posted Nov 23, 2008

I can not belive your comment. johno may be short of coaching exsperience but how could you say he was over rated as player this just shows your limited knowledge of the game!!! as there is no doubt about his ability as a player by everone else in the rugby world. Only time will tell if he makes it as a coach but I agree we need to judge him in 18 months time

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posted Nov 23, 2008

Having played for the last 20 years in various established, invitational and new teams i feel that a proportionate view needs to be taken... Lions teams, full to the brim of talent, struggle to gell at the end of long tours.. give this new team a chance.. we wont achieve anything by wholesale changes. there are certainly a few players who need to look at their performances but lets give them a chance to do that and see how we get on....

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posted Nov 23, 2008

I remember when South Africa couldn't buy a win.
I also remember when Wales couldn't buy a win.
Now world champions and 6N champions.

They both took about 2 years to build a competitive team.

We have fantastic young players who need time, caps, good coaching and experience. We will be a compettive team for 2011. We wont be for the next two years. Get use to it.

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posted Nov 23, 2008

"nice comment lovejoy,

so thats your excuse you would be happy to have 3 or 4 awful years to have a good world cup? what rubbish. englands world cup days are over

they havent won a tournament of any kind in over 5 years"

Thanks.

It's not my excuse it's my opinion, and no I wouldn't be happy to have 3 or 4 awful years and then a good World Cup (the World Cup is in 3 years BTW) so having 4 awful years would put us out of the running no?

As I said, it's a young and inexperienced team with a new manager, I expect to see steady progress over the next 18 months and hopefully find form at the right time as we did in the year before winning the cup in 2003.

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posted Nov 24, 2008

I think people are losing sigth of a lot fo things.

Look at the Australian Team that beat france, and has just gone undefeated through europe.

Quite a large percentage are only into their second season of international rugby and are only now starting to warrant their places. Ashley Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Barnes.

Similar with New Zealand, a lot of new players who ahve been on rpevious tours and are now breaking into the full test team.

SA the saem, Steyn etc.. have been in the set up for a couple of seasons now.

We're blooding new players in top flight rugby, they will take a while to adjust and gel.

It will come as long as england go back to basics and try and generate the ball that wins matches.

The pack does need to step up and create dynamic ball, we NEED to dominate scrum ball, France absoloutely took Australia apart upfront on Saturday they only lost because SKrelas kicking was worse then woeful - England should have been in the same position last week.

It'll come we just need to make sure we don't knee jerk because Johnsons had a rough start.

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posted Nov 24, 2008

macca1067 - can i agree with you on all but a couple of players? Alex Brown in my opinion isn't good enough. It remains to be seen who Wasps pick between now and the 6 Nations and how they play, but George Skivington has looked great whenever i've seen him which saw him called up to the Saxons squad. I would go with Shaw and Kennedy and have either Borthwick or Skivington on the bench for the 6 Nations. At 12 as well i still have a lot of faith in Riki Flutey. He was the player of the year in the PRemiership last year and hasn't really had a chance to show what he can do for England yet, so i'd give him another go and have Barkley on the bench. Finally, Sackey over Monye-he's been superb for England other than on Saturday. He always choses the right option in Defence and is good in attack. Monye needs more experience in the GP and HK at wing as he was used mainly as a Centre last year. Other than that, thoroughly agree with you mate. Ellis over Care definately. Hartley over Mears (Mears just isn't big enough for International rugby) and Crane over Easter (Easter is too slow and stupid).

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posted Nov 24, 2008

streathampundit

spot on in my view. too much resting on past wins. the game has moved on and left England behind.

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posted Nov 25, 2008

I was a 150 lb. weakling soaking wet, but even I could run straighter, take a tackle better while protecting posession & offload in the tackle better than the England XV are doing at present.

We desperately need some S. hemisphere running/handling skills, but still under Martin Johnson's o/a leadership.

The site of captain Borthwick 'running' in open play was excruitiating & embarassingly laboured.

We need the whole squad of 25+ guys capable of playing S. hemisphere-style rugby @ 2-3x the current pace (i.e. fitter?), and far less of this unproductive running off the base of the maul/ruck!

Last point - our propos aren't all they're cracked up to be either!

21st century rugby please Sir Martin!

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posted Nov 25, 2008

Got to laugh at some comments on here from some of the English trying to defend their teams performance

"SA were at their best today"

"SA played poorly against Wales/Scotland"

"England had an off day"

Did it not occur to you that -

Wales/Scotland played quite well, far better than England, and restricted SA?

England are rubbish and can't compete at top end international level at the moment?

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posted Dec 5, 2008

I agree with you 100% And am I the only one who thinks that we need to change that god awfull kit!!!! How can you feel proud about pulling on that paint splattered monstrosity!!!

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