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Author Topic: International Rugby  (Read 381505 times)

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #720 on: January 25, 2016, 07:31:59 PM »
To be fair I think he has basically said that. He said the captain will be the player who he deems to be the best at that time.

Offline Dante Lavelli

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #721 on: January 25, 2016, 07:44:39 PM »
To be fair I think he has basically said that. He said the captain will be the player who he deems to be the best at that time.

Good.  I cannot see how that can be a bad thing.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #722 on: January 25, 2016, 07:47:46 PM »
I agree, your captain should always be one of your best players.

Offline Jon Crofts

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #723 on: January 25, 2016, 07:48:48 PM »
Every team needs a dog and Dylan is a rabid dog.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #724 on: January 25, 2016, 08:50:12 PM »
Every team needs a dog and Dylan is a rabid dog.

He's nothing like as rabid as he's made out to be but his reputation goes against him, as I've said before he's had 1 major ban when he was far too hot-headed and since then he's had 1 reasonable ban for punching and then 4 bans that were to the player not the offence.  The 'headbutt' that kept him out of the world cup is a good example, I honestly think that any other player in league would've got away with that, it was something of nothing and it happened because Lancaster didn't like him so the rfu did him a favour.

The ban for 'verbal abuse' was pathetic as well, take the context, the player asks if they can kick it on the full, he mumbles an answer that they misinterpret as confirmation and then he gives a scrum to Leicester and it collapses with neither front row clearly at fault.  The sensible decision is to reset it, giving a penalty right in front of the posts was a terrible decision.  This isn't defending calling him a cheat, but it really isn't worthy of an 11 week ban, I think he knows full well that he has a clear bias towards tigers and the comment cut a bit close to the truth.

Finally getting a ban for biting a finger when said finger is being used to fishhook you out of a ruck is ok but only if the other guy is banned for at least as long, giving Ferris 4 weeks and then removing 2 because of good character when you give Hartley 8 and no reduction is just plain wrong.

None of this is to condone any of his offences, it's purely to point out that's he's been given a particularly shitty end of the stick since Lancaster came in (5 of the 6 bans have come since Lancaster came in and said rather early on that he wanted calm heads). I'm not saying that's the reason but given the number of times bans have worked to see players back just in time for internationals to see the same player get 2 bans that rule him out of international events is curious.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #725 on: January 26, 2016, 12:42:02 PM »
Jones has said that Robshaw is 'easily the best 6' in England, so he's clearly going to start.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #726 on: January 26, 2016, 01:39:10 PM »
Jones has said that Robshaw is 'easily the best 6' in England, so he's clearly going to start.

To be honest I don't think he's the best 6 at quins (Jack Clifford has been brilliant for them for the last year or so and the extra pace and power he brings would be very useful) let alone in England but I don't think he'd be a bad choice and he will be another experienced head in an inexperienced team so I can see the sense in it.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #727 on: January 26, 2016, 07:38:54 PM »
So the matchday squad is pretty much announced then:

Forwards

Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens).

Backs

Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

The 10 players released back to their clubs:

Josh Beaumont (Sale Sharks), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), Marland Yarde (Harlequins).

I make that to be:

Marler; Hartley; Cole
Launchbury; Kruis/Lawes*
Robshaw; Billy V; Haskell

Youngs; Ford
Nowell; Devoto; JJ; Watson
Brown

Subs
Mako V; George; Hill; Kruis/Lawes*; Clifford; Care; Farrell; Goode

*i don't think anyone will be able to pick between this pair until the last minute

I'm mostly happy with that other than:

Still no real 7 in the team, Haskell has played there a fair bit but he's a meathead and still doesn't offer enough at the breakdown.
Keeping Goode and sending Daly back is plain wrong, Goode is deceptively slow and will be caught out at international level, his incompetence on the wing against France ranks very highly on my list of worst performances I've ever seen for England (it's right up there with Tait getting mullered against Wales and Noon wearing the shit).

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #728 on: January 26, 2016, 07:56:14 PM »
I'm pretty disappointed to see Daly, Kvesic and Itoje sent back.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #729 on: January 26, 2016, 09:09:25 PM »
I'm pretty disappointed to see Daly, Kvesic and Itoje sent back.

Itoje makes sense, he's clear 4th choice right now even though he will be ahead of all of them in a few years.  The other 2 I just don't see the sense of.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #730 on: January 26, 2016, 09:17:18 PM »
I reckon we'll see Farrell start at 12.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #731 on: January 26, 2016, 09:23:54 PM »
I hope not, he's not good enough to play there and not only would it nullify the backs it would also be a vote of no confidence in Ford as a goal kicker.  I'd be very surprised if the 15 isn't what I've posted (I'm still not making a call on Kruis/Lawes though, my heart says Lawes because he's been brilliant for England in the past and is just hitting form again but Kruis is the form lock in the league this season so he's a good poster boy for the 'picked on form' argument.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #732 on: January 26, 2016, 09:34:35 PM »
I hope not too, but just a feeling.

Offline Dante Lavelli

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #733 on: January 27, 2016, 01:09:57 PM »
I reckon we'll see Farrell start at 12.

I agree, or at least that is what most the press are suggesting.

Daly has been great this year, however I think there is some merit is keeping young players down for as long as sensible.  I know that sounds counter intuitive but - in football - players are promoted too early for England and I think that often affects their hunger and enthusiasm to learn more moving forward.  If you keep the first cap tantalisingly out of reach then the players will be determined to make small improvements to bridge the gap.  That attitude then becomes their natural work ethic.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #734 on: January 27, 2016, 01:23:57 PM »
I'm curious to see where he sees Slade once he's fit, because he has to play and Jones has already said he sees Tuilagi as 'world class' and as a 12. It'll be interesting to see where people fit.

 


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