posted May 16, 2008

I think Borthwick is the only realistic choice. But I was thinking that Johnson might go with someone else. One of the younger ones, at least until the others returned from injury. But we'll wait and see how england do in the southern hem.

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posted May 16, 2008

"personally with Shaw rested i'd much rather have seen Grewcock go "...

He is a good lock but with that temperment and bearing in mind what happened last time he was over there, a good chance he may not be on the field for 80 minutes, and the kiwis will know that, a bit of baiting may just set him off

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posted May 16, 2008

I think Borthwick is the obvious choice as captain for this tour.
Very few players are guaranteed a place in an England team in a state of flux but he is.
Borthwick brings stability to the pack, good lineout technique, always gives huge effort and off-the-field seems capable of dealing with the press in the way you would hope - capable of expressing himself with honesty and integrity.
I think it was a bad decision by Ashton to prefer Kay in the second row during the World Cup. I would have had Borthwick as starter and captain.
As long as his form continues, I would be happy for him to continue until next WC. I can't see anyone displacing him in the second row and as captain, the other candidates (Rees? Tindall? Haskell? Vickery? Lipman? Easter?) aren't guaranteed a place.
I know it's the nature of forums like these to second guess every decision ever made but sometimes you have to accept that the man in charge has the right to pick who he wants.
That said, if Johnno doesn't pick JSD when he is fit, I'll be calling for his head like the most ardent wummer but that is only because JSD really is one of the most talented players plying his trade in the United Kingdom and would walk into all Northern Hemisphere teams and, at the very least, the squads of the Southern Hemisphere teams.

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posted May 16, 2008

Butch James described Borthwick as the best captain he had played under, and he's played under some pretty good ones.

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posted May 16, 2008

Can't see Grewy playing for England again

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posted May 16, 2008

i dont know much about borthwick. but i reckong if he does play well and prove hes a good captain then vickery could be out of the 15 because stevens is performing so well these days

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posted May 16, 2008

Borthwick my number 1 captain selection for the next 4 years, i think he will do us a good job in seeing us through to world cup '2011', after that haskell or Ellis i think are the nxt potential captains

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posted May 16, 2008

I'm sick of this "planning for the future" bulls**t.
PICK THE BEST TEAM AVAILABLE NOW.
PICK THE GUY WHO WILL BE A GOOD CAPTAIN NOW, NOT IN FOUR YEARS!

The future will take care of itself, young players coming through, getting experience bit by bit...
The Saxons are in place, as well as other structures whose job it is to coach young players (clubs etc...).

All this talk of planning for the future just detracts from whats happening now.

France were shit in this years 6 nations and they blamed it on "planning for the future", "we'll win it next year", or "we'll win the next world cup". Rubbish. They got their tactics wrong, their player selection wrong, or maybe their best players weren't good enough.

You can't expect to build a team from scratch, and you can't expect it to magically peak during the world cup or the 6 nations, the only way to build a team is in fact to continually play your best available players, with your second best on the bench, and the third best in the Saxons...
Mark my words.

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posted May 17, 2008

No problems with Borthwick as captain - at least he deserves a starting place in the side, which is more than can be said for Phil Vickery these days. I am sure that Mike Tindall would have been first choice if he had been fully fit.

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posted May 17, 2008

why are so many peple recomending haskell for captaincy now or in the future? He's twenty odd with hardly any caps and any suggestions of someone at his development to be captain either now or in the future is pointless

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