Not so polite reminder!!
Get your @rses down to Leigh today and support the young England lads against the Aussies.
Kick off 2 p.m.
If you can't get down there it's being shown live on the our league app.
It was indeed, played under really difficult conditions. Welsby had a good game from the fullback position, but Harry Smith at scrum half gave an outstanding m.o.m. display. I was impressed with Harry Newman and the hooker whose name just escapes me.
edit Corey Johnson was the hooker.
I ended up turning off as the picture kept freezing. Must say I enjoyed what I did see.
How did joe shorrocks play ??
He played well, ran and tackled really hard. He did drop one pass, but conditions were difficult and a lot of players had the same problem. He also gave a couple of penalties away which he needs to improve on.
Foe the second test I would consider moving Welsby up to #6, McLelland had a poor game IMO, but I'm not sure of the other options for the fullback position.
England should have been much further ahead as their pack really dominated, but missed about three glorious opportunities. Again as with Lancashire the Englands right edge looked a bit weak defensively or maybe the Aussies are very strong down their left. Crichton the Aussie left wing looks a terrific player.
I have watched all the home Academy games from the season not long finished due to my season ticket and the local derby games. An easy solution to McClelland being off the pace and better options than him would be to leave McClelland out, move Welsby to 6, Tom Nisbet to 1 (who I think is the better fullback anyway). I would also bring in Josh Simm (who has been promoted to our 1st team squad ) at centre instead of the 3, Simm is more physical in defence and certainly much faster being the quickest of all the Saints lads and with an eye for a try (sure he scored 29 last season?). Wingfield I would bring into hooker also as he has a better all round game than the hooker showed too. I know these are all Saints lads adding into the starting 13 but all had a really good season and would in my opinion IMPROVE the England team.
From what I saw of the game on the OurLeague app which I lost a few times for short periods (this one is for Rogues over the lump lol) I thought the scrum half had a great kicking game in the 1st half and Morgan Smithies also had a top game playing I think the full 80mins at 13? He stood up to the Aussies and especially his opposition 13.
I agree about Simm but the #3 was the England captain so can't see him being dropped. I thought Nisbet was pretty average in the Lancashire team and the England #9 IMO was one of the best players on Saturday, we certainly missed his direction when he went off.
I'd also look at the wingers but in truth none of the Lancs or Yorkshire wingers stood out when they played the Aussies either.
You obviously see more of the Saints lads than I do so maybe the selectors will go with your choices. It's all about opinions
I thought the England 3 was average at best and didn’t work as hard as Harry Newman in the other centre. His contact was poor also and got driven back or just hung on other times and it shouldnt make him exempt from being dropped due to being captain. Play for your shirt! He hadn’t trained properly for three weeks apparently due to his ankle so it was a strange selection I thought when you have someone of Simm’s ability.
The replacement hooker who came on wasn’t a hooker, I,m sure he is a 2nd row so that explains the drop in quality at that position and I think Wingfield is quality in attack (plays halfback to so has a football brain as well as dummy half pass) as well as solid in defence.
Nisbet would do a solid job, safe hands, speed, good defence and free up Welsby to move to 6. That was McClellands 2nd game back in League in 2years on Saturday playing at 6 and it showed! Didn’t EARN his shirt in my opinion.....but as you say we all have our own opinions
Saints web site saying Nisbet has been called up for the test match tonight against Australia at Leeds. Well done young man!
He joins Welsby who has kept his place. Pitty we didnt get any more in.....still heavily Yorkshire loaded especially from Leeds who Saints beat at home and narrowly lost to away and then were beaten in the play off semi by....but only after Leeds brought in some older age Academy players who are too old for this series.
The game should be live on the OURLEAGUE app again tonight if you want to follow how the team and especially our own two lads get on.
I cannot find the game on ourleague?
look for the video button at the top of the page.
16-6 up at half time. Welsby looks a real talent at full back
Excellent game - good to see players getting on with it and no feigning injuries and time wasting.
Hope we can hang on.
Great game, well deserved win. Holroyd was outstanding, as were most the players, great futures on show this evening, well done lads