posted May 9, 2008

True Balshaw does worry me under the high ball at times...! but he has his good moments too

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posted May 9, 2008

Balshaw: 131 GP appearances (14 subs), 45 tries. 38 international caps.

Maddock: 59 GP appearances (10 subs) 13 tries. No international caps.

They are both good players, but I would pick Balshaw every time. True I wouldn't have Balshaw in my England squad, but that doesn't make him a bad GP player.

Vainikolo: 10 GP appearances (no subs), 9 tries, 5 international caps.

Banahan: 17 GP appearances (2 subs), 10 tries, no caps.

Banahan is faster but Vainikolo is stronger. I would still pick Vainikolo myself, although it is a closer call.

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posted May 9, 2008

But on current form its Maddock ahead of Balshaw and Banners over Les.

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posted May 10, 2008

Great analysis

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posted May 10, 2008

"Higgin's will certainly not look forward to facing him"
on the contrary. i think higgins will be absolutely up for it and he will not give LV a sniff of space! plus if bath play how they have played the last three weeks, gloucester will actually have to get the ball before lesley can do any damage.

would also love to see banahan chaseing down a high kick will balshaw underneath it. then we can really see how he copes under pressure!

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posted May 10, 2008

Actually, doesn't Maddock qualify for England now? He's been at Bath since 2004 so must have done his 3 years residency and he's never been capped by another country as far as I know.

Despite that I can't remember his name ever being put forward for England by a single poster here in the year or so in which he must have been qualified, or even being mentioned once along side the 10 or more candidates that are regularly put forward here.

Quite the contrast to Balshaw's 38 caps - including a victorious world cup final.

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posted May 10, 2008

You're forgetting the best of the lot - Simpson-Daniel. Why he hasn't been picked more for England is beyond me. As for Higgins v Vainikolo - I wouldn't worry about Higgins, he's a maniac. He also has something that Vainikolo doesn't have - pace. Vainikolo should be worried about Higgins. P.S. No contest - Maddock every time - Balshaw is good if he doesn't have to defend and there are open spaces. Maddock is good in all aspects.

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posted May 10, 2008

<But on current form its Maddock ahead of Balshaw and Banners over Les.>

No its not. Balsh has been on fire the last few weeks and was great against Wasps last week. Les has also been injured so form cannot be compared.

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posted May 10, 2008

COME ON YOU GLAWS
YOU CAN DO THIS O YEH <BIGGRIN>

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posted May 10, 2008

Fair call on Balshaw v Maddock I think.

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