wrong again !!

The only thing Jack lacks is a bit of top-end speed when matched against his main competitors. His defence has always been superb - remember the job he did on that big lump Picamoles the last time in Paris? Watson is certainly Nowell's big worry because he's a good tackler, whereas Jonny May isn't particularly hot in that department.

I think you are only partially right about the amount of ball Nowell will see. Sure the centres would like to hog the ball and do their damnedest to look good, but if you noticed in the last 6 Nations, Jack was given the freedom to roam and would pop-up almost anywhere.

 

[Stuffy]

Our 'enery might consider himself lucky that he played no part in this match and therefore cannot be tainted by what was a pretty poor English performance. As for France, they played with something like the flair you associated with their teams of yesteryear. Stuart Lancaster must be alarmed with the ease the French forwards were able to bully the English pack which allowed their half-backs to play with more attacking flair and control.

Jack Nowell was pretty solid in defence - even renewing acquaintances with that niggly lump Picamoles. In the attack mode he was, as of old, forced to leave his wing from to time while looking for trade, but even with those wanderings he had little platform to attack the French line.

I nearly fell off my chair when Jeremy Guscott said that he though that Henry Slade was a better option for the England squad than Sam Burgess.

 

[elginCity]

On this occasion, glad to be wrong ! Our 'enery selected for the 31 at the expense of Burrell, rather than Burgess.

Really liked the midfield balance of Burgess/Slade v France I, hopefully they'll be given another run out v Ireland, see if they're one hit wonders, or not ?