Comments on: England v Australia: The Aftermath

By: Fakey

Fakey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:05:33 +0000

Everyone seems to be out for Wells’ blood. We could always ask Deano to get it for us!!!!!!!!!!!

By: goodNumber10

goodNumber10 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:28:18 +0000

Tommy Agree with that team.

England lacked any shape in the pack, and that mean the backs played deep due to slow ball and a solid Australian defence.

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! create quick ruck ball for these backs, we see what they do with it week in week out in the GP & T14 why would you stifle them behind a slow sluggish pack?

Injuries or no injuries everyone on the planet apart from john Wells seems t understand that the best way to win a game is score try’s and the best way to do that is quick ruck ball.

By: DC

DC — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:37:00 +0000

i agree with a lot of the comments here…but please, Care was atrocious and has had lots of time to ‘get’ international rugby. From what I can see all that he does is organise a couple of fat forward around the ruck, slowing down the ball and then pop a pass for a zero yard shuffle then when he does pass he takes that step therefore wasting a second or two and caused traffic in midfield that not even the inform gerachty or hipkiss can avoid.

Start with Hodgson and put Strettle in the team. A bit of flair is needed and less Gary Owens.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:14:35 +0000

THe common thread in the dreadful forward play or the last 3 years is one thing: John Wells.

It is perhaps the most worrying thing about Johnson’s tenure that he has not identified this and dealt with it. Is it a Leicester old boys thing? Whatever it is, until that useless swine is gone then England rugby has no chance.

By: Uncle Mat

Uncle Mat — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:58:08 +0000

I would flip Care and Hodgson, but otherwise, I’ll go for that Tommy. My prediction – Johnno will probably start Hartley, Lawes and Haskell (and if he doesn’t, it will be stubbornness) but Borthwick and Banahan will keep their places; then we’ll have a pretty uninspiring performance against the Pumas and he will revert back to the old school for the AB’s when we will get battered.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:45:33 +0000

Not that it will happen, but this is who I would play this Saturday with the players available

1. Payne
2. Hartley (vc)
3. Wilson
4. Lawes
5. Kennedy
6. Croft
7. Moody (c)
8. Haskell
9. Care
10. Wilkinson
11. Monye
12. Geraghty
13. Hipkiss
14. Cueto
15. Foden

16. Thompson
17. Bell
18. Armitage
19. Worsley
20. Hodgson
21. Strettle / Banahan
22. Tait

By: Uncle Mat

Uncle Mat — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:32:18 +0000

No way on earth Johhno drops Borthwick or takes away his captaincy (stating the bloody obvious, I know). But that is what is needed. I would even go for Hartley (even less chance of that happening). But who are the other leaders on the park? Players in key positions (2, 8, 10) do not appear to feel like they are responsible for managing the game, as well as playing their individual roles.

By: RonBraz

RonBraz — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:45 +0000

Tommy is right, Moody as captain, although Hartley vice, looking to the future.

By: RonBraz

RonBraz — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:59:35 +0000

Moody, Wilkinson aside, the team was a joke, a solid stable joke but that ain’t going to win us games.

The backs have an excuse because the quality of the ball was crap, Wilkinsons passing was not much better but he is still great at other things.

The forwards, I have never seen such a soft English pack, these are where the changes have to be made, my god the Argies must fancy abit of us at the moment. Wilson deserves another chance, Payne was ok and there is nobody else. Get rid of thompson, Hartley is the future and a ball carrier of merit. Both second rows have to go Shaw and Lawes come in, that tight 5 is far more intimidating than the current one. Haskel has to come in he is in good form in France and has talent. Johnno likes consistency in selection but making 4 changes to a pack that got dominated by the Aussies is by no means extreme.

Geraghty need more time and confidence to play he needs another chance, so to does Hipkiss. Bring Foden in at fullback for some imagination, stick monye on the wing and somebody shoot Banahan the titanic changes direction faster than he does, it doen’t matter how big you are if the defence has time to put 2 props, a winger, the entire back row and a kitchen sink in your way.

As for the coaches I would like them to allow the players to play a little and shut up with the tactics, off the cuff, play it as you see it. I still believe there is talent in this team, but after 2 weeks with the England coaches that talent walks onto the field like scared puppies, there are signs of over coaching in the england setup.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:40:47 +0000

Agree with the coaching and management issues, but personally feel the biggest issue is on-field leadership. Borthwick is an average player with less than average leadership abilities. Yet again we saw this on sat – no presence or leadership when things were going our way and completely non existent when things were going against us. Until Johnno makes this change I personally think we will continue to struggle. I’m glad Johnno has loyality to his captain, but he has picked the wrong captain and the team is suffering for it. If Borthwick wasn’t captain, would he make the team? In my opinion, very doubtful. So what makes a good captain? Someone who has the full respect of the team and takes charge of the team. Someone who leads by example, never gives up, never backs down, praises where necessary and bollocks the same way. Someone who can implement the management game plans on the field and realise when to change to plan 2/3/4 etc. Someone that will stand up and take responsibility for their mistakes. For these reasons, if I was to pick the england team, I would do away with Borthwick, have Lawes and Kennedy in the 2nd row and appoint someone like Moody as Captain, with the likes of Hartley and Care/Wilkinson as Vice-Captains

By: Fakey

Fakey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:51:59 +0000

Looking at it overall Beeza, I agree with you. I don’t think that the way forward for England is to be slated by all the purists. Sniping at individuals, the coaching team or the manager for that matter will change nothing. All of these things come round and go round. Wales are just coming out of the gloom after their 25 years of dominance of the home teams. For those of us old enough to remember English rugby pre Beaumont there is lots to ponder about history possibly repeating itself (someone else mentioned this last year). History leans heavily to supporting the fact that England need a very strong Captain. A Field Marshall, good enough himself to have respect and strong enough on the field to boolivk whare bollickings are due and to praise the good. Whether Borthwick is that man is up for individual assessment. Personally I don’t think he has the stature or the makings of a rugby giant. England have some undeniably very good and potentially talented players. With the right mix and the right Captain they will come back, but experience on the park is what we are lacking at the moment

By: beeza

beeza — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:26:51 +0000

I don’t think it was as dire as all you blokes think! Your boys looked more balanced then they were last year – although somewhat predictable at times with the inside ball they generally did look pretty dangerous. Wilko had a brilliant game.

Great English teams always seem to have a bullet proof forward pack, and whether through injury or lack of new talent that was not apparent the weekend (moody was great). If the English forwards don’t dominate the Australian pack, it is pretty unusual for the backs to get up and do the job.