Hartley world class, I think you may be having an "episode" 😉
If you put england up against the AB's 15 against 15 who would get into the AB team? You can say the same for Wales and maybe 2 would get in.
You can have a team of very good players, motivated, led well and with a game plan and win the World Cup.
In 2003, who in that side was truly world class? I would say two players I am sure most people would say 4 or 5.
You can say the same for Wales and maybe 2 would get in.
😆 I can't think of one.
England may not have any "world class" players (whatever the hell that means!) but that's fine, they don't need any for another 3 and a bit years.
Of course you can't, and would be amazed if you could 😆
2003? A lot of that squad would have been nailed on for a world XV - Johnson, Wilkinson, Robinson and Hill for me. Pretty much every player would have been mentioned in the selection meeting. Vickery, Woodman, Thomson all had a good shout, Greenwood too. Back/Smith/McCaw would have been a long conversation back then.
In 2003, who in that side was truly world class?
Lewsey, Robinson, Greenwood, Wilkinson, Thompson, Vickery, Johnson, Hill, Back, Dallaglio
paulosoxo - member[ picture of curly-haired baby-faced rugby player ]
Here's the future!
I'm also a fan on Launchbury but I would not put him ahead of Itoje and Kruis just now.
You can say the same for Wales and maybe 2 would get in.I can't think of one.
Nor me. Not Toby and North wouldnt look out of place I dont think but I doubt they would get in the team.
Perhaps with Nonu gone and with SBW playing 7's, there may be a [i]slim[/i] chance of Roberts getting in if he's better than Ngatai? (who looks pretty ****ing good to me though!)
True. Roberts is under rated IMO. As good as anyone defensively and if partnered with a better footballer at 10 and 13 very useful in attack. Works much better with Priestland than Biggar.
Hartley......how is he not world class? Best lineout throw in the world bar none, excellent scrummager at international level, and aggressive around the breakdown. Fair enough he's not got great hands/ball carrying ability.....still reckon that he's world class-not saying that he's the out and out best, but he's world class imo.
North would start in my world XV on current form.
Anyone with a Lions XV prediction then? 😀
Hartley......how is he not world class?
Off the top of my head
Dane Coles
That Aussie bloke
DuPlessis
Some other South Africans.
Guirado
North would start in my world XV on current form.
How? he doesn't get in ahead of Milner Skudder or Savea, and possibly a few others.
wrecker - MemberPerhaps with Nonu gone
Gone? He's still playing. At Toulon.
I didn't realise leaving to play in France rendered you ineligble for World XV selection - or is it administered by the RFU? 😉
I thought we were talking about the ABs?
If you put england up against the AB's 15 against 15 who would get into the AB team? You can say the same for Wales and maybe 2 would get in.
I thought we were talking about the ABs?
Well YOU were. I was talking about a World XV.
😳
Off the top of my head
Dane Coles
That Aussie bloke
DuPlessis
Some other South Africans.
Guirado
Ledesma
Moore
Mealamu
Hartley is a very solid international but lets not forget the majority of England fans didn't want him anywhere near the RWC squad. How times change 😉 Hartley can be considered World Class when he has sidestepped and outsprinted some of the best backs in the world, offloaded like SBW and run lines like AAC 🙂
Hartley can be considered World Class when he has sidestepped and outsprinted some of the best backs in the world, offloaded like SBW and run lines like AAC
Hardly! He's a hooker.
Your hooker needs to be good at scrummaging, throwing in and hooking (sometimes). It's also useful if he's a bit nasty too.
Tom Youngs is good at all those fancy things - because he used to be a centre. Unfortunately he's a crap hooker. This didn't stop Lancaster picking him for the RWC and leaving out Hartley because he was going to miss the first game against those masters of the set piece - Fiji.
lets not forget the majority of England fans didn't want him anywhere near the RWC squad
Most England fans with half a brain didn't want their best hooker left out. He could easily have been in the squad. Wales and Aus only took 2 hookers.
Look what happened to the English scrum with Youngs hooking.....
lets not forget the majority of England fans didn't want him anywhere near the RWC squad
I didn't (and still don't) want Tom Youngs anywhere near the team.
Hardly! He's a hooker.Your hooker needs to be good at scrummaging, throwing in and hooking (sometimes). It's also useful if he's a bit nasty too.
That's the bare minimum 😉 See examples of that and more (Moore? 🙂 ) listed above.
I didn't (and still don't) want Tom Youngs anywhere near the team.
Is that the England team or the World XV? 😆
Mate, I wouldn't want him at Bristol!
That's the bare minimum
I agree but he's a fearsome competitor too.
He's certainly in pole position for the Lions at any rate even if there are better hookers elsewhere.
😆Mate, I wouldn't want him at Bristol!
Not even at centre??
(It's where he seems to spend most of his time anyway.)
He's certainly in pole position for the Lions at any rate even if there are better hookers elsewhere.
Couldnt argue with that. I expect he will get banned again though!
Not even at centre??
I think we'll be ok thanks.....
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Are you seriously saying that the French 2 is better than Hartley?!!!!
Better in open play undoubtedly, but much worse at the actual bits that the hooker has to specifically do ie scrummage and throw!!!! Undoubtedly Coles and the two saffas are better than Dylan, I agree, but doesnt being favourite for the Lion's and up there in the top handful of hookers make him world class?!
Anyway, did anyone see Stephen Jones current Lions team tucked away in the corner of the Sunday Times? Think it had 10 Welshmen in it. Oh, and Hibbard at 2, but he isn't actually playing international rugby at present so doesn't count in the 10 😆
Lions
15 Halfpenny if unbroken/Hogg.
14 North.
13 Henshaw/recently unbroken Tuilangi.
12 Dr Chin.
11 Watson (or North,whatever side they play)
10 Irish Faker/Russell.
9 Recently unbroken Welshman/Murray
1 Fatter VP.
2 Hartley/George
3 Nel.
4 Kruis.
5 Davies.
6 Itoje.
7 Sam/C.J Stander.
8 Taller VP.
Guirado is better than Hartley yes. You do realise lineouts and scrums ate not all down to one player dont you?
Lions
15 Halfpenny if unbroken/Hogg.
14 North.
13 Henshaw/recently unbroken Tuilangi.
12 Dr Chin.
11 Watson (or North,whatever side they play)
10 Irish Faker/Russell.
9 Recently unbroken Welshman/Murray
1 Fatter VP.
2 Hartley/George
3 Nel.
4 Kruis.
5 Davies.
6 Itoje.
7 Sam/C.J Stander.
8 Taller VP.
Hogg would be nailed on for me. Davies is pretty average. I'd put Itoje at 5, Talupe Faletau at 8, I think he's a better all round player than Vunipola. Big hard carrying Islanders wontvworry NZ. Or maybe have Talupe at 6. Sam has been shit all season so its Stander at 7. AWJ and Sam would make the team if they were playing well but they havent been.
Good point about Faletau, but I wanted Itoje to have the smarts,and I think they would be a bit similar,taller VP has the job of fixing defenders. I got my Welsh locks mixed up,it was AWJ I wanted,although I wouldn't complain if it was the younger Gray.
AWJ would be nailed on. Cos he'd be captain.
🙄
He would need to be playing much better than he has this season.
10 ..... /Russell
😀
If you want to be serious at least chose the half back who could justify a place (9 on his back)
Russel was pretty good I thought, Scotland really missed him last week. That midget bloke is shit.
England prop Joe Marler will face an independent World Rugby misconduct hearing for calling Wales forward Samson Lee "Gypsy boy" during a Six Nations match on 12 March.
From beeb
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35887510 ]England prop Joe Marler will face an independent World Rugby misconduct hearing for calling Wales forward Samson Lee "Gypsy boy" during a Six Nations match on 12 March[/url]
beaten to it by seconds!!! 🙂
They will be dancing in the streets of Aberavon tonight
RN vs french marines. The lad taking a wallop at 14s is a friend of mine!
Not too much [i]entente cordiale[/i] there then!
Still, just a bit of youthful high jinx although if CHris Ashton was involved he'd obviously need at least a ten week ban.....
RN vs french marines
RN vs French Navy, not marines - well I guess some may be.
A relaxing trip down to Cote d'azur 😯 Toulon is the home of the French Navy
Hope he's ok wrecker, can't imagine that "game" continued
Ah, my mistake. I should have got it wrong the other way around seeing how many of the RN team are marines!
Hope he's ok wrecker, can't imagine that "game" continued
Oh, it did.
Quite normal too. I never played a game of any sport in the military which didn't have at lease a bit of that! If it was a proper gloves off type thing, we would agree to "prison rules" in advance.
They will be dancing in the streets of Aberavon tonight
Whys that? Just another chance for a sly dig at a non english group?
Of course it did, the French won 28-6
