posted Oct 7, 2008

Firstly, I thought this thread was about Cips, not about th England team as a whole. I get tired of people raving about his glorious game against Ireland, yet conveniently forgetting HIS (not the team's) performance against Italy. Whatever else he may have done (nothing of note), he fouled up by trying to be too flash, and that's not on.

Igniting the potential in the backs is one thing; going for personal glory (as he did against Italy) is another. The team's game should be founded on a solid, consistent performance, and THEN we should look to spark things up. I would prefer that to a backline that has flashes of brilliance, interspersed with periods of awful play.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 7, 2008

Voyce and Lewsey? Not on present form thank you!

And harlequifan - you would rather focus on a single mistake that ultimately didn't affect the outcome of the game than an entire 80 minutes of quality on his full debut? Whilst I agree people rave on about it, he hasn't had the chance to full it up yet, so lets at least give him the chance to flourish - he's earned it!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 7, 2008

I would rather people didn't treat him like the new messiah for English rugby. There are a lot of talented players out there - being a Qunis fan I see a lot of them But the press don't exactly harp on about them. As you have alluded, Cips actually hasn't done anything of note yet, so why the fuss?

One last point - I would rather the team won, than got hammered using tactics that worked the following week against much lesser opposition.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 7, 2008

Having seen most the young English talent play on various occasions last season in both the GP and HC, Cipriani was head and shoulders above the rest - his performance v Clermont Auvergne simply stunning...in my opinion, of course!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 7, 2008

Nearly right -
9 Care
10 Cips
12 Fluts
13 Turner Hall
11 Sackey
14 Simps
15 Banahan

On Cips, he is clearly gifted (look at his girlfriend), he loves rugby, he is our future if he can progresse on from his form at the end of last season.

Leave the guy along - our bigger worry is Martin Johnston, how many will be harping on that it should have been Dean Richards by the third game of the 6 nations.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 7, 2008

Cips is a very talented player - no doubt. Is he worth the hype so far? No.

But I like the point about Dean Richards over Johnno. Seeing what Deano has achieved at Quins is pure joy. And I like the mention of Jordan Turner-Hall... a brilliant talent for the future, and not a drop of hype so far. But then Cips would never get a mention in the press if he was at Quins...

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 8, 2008

i'm with Josh Lewsey!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 8, 2008

if u
have one of the best fly-halfs in the world out injurd, and the riseing succeses of cips

he is gunna give him the chance to prove himself to be equal to wilko?

itsnt it every fly-halfs dream to be like wilko??

and at the point in time cips is follwing in wilko's footsteps

i cant see johnson, someone who has seen cips play and watched him learn
going to choose anyone else part from cips

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 8, 2008

Refering to Danny being overated by the press:

Look the papers in this country always seem to need a story boy.Someomne they build up way above what theyve acheived and then evrytime you openm a paper you know its there face your gonna see.The sad thing is they are often just waiting for them to fall.

It happend with Beckham and in rugby i suppose Gavin Henson.

Becks handled it well but Gavin lost form for a few years and a big part of that was trying to live up to a reputation bilt on 1 good game.Hes back now but i just hope Danny dusnt get sidetrakd too much

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Oct 8, 2008

I'd say Flood or Barkley - sorry 'Barks' - are more likely choices. looking at Johnsons squad selection it leans towards experience > young talent, which is why the likes of Richards, Lewsey and Sinbad are back in. Cipriani - sorry 'Cips' - has only played 51 mins so far. If he can prove himself in the limited time he has he may be in contention.

That said maybe he will start against the pacific islands and then we can see who's best for the remaining and arguably harder tests.

add comment | complain about this comment