Additions to the England Squad

 
Must say I was expecting this .

Of course England know how damaging a thumping would be to next year's cause.

They're not completely stupid.

 It's nothing to do with expecting a thumping or anything like that ! It has had to be this way because of the fixtures. We all knew that. The First Test would have whomever was available from the teams not playing in the Premiership Final. Now, by definition, one would expect the Final to contain two of the better teams, if not the best. So that would discount Sarries/Saints from that match. If not, it would involve Leics/Quins players. It was totally expected.The players would then follow afterwards.
That said, we have had a mountain of injuries, particularly to our Props and Marler, who is out in NZ already, is doubtful with a hip injury. That is why Sinkler is on the plane and Nathan Catt had already gone out there initially to cover the spot vacated by Mako Vunipola. 
To lose the likes of Cole/Corbisiero and Vunipola and to have Marler doubtful. Well, that leaves us having to blood a whole lot of Props out there....and injuries cannot be helped, they have not been planned !! 
We shall see what happens. As I have said and keep on saying, we can only do our best, but we do have some decent players and we do have some good players coming through the system. There are some incredibly insulting and downright rude individuals making comment about us as per usual. 

 
Yeah ... I saw.

Particularly enjoyed you giving Saffex his comeuppance.

Thing is, we all wanna see a good contest.

In the end that's what it's all about.

 

Which England team played the Barbarians yesterday? Was this a C team for England, or are any of them going on tour to New Zealand. If their were games played on Saterday, did any of these English players also play the day before on Saterday?
The scheduling seems a nightmare. Why not just wait another week or two and leave with a full squad. 
For these additions, have they left England yet, if so will they be playing in the first test. 

 The England team that played the Barbarians were from the available players. The International window for players to be released is three weeks in June. The Barbarians is practically an English club side and there was no way that the RFU was going to force Sarracens and Saints to release their players for a match against another club side with nothing at stake. They will and in effect have "forced" the release of the players for the NZ tour, and will obviously approach each test with the best possible side available at the time. The ideal, IMO would have been to have the NZ test played on the 3rd, 4th and 5th weekends of June. We are all on the RFU and Lancaster's back but we do not know what NZ's stance on that was. Did anybody (NZ and England) consider playing a week later, and who decided against it? Was it the RFU or NZ?

 It was nz take it froim me.
Becs I will have a word with Dave. He really needs to show the poms more respect.

 I didn't give Saffex his comeuppance.....I could never do that !!
Crikey...I don't have that in my armoury


Only one player that played for the England XV against the Baa Baa's is in the second lot leaving this week..that is Kyle Sinkler, a Prop who was in the England U20 side that won the WC last year. That was his first run out in an England shirt for the " Seniors " so to speak and he's now off for a baptism of fire in NZ.
None of those players played on Sat, no. They couldn't play two days in a row and they couldn't play anyway as they had not been in Camp, as I keep stressing. None of the players involved in Club comps have been in England Camp until their Club duties are over for the Season. That means they are not up to speed at all.....the Saints and Sarries lot are not only shattered after their last few weekends of extra competition but they have not been part of the build up to the Tour.

Those boys out there on Sunday are some of the players for the future; boys like Henry Slade, Elliot Daly, Luke Wallace etc. But I have to say I am surprised that some of them haven't had a shot at things sooner. They are more of a 5th choice team, not a C team !!
At least they are in the mix a little though. I think some of them did very well.....5 or so Caps against 700 odd and they lost by 10 points, with some bizarre Reffing to boot ( although, not as bizarre as the Prem Final on Saturday )

@ceradyne,

"IMO would have been to have the NZ test played on the 3rd, 4th and 5th weekends of June. We are all on the RFU and Lancaster's back but we do not know what NZ's stance on that was. Did anybody (NZ and England) consider playing a week later, and who decided against it? Was it the RFU or NZ?"
its impossible to just move a test to one week later as the spXV fixtures are set in stone
with the broadcasting rights and what have u.

but the problem is so freaking easy to fix. dont have any breaks in the spXV, let it start and finish in a continuous week to week basis.

this would mean the spXV grand final would be played on 12th of july.
RC/4nats starts on 16th august.
that leaves us 5 weeks to fit in three tests, which gives a nice weeks bye after the spXV  grand final, and a weeks bye before the RC/4nats, with three tests in between.

it gives all players from both hemispheres ample time to get their best warriors ready for the tests, without having to worry about an clashes with either hemispheres respective club commitments.

steve hansen wanted the test window shifted and in a metting in dublin where this idea was discussed, it was vetoed by three representatives of 6nat unions, only i dont which ones.
All Blacks coach wants Test window shift

also i dont buy this whole its englands B team so theyre being disrespectful and all that nonsense, it is what it is.

when the Boks came to NZ and OZ with a B team, they didnt even have a good excuse, their was no clashes with club rugby commitments and what have u, same goes with the All Blacks when they went to SA.
IMO the actions of both the All Blacks and Boks was a disgrace to test rugby, even if they did do it in the name of the overrateed RWC.
deanos dingoes went out for blood and fielded their strongest team possible in the TriNats, and thats why they were the rightful and worthy T riNat champions.

 We don't want the 6 Nations changed to suit the SH.
Why should we ? I doubt you would if it was the other way around and it fits in with our system fine.
This has been blown out of proportion, it is a Tour too far this Season, I think.
But it is what it is. We shall see how it pans out on Saturday but I am sure my lot will give of their best and that is all one can ask for.

 @Sasuke.

"...its impossible to just move a test to one week later as the spXV fixtures are set in stone
with the broadcasting rights and what have u.

but the problem is so freaking easy to fix. dont have any breaks in the spXV, let it start and finish in a continuous week to week basis.

this would mean the spXV grand final would be played on 12th of july.
RC/4nats starts on 16th august.
that leaves us 5 weeks to fit in three tests, which gives a nice weeks bye after the spXV  grand final, and a weeks bye before the RC/4nats, with three tests in between...."

TBH, the S15 and the fixtures is SANZAR's problem and not that of the RFU. The entire S15 has  become a boring load of BS in any case. I have missed a hell of a lot of games this year and  for some reason I do not really care. I used to play SuperBru and watches as many games as possible and record the ones I could not watch live. I have recorded a few this year and I don't think that I even watched more than one recorded game. Now they are going to expand it and make it even more  boring!

I agree with Becs. To expect the NH to adjust their season and  fixtures to comply with the S15 is BS. Every Nov the SH teams piss off up north with weakened  teams to experiment and  give this, that and the other player a run to see how he goes, etc, etc and then we piss about the NH coaches who has a lot  of players out due to NH domestic commitments and injuries. It is plain fucking arrogant. I can still remember the pain of witnessing PDV rocking up in the UK with a team of Springboks in 2010 and then got hammered by two under strength club sides. In fact, the fool didn't even accompany them. He sent one or two  of  his side-kicks over. It was humiliating and s fucking disgrace. Nah. Log...... eye...... splinter....