RWC - Group A

[bazzaj]

Haskell for me epitomises everything wrong with English rugby.
Brain dead with emphasis on looking the part with no substance whatsoever.
Should not have had a look in after the last world cup never mind this one.

As for Easter and Robshaw plodding and graft will never overcome dynamism in that area.
There is a plethora of English back rowers that should have been taken over these guys.

If ever a coaching staff need a culling this is it.
England need fresh ideas and players not a load of pundits saying lets have enquiries and reviews etc.
Just look at the performances for the culmination of 4 years work and thats all the enquiry you need.

Australia and Chieka should serve as a template as to how they should go about their business after watching the way he has turned their fortunes around so quickly.
Then again he had the pedigree forged on success at club level..
England gave an honest caretaker the headmasters job and wonder why they came up short every time when it mattered.

With England's resources they should have their pick of the best.
Scotland landed Cotter who selects better players over established ones and subsequently gets out of their tough group.
All the clues are there.

[ruckover]

Sir Graham Henry has claimed that Stuart Lancaster should be retained by the RFU because he didn't have good enough players.

At the same time he ignores the fact that Lancaster has done nothing in four years, picked Sam Burgess out of position ahead of Henry Slade and then didn't even take Luther Burrell, retained Robshaw as captain, refused to take Steffon Armitage to the World Cup, and potentially didn't pick the team at all.

Graham, their problems go a lot further than the players. The entire coaching staff should be ditched.

[BuckRogers]

I'm not convinced he actually does have the players. I think I critiqued them in another thread earlier in the tournament and the reality is this IMO.

Starting from the front-
No decent LH's after Corbisiero. Marler got hyped up after being allowed to hinge in on his opposing TH's at 90degrees but when pulled on that he's crap. Mako can't scrum. They have one half decent TH in Uncle Alfred, critically decent not close to World Class. Their hooking stocks are woeful behind Hartley, Mighty Mouse Youngs is incredibly overrated. They're actually quite well catered for in the second row. Back row is a conundrum. Would Armitage be any use at international level without Masoe/Smith/Lobbe etc beside him? I'm not convinced but maybe he needed a chance to show himself. Perhaps his selection would simply be too politically sensitive. They have three crap scrumhalves. Outhalf is well covered IMO but they need to look beyond Farrell who is a flat track bully. Insanity they dropped an uninjured Ford for a RWC match having stuck with him for the last 18 or so months, absolutely mind boggling really. Their centre stocks are not exactly thick on the ground. Eastmond maybe had a gripe but he is very small and would need a very fluid attacking approach to be facilitated here. Joseph is a class act but I don't think England are getting the best out of him. Brown is a very good fullback if not prone to losing his head at times. Watson is brilliant. Amazed Johnny May is quick but limited would probably have started Nowell who's a more rounded player.

Beyond the players I don't think we know exactly what has went on behind closed doors. Farrell seems to have had a huge amount of influence. England's skills/ambition have noticeably regressed since the 2014 6N IMO. Is Rowntree good enough or is he stale? What does Catt do except threaten Cipriani?

I think England need a root and branch review of where they actually are and what they are doing/how they are going to move forward. Arguably they've needed to do that since 2003 and haven't yet grasped the nettle. I thought Lancaster was the man to lead them but I think he's lost his way/had his authority undermined.

[Snipe Watson]

I agree with you Buck up to a point. I think the English Premiership with its one dimensional rugby is the problem. When your entire game is predicated upon power and more power, you are in diffs when you meet power mixed with skill.
If Big Baby Billy the spoilt brat teetotaller is to be believed Lancaster doesn't coach or pick the team, so what does he do?

[Setanta]

Who cares?

[BaggyTrousers]

Of the posts on this page I believe Buck's is most reasoned and mainly factual but in fairness, Santa wins hands down for simplicity & total accuracy.

Quality Santa.