Eastmond
Briscoe
Ellis
Shenton
Hall
McGuire
Tomkins
Morley
Roby
Graham
Peacock
Burgess
Sinfield

Myler
Wilkin
Crabtree
Carvell

i would actually want to see eastmond tomkins mcguire and myler all in the same team, they are our only attacking threats so they should all play in my opinion, whether 3 of them start and one of them on the bench- but if smith wants to beat the aussies and the kiwis we need a team with a bit of class about them and you will get that with the four of them

Moore out with Tomkins in.

Eastmond at left centre with Tomkins on the bench coming onto replace Roby with McGuire having a run at 9.

Thats what i'd do anyway.

I wouldn't be looking to change too much for the Australia game... the France performance wasn't great but the second half was much improved and there was something to build on

I still don't understand why Hall and Briscoe are getting criticism on the wings - I thought both went OK and offer a much more physical wing partnership than I can remember for England

I would seriously be tempted to put Eastmond at full back... we really do have to attack the Aussies and giving Eastmond a free reign may accomplish that

I would stick with Moore as the starting hooker - he started well against the French and you could tell he took a bad knock (when he knocked on playing the ball, you could tell he was spaced out). People say that Roby can play 80 minutes and I have no doubt he can but he would be much more effective in spells as he is an impact player not an 80 minute organiser like Cam Smith

Let's keep Myler and Mcguire together and see if they kick on knowing that Tomkins can come in against the Kiwi's if required

Sinfield did just enough to keep his place - let's see if he can raise his game... if not Burgess or Ellis to loose against the Kiwi's and play the power game

Eastmond
Briscoe
Smith
Shenton
Hall
Mcguire
Myler
Graham
Moore
Peacock
Ellis
Burgess
Sinfield

Roby
Morley
Carvell
Crabtree

Is there any wonder we are seen as a joke by the Aussies and Kiwis. I can understand having to adapt and play players out of position when you are in the middle of a tour and you get injuries, but to suggest (or god forbid we actually do) that we play a scrum half who plays for his club when injuries allow to pull onj the full backs shirt against the Aussies and Kiwis is laughable. He will be battered into submission and that could have a serious knock on effect to his confidence. If he is to be played, play him in his natural position. Putting club loyalties aside, Shaun Briscoe is the best English full back available and is certainly a million miles in front of Eastmond in full back experience, plus he is likely to be defending for a good part of the game and as any HKR, Hull FC or Wigan fan will tell you, he is a fantastic defender who has saved many a day with his top defencive performances and bravery. He also scores a few tries in attack as well.

lee smith is a better fullback than briscoe

Am I on my own in wondering exactly what Briscoe did wrong on Friday night for so many people to be looking at dropping him?

He did what he had to do with little fuss and got taken off to let a more attacking player have a 25 minute crack at fullback.

Briscoe has earned the Number 1 shirt over the course of this season and should keep it for the biggest game of his career on Saturday in his hometown.

1. Briscoe
2. Hall
3. Eastmond
4. Smith
5. Briscoe
6. McGuire
7. Myler
8. Morley
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Ellis
12. Peacock
13. Burgess

14. Sinfield
15. Crabtree
16. Westwood
17. Carvell

Nowhere near as good.

I don't deny Briscoe's ability and I was definitely one for including him in the squad and the team - I will not be unhappy if he is selected at full back against the Aussies

I do think though that Eastmond is a special talent - while he is not ready to boss a team around the field, his broken field play could be a real asset. I don't want him up against the monsters in the Aussie centres so hence the wildcard full back spot

He may be on the bench again come Saturday which would suit me fine as long as he gets some decent game time

I'd play Eastmond at centre tbh. He may be up against it in defence against the Aussies but at the end of the day so would Shenton be and unlike Shenton he'll cause his opposite number no end of problems going the other way and take some juice out of their attack.

Shenton would get butchered in attack and defence against Inglis whereas Eastmond imo might just cause him enough problems in defence to limit his effectivness in attack.

It's a long shot either way

So, once the 'monsters' in the Aussie centres have breezed through Briscoe, Shenton etc, your expecting them to give Eastmond a wide berth

At full back he is going to be the last line against them if they get any long range breakaways/tackle busts, I know who I would prefer. The amount of times Briscoe has saved certain tries for us in the last two seasons either as last man and tackling them or preventing them getting the ball down with a piece of magic is numerous and I doubt eastmond is capable of matching him as a top class full back.

The only player to do this for England on Friday was Eastmond

Given the French got over the line a grand total of three times, it's hardly a statistically representative sample.