Comments on: England Rugby: Why it is best NOT to be selected

By: Alex D

Alex D — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 22:17:51 +0000

Shocking result. I couldn’t agree more with a lot of the comments made. A disgrace. Where was the passion (no doubt one of the pathetic Twickenham buzz words)?
What to do?
Bring inSteffon Armitage which I have stated consistently on here. You don’t run scared of rules; you just pick a winning team (it’s that simple) as Clive Woodward wrote in a newspaper column 3-4 months ago (Yes it was The Mail or Times) Various nay-Sayers on this site said no you can’t do that; it affects the club game. Clive Woodward’s answer was rubbish! You OBVIOUSLY pick the best 15 including Armitage (his words not mine)!!!!!!!
Not playing Cipriani was literally rugby insanity!
Not playing Tuilagi probably was too! Even despite an arrest. You can’t deny your team/squad 4 of its best attacking players and not expect there to be problems! That’s 25% of your first choice 15! The players I list below should all have been in it rather than excluded for dubious quasi moralistic reasons.
The missing 25%
1. Tuilagi
2. Armitage (voted best player in French league 2015)
3. Cipriani
4. Previous hooker whose name I forget
Checks said up yours to the rules and chose his European based players! Look where that got him. A World Cup Quarter Final!
Furthermore having discovered Slade he should have been played more!

Players and management to drop:

Lancaster, Rowntree, Farrell Senior, Robshaw, Barrit, Cole and Marler

Finally England need a number 7 (their first since 2003 funnily enough) The experiment with Robshaw is a failure both as captain and Flanker. Woods would make a good captain (it almost happened once before) and for heaven’s sake bring in Wade which I’ve also been saying for six months.

By: Benjit

Benjit — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 10:40:50 +0000

Very good post btw.

By: Benjit

Benjit — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 10:39:59 +0000

When a 10 year old has better judgement than the manger in charge, you know you’re in trouble.

By: teecee

teecee — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 10:21:32 +0000

Hi Reuben. Wise words from such a young fellow. you obviously care about English rugby very deeply. Grown ups,as I am sure you know,don’t always do the obvious or the best thing.

One day ,hopefully not too long from now, we will be able to say that this was just a bad period in England’s journey to become the best team in the world ,just like 2003,which you won,t be able to remember . I’m sure you know all about it though as you are such a big England fan.

I hope you enjoy tonights game and that we can all celebrate a win for the Boys.

Keep posting your thoughts.

“Rugby is a noble game
played by fifteen hulking brutes

But spare a thought for the poor soul
Who has to clean their boots!”

By: reuben

reuben — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 09:56:55 +0000

perfect for england to get beat,i am 10 years old,i watched lancaster bring on baritt in the 6N against france in the last 5 mins and they duly ran straight round him to steal the match,and the 6N.can someone explain why he is bought back after being dropped ages ago,he brings nothing to the table and never has,also why start with the smallest hooker in english history and then bring on a big fat slow one just when the ozzies want a big fat one ,,,,,surely youd start with webber and bring on youngs when play breaks up,,,or better still just play HARTLEY its easy not rocket science, but if we cant get england beat with continual poor subs or poor gameplans and poor team selection lets just ban all our best players ,,,,lancaster is a fool hes a proven fool and he has selected a team that will embaress the whole country,,,i guarantee if we have 3 good players tonight lancaster will sub them all with 5 mins to play,,,,,,,idiot

By: teecee

teecee — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 09:54:01 +0000

** for Matt read Sam. Sorry,late night ,beer involved! Managed to not punch a copper or toss a dwarf though (Toss a dwarf????? WTF)

By: teecee

teecee — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 09:50:34 +0000

I was with Mike until the “couple of bad performances ” line,then we parted company. There have been many poor performances under Stuey Mike and the big bugbear is the inability to reproduce the good ones on a consistent basis.

Also,I don’t think that anyone hear is suggesting that they have the magic formula for success. What we all have are opinions,which will ultimately remain conjecture as non of us are in a position to influence things directly.

In my opinion England had a brief hiatus under Lancaster,plateaued and are now regressing. Matt has written a very clever article. Innocence by non association being the basic premise.

It’s sad and infuriating to read comments by passionate,intelligent,commited England supporters who know that the W Cup has been nothing more than a giant money making (£20 million in gate receipts for one game at HQ) and marketing campaign with a bit of sub standard rugby thrown in to try and mollify the peasants.The RFU and England coaching staff should hang their heads in shame.

Even a win tonight is double edged as it will enable Bungle to carry on Canute style,convinced that he is the right man for the job and that the media and fans are just out to get him.

Heart: the boys,Head: Aus by 10-15.

By: reuben

reuben — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 09:46:56 +0000

lancaster has made continual mistakes and he continues in the same vein ,this team is perfect for the aussies

By: snewe

snewe — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:37:38 +0000

Seeing most of their best players overseas has killed the club game in Wales so I fully support not including players outside of the prem.
You’re absolutely right about picking form, underachieving and use of the bench.
Would probably disagree about the tuilagi and Hartley incidents but that’s open to opinion

By: stroudos

stroudos — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:09:27 +0000

Mike, Lots of common sense, pragmatism and level-headedness in your comments.

I don’t like it.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:00:11 +0000

Armitage moving to Bath was also linked to SL providing assurances of a place in the squad. Clearly SL does not rate the former European rugby player of the year. Many do mind.

By: Anarky

Anarky — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:24:19 +0000

Barritt didn’t play in any 6N games and you very nearly won it! Burrell and JJ were excellent. Burrell didn’t even make the WC squad, in favour of a more defence oriented approach which now leaves you at risk of exiting your own WC. Is that not evidence enough?

I think the England “fans” have every reason to be critical.