Johnson, Marler debut for England
7 Jun 2012
Flank Tom Johnson and prop Joe Marler will play their first Test when England face South Africa in Durban on Saturday.
There could also be a debut for utility back Jonathan Joseph, who is named among the substitutes. In changes to the run-on side from their last Six Nations Test against Ireland, Marler replaces Alex Corbisiero at loosehead and Johnson comes in for Tom Croft at blindside.
In the back division, scrumhalf Ben Youngs ousts Lee Dickson, who drops to the bench, while in the back three Mike Brown’s inclusion at fullback sees Ben Foden move to the left wing, with David Strettle out of the 22 altogether. Brown’s inclusion is a clear indication that England expect to be bombarded with tactical kicks, the Harlequins man’s aerial ability and counter-attacking ability seen as key.
Meanwhile Owen Farrell starts at flyhalf ahead of Toby Flood, the latter playing off the wood. Home town boy Brad Barritt starts at inside centre and Manu Tuilagi has had no recurrence of the injury that sidelined him until Monday, and starts at No 13.
Speaking about the debutants England head coach Stuart Lancaster said: ‘Tom and Joe have had great seasons at their clubs and have worked really hard to get this chance, both are in great form and have really impressed in training.’
He added: ‘Equally, Mike Brown has been outstanding for Harlequins. By moving Ben Foden to the wing we retain his strike power and aerial skills and can utilise not only Mike’s attacking and defensive assets we can also call on his left footed kicking game.’
England - 15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Ben Foden, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Subs: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Paul Doran Jones, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Jonathan Joseph
272 Comments
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7 Jun 2012, 12:32 pm
You and subtle aren’t aquaintances. given your history on the blog, i’ve made a reasonable assumption. of course you will defend it.
7 Jun 2012, 12:32 pm
How does one get the @whoever going?
7 Jun 2012, 12:32 pm
Katiekitty attempting to be the know all fundi on 2nd row objectivity
According Blue Bulls website
Kruger is 198 cm and 110 Kg
Vd Merwe is 198 cm and 117 kg
Stormers website offers Etsebeth at 2.03 and 120 Kg
So who’s lying because Flip is heavier than Etsebeth
On RFU website
Mouritz Botha = 198 cm and 115 kg
Geoff Parling = 198 cm and 114 kg
Tom Parling = 200 cm and 116 kg
Etsebeth is a rookie at this level, even if his weight is measured correct he still looks lighter than Vd Merwe by some kgs.
His mobility and work rate is unsurpassed ., but he’s very young for an international lock
England would have needed Lawes, their 2nd row is not as confrontational without him but Botha is an aggressive footballer with more hard edged experience than Etsebeth.
7 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
wpstormerbok – The Biggest problem i have with the Bok team for Saturday is the lack of a grunt loosie for the Boks!! This is where i think Brussow should have been selected, infact is he in the Bok 32?
I don’t know Marcel Coetzee at all, does he do alot of grunt work on the floor? Keegan is great but is more of a running loosie than a hard worker!!
Oh well lets see, if the Boks win this game easily expect to see a few changes for next week, if they win that one expect to see wholesale changes for the 3rd test.
However if we lose this opening test expect poo poo to hit the fan and watch the panic set in!!!
7 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-89: Actually, nothing to do with Northern Cabal sentiment. Our run on team is one most folk(even Stormer fans) would have picked bar one or two points of contention – you know our issue was with the broader squad don’t you? In fact, let me tell you that I for one think Zane K was the right decision at 15 for this game: he is the only specialist 15 we have in the squad – Lambie isn’t and it showed last Saturday – so no anti-Bull nonsense here. It is just that we might be expecting a little too much. This is a very good English team, and the manner in which Lancaster has managed them, prepared them, groomed them thus far stops me from making any wild statements about the Boks nailing them. We might, we might not. Unknowns…..
7 Jun 2012, 12:34 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-97:
Tsunami hey?
I hate Greek food.
Gives me the trots.
Boks to take it.
The weather will be a leveller in the first test though.
Thereafter I expect daylight between the two teams.
Look at what the Picts did to the Convicts.
7 Jun 2012, 12:35 pm
@kinlaw_62(kinlaw_62)-11: “Owen Farrell and Barritt will be licking their lips waiting for your boys to come down their channel.”…
The thing is, when Coetzee and Alberts do just that on their home turf Kings Park down the 10, 12 channel they induce bambi-in-headlights wide eyed stares and meek capitulation from 2m 120 kg no 4 Locks such as bruiser Etsebeth never mind 95 kg 1.82 thereabouts inside backs… If the Sharks pair get on a roll then that 10/12 channel may very much look like a car crash zone…
7 Jun 2012, 12:36 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-105: Cannot fault that… Good one.
7 Jun 2012, 12:36 pm
louis schropnel – Twikki is the authority on stats (ha ha), 123kg and 2.03m. Face the young lad is a monster. He has to start gaining international experience at some stage, if he starts now he will be 24 by next RWC with oodles of experience!!!
7 Jun 2012, 12:37 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-94:
Many thanks, good luck to you too! I’ll be sure to tell JW of your interest when I see him – maybe he’ll take you out for some kicking practice!!
7 Jun 2012, 12:37 pm
@106 Close yes. I hate Greek food too but a barbeque is good.
7 Jun 2012, 12:39 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-107: You forget – this weekend they won’t have the hard working Keegan Daniel with them. Alberts and Coetzee are going to have a tough time on Saturday – sharing Spies’s workload between the 2 of them. They are both going to have a heckuva lot more to do than what they are used to. I hope Alberts has it in him – really do.
7 Jun 2012, 12:41 pm
kinlaw_62 – I see a good on the horizon this saturday. I am worried about England but that is a good thing, we Bok supporters always want to destroy the NH teams.
But man oh man do i like your flyhalf. I see Farrel as a more rounded flyhalf than the great Wilko. He can run as well as kick and also puts in the big tackles as Wilko did, Wilko slightly edges that one!! I just hope he stays injury free.
Infact my 2 favourite flyhalves at the moment are Priestland and Farrel, tuff young lads but very solid!!!
7 Jun 2012, 12:41 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-103: Are you high, old man? Even your stats has Eben as the heavier of the two, yet you still claim “Flip is heavier than Etzebeth”?
Wikipedia has Etzebeth as 123kg and flip at 118kg.
Wake up, for fck sake.
7 Jun 2012, 12:44 pm
katman #114 – That makes Eben a monster!!! Our monster. Atleast he is starting to gain international experience now, by next RWC he will have 3-4 years under his belt!!
7 Jun 2012, 12:45 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-102: click on the arrow on the top right hand corner of the post you wish to respond to.
7 Jun 2012, 12:45 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-102: Click on the little arrow in the top right-hand corner of every post
7 Jun 2012, 12:45 pm
Boks have nothing to worry about with this team. Should be easy.
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-101: Look, Rumpy Pompy, I determine my rules of engagement on this here Stormer propaganda zone… Not you, okay? No matter how self righteous you may feel…
Interesting that you are attempting to move interaction from Rugby talk to other little issues you may have with yours truly… Suit yourself. But then try not use the “I come here to discuss rugby only” little excuse in future for you may be in danger of straying into hypocrisy…
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-116: @Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-116: @Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-116:
Test
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-116: Snap!
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
The England team will definately be a threat on Saturday. They are heading in the right direction but will miss Crofts running , Courtney Lawes and Corbisiero in the front row in particular. They are a lot more mobile than i think people know back home. The 8 is a gem of a discovery and the back 3 ..Brown,Foden and Ashton are classy . Their defence is pretty sound too. Looking at the Bokke team from here in UK , its so so conservative and while i understand why he is doing this and going back to basics , surely Lambie should be starting and guys like Aplon should at least be on the bench should we need a plan B and some thing different/a spark. Brussow has been up there with the best ball stealing Flankers , so why drop him ???
I expect England to be good under the high ball and quite solid in the set pieces . If we dont start well and get on top quickly , i fear the worst…….. Hopefully our Line out will fair better than the under 20s did in Stellenbosch.
Im not confident but wish the Boys well.
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-114: take a hike lightie.. put Vd Merwe and Etsebeth together on the weight scale
Etsebeth is taller and Flip is heavier..
somebody at Wiki or BB website are either underplaying or overplaying their player profile stats. Vd Merwe is heavier than Etsebeth in the real light of day.. with Etsebeth perhaps 2 inches taller but def not heavier.
7 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-116:
Thank you.
7 Jun 2012, 12:47 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-107:
We handled Jamie Roberts, George North and Rougerie and we’ll have a plan to deal with Alberts and Frans. Bring it on.
And when Tuilagi and Ben Morgan get to work on your inside defence we’ll see who gets frozen in the headlights. But I guess you don’t know about Morgan do you?
Watch this, England’s 2nd try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lt_douDyFc
7 Jun 2012, 12:47 pm
I think many South Africans are underestimating the Red Rose. It gives us great pleasure. We would never underestimate any team.
7 Jun 2012, 12:49 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-126: Not all of us are mate. Some of us regard you as a helluva threat,
7 Jun 2012, 12:50 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-114:
the weather has rendered cunteye’s 1400 nissan inoperable.
he’s on his fourth lavender bong of the day and he/s been scoffing quaaludes like smarties.
Mev Fukkadilly is going to have to pull him down screeching from the ceiling when she gets home from work.
7 Jun 2012, 12:50 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-119: Ja baas.
Look at you all chest out. As you were. I make exceptions to my normal rugby contributions in special cases like yourself and Tac. so lets get back to the rugby chat. Lets hear your critical analysis of both fullbacks? Not mundane pissy comments, but an in depth analysis of their playing style and mental ability to play test rugby.
7 Jun 2012, 12:51 pm
Wales could have beaten SA at the World Cup, but lacked experience. There will be a lot of nerves amongst the new caps in Bok team. The pressure even more as they are playing at home.
7 Jun 2012, 12:52 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-112: I hope so too… When Alberts fires he is like a runaway freight train… But if he doesn’t on Sat then the Boks are in a bit of sh.yte. Not insurmountable but shy.te nevertheless.
Hopefully Meyer can do some sort of Jedi mindtrick with Spies where he thinks 2012 is actually 2006 or 2009 and plays like he did round about then… I still remember a game where he almost single handedly won it for the Boks – against England if I remember correctly…
7 Jun 2012, 12:52 pm
anyway out.. gotta go do a little work with the tsunami on our doorstep.
7 Jun 2012, 12:53 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-127:
I have always enjoyed some posts on this site, so decided to join in for a while.
7 Jun 2012, 12:55 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-104:
If this game is going to be fought in the trenches then Alberts will have his hands full as Spies clearly isn’t built for that and Coetzee appears to be on the lighter side?
Don’t agree that the Aussies are a top quality side.
Yes they beat us in the World Cup and that’s history.
But apart from winning the Tri Nations last year they’ve had a bad run.
Deans’ record is now hovering around 58% if I’m not mistaken.
Losses vs Scotland, twice. Twice vs England, once vs Samoa and the WC loss vs Ireland.
Under Deans they’ve only beaten the AB’s once, during last year’s TriNations.
7 Jun 2012, 12:55 pm
@kinlaw_62(kinlaw_62)-110:
Needless to say would love that 
7 Jun 2012, 12:56 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-134:
Correction, Deans’ Wallas beat the AB’s twice under him, the 1st was his 1st game in charge but after that Henry had a 8 game streak or something vs Aussies.
7 Jun 2012, 12:56 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-123: You’re fcked in the old pip, man. Every single site on the interwebs – Bulls, SARU, Stormers, Wikipedia etc – has Eben heavier by between 3 and 6kg, yet you want us to believe that they’re all wrong and ONLY old Skoppie has it right? Seriously? You need some help.
7 Jun 2012, 12:57 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-137:
You also suffer from the dreaded disease I read.
7 Jun 2012, 12:57 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-123: No that’s not correct. Eben is actually very heavy. When I met him at age 19 I was very surprised not just at his height but the amount of “meat on the bones” so to speak. very muscular for any age, never mind 19.
7 Jun 2012, 12:58 pm
wpstormerbok – Mmm i still see the Ozzies as a very cunning and whily team!! They have had our no for the last 2 years!!
Anyway i expect Burger to be back in the Bok mix soon, i don’t understand why everyone hates him, he was one of our best players at RWC!! Gives 100% every game.
7 Jun 2012, 12:59 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-120: It works!
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-121: Almost to the word
7 Jun 2012, 12:59 pm
Howzit WillieVZ.
Just digging up our old discussion.
The French don’t play open and blind but left and right flankers.
Like you I have also had ‘a close look’ at Brown, I watch Heineken cup and Premiership games regularly and have seen Brown for years.
Foden has not been rthe attacking force he should be for a while now. How do you rate his most recent performances in the England shirt? Not really setting the world on fire at test level against decent opposition
is he
Brown’s attacking game has been very strong over the last 2 years, he also played here last they toured, and was one of the few England players to impress, sick and all. Foden on the wing and Brown at the back is the call lancaster has made on form it seems.
Brown has way more aggro too.
7 Jun 2012, 13:00 pm
Found this gem on the interwebs:
http://www.simplysean.co.za/2012/06/06/springbok-team-what-the-past-coaches-think/
To the emotionally volatile out there. This is satire.
7 Jun 2012, 13:00 pm
@Tourettes(Tourettes)-138: Can’t help it – it’s a medical condition. Got a doctor’s note, so I’m okay. The rest of you can fck off.
7 Jun 2012, 13:01 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-141:
Yes it does! Tourettes attack with the three hits. The faces are for another day though.
7 Jun 2012, 13:01 pm
KATMAN.
Louis S.h.i.t.h.e.a.d knows everything.
7 Jun 2012, 13:02 pm
@kinlaw_62(kinlaw_62)-125: Morgan is not bad and certainly adds more than cart horse Easter who was nothing more than an inferior version of Dean Richards… but without the charisma
…
The inside defence of the Boks will not be a weakness, it will be crowded by Coetzee, F Steyn, Etsebeth, Hougaard with one two guest hits from Beast and some ball picking from Bismarck – its the outside that may have a few chinks and if England had any sense that is where they should target with any front foot ball – should they happen to get any.
7 Jun 2012, 13:02 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-114: Wikipedia also has Japie Mulder at 77kgs….
7 Jun 2012, 13:04 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-129: I am sure you will be more satisfied in getting “deep” analysis from posters far more “knowledgeable” than this humble contributor…
7 Jun 2012, 13:05 pm
willievz #148 – So does genslin.us have Japie as 77kgs. There is noway Japie was that small, same weight as Aplon!!!! Japie must have been atleast between 88-92kgs, big lad. I saw him once at Foxies in Sandton, he was with James Daltonm, Dalton was huge! Japie was also a big lad, huge flipping legs ek se!!
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