posted Jan 31, 2008

Tait is a centre and has, for a couple of seasons now, looked like the best outside centre in England. He has the pace to make defences nervous and a lovely eye for a gap. This is simple and pretty clear. Tindall is very good, powerful and he grafts. The two are not incompatible. Why not Tindall at 12 and Tait at 13. This seems like a natural, if old-school combo to me. Crash runner/big hitter at 12, pace outside him.

Balshaw is unreliable as fullback but I think this is a seperate issue from the Tait debate as, as I have said, Tait is clearly a centre. This modern trend for switching backs around the various positions is, I think, a bit overdone. These guys are pretty specialised in what they do, you wouldn't play Wilkinson at full back would you?

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

What on earth does he think hes doing messing with the squad now?!! Fair enough it is necessary to take into account injuries and retirements etc but to deny experience for the first match is just ridiculous. To not put Tait in the squad, if even just on the bench, is as good as giving up!! Sort it out!!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

tait must feel like telling england where to put their caps, balshaw has history of being a 20min player, when was the last time he finished a game for england with out injury.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

The team seems pretty balanced to me, with the exception of Tait who should have at least made the 22.

People get so caught up on individual players. What matters is how they interact as a team, how well they respond to each other, how they adapt their style of play during a match.

And please stop equating the buzz-phrase of 'building for the future' with chucking the youngest guys we can find onto the pitch and hoping for the best. What we're building is a core squad of youth and experience which becomes settled and grows in confidence with every tournament.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

As an Irishman im delighted to see balshaw in and Tait out.
Tait brings a bit of trickery to a backline that too often reliies on just smashing it up the middle.
As for Balshaw : Bottler!
Heres hoping the the team stays the same till they play us!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

Cipriani's only weakness is ladyboys.

Once again I have to say, Tait is not that good. He's not in the squad because he's not good enough, he's not even outside centre for Newcastle, even before they started experimenting him at fullback, he's always on the wing. You talk about Tindall being a limited player, Tait is just as limited. His only weapon is the outside break, his distribution is average, he has no power and his defence is weak for an international centre. Get over him

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jan 31, 2008

i believe the only way to settle this selection issue is a face to face battle off game of tiddly winks. the winner of which would therefore of displayed the desired characteristics of an international full back surely?!?!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Feb 1, 2008

We finally get a player of Tait´s quality who can create things in the midfield and we drop him! How Lewsey has been left out is mind blowing, balshaw is no where near as good and is now a focal point for the welsh! Dropping wilkinson is not an option, we need every point you can get in test rugby and around 75% of ours come from his left foot. Cipriani will have his day and if he is that good then wilko would be a better option at center than tindall!

add comment | complain about this comment