Dylan **** Hartley set to be New England captain. Unbelievable. I'm feeling the hatred there.
That would be a fantastic appointment.
Dylan **** Hartley set to be New England captain.
Well the captain needs to be a definite first choice and be clearly the best player in his position - Hartley ticks both boxes. He's also the hooker other teams least like playing against (despite the yellow cards).
He is also a kn*b and not actually English but this is international sport so, if we want to win, I can't see any better alternatives.
if we want to win, I can't see any better alternatives.
This.
Plus he has some grit & experience as a player and captain also.
Also published is a vice-captaincy setup proposed, so Dylan will know its only his to keep if he behaves himself, as there's obviously a succession plan in place.
Its no good being first choice if you can't remain on the field.
I don't think Robshaw in his 40 odd caps as Captain ever got subbed. Fat lot of good that did England 😆
Its no good being first choice if you can't remain on the field.
True, although he's only had 3 yellows in 66 international appearances.
Whereas James Haskell has had 4 in 62 caps and nobody goes on about that - probably because they're going on about how sh*te he is instead....
Interestingly (well for me anyway) the record holder is Marco Bortolami with seven yellows.
The list of players on six includes usual suspects like Jamie Cudmore, Schalk Burger, a couple of Georgian Back-Rowers and Bryan Habana!
[url= http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_yellow_cards.html?id=1;type=class ]Yellow Card Individual Records[/url]
What happened to the picture of Dave Denton's injury that I posted up?
Also, see they're trialling 6 point tries, 2 point penalties and drop goals, 5 seconds for a maul to move of it's over and front rows coming into contact on crouch instead of engage from next season.
Good on him. I had similar in Pret earlier today "could you stop swearing in front of my son please" followed by a staring competition. I love staring comps.
Matt Morgan leaving Bristol at end of season, most likely to Blues. That fat Ulster 8 is going to waddle anout and get yellow cards for Cardiff next season too
Anyone want to Fantasy 6N England Team? I'll start:
1 - Hartley/Youngs
2 - Dunno / Alex Brown
3 - Cole / Dunno
4 - Launchbury/Attwood
5 - Lawes / Gaskell
6 - Robshaw 😀
7 - Nathan Hughes / Dunno
8 - Vianikola / Sam Jones
9 - Care / Youngs
10 - Farrell / Ford / Lowoski
11 - Watson / Gashton / Semendaki
12 - Elliot Daly / Burrell / Farell
13 - Tuilagi / / Daly / Nowell
14 - Nowell / May
15 - Brown/Goode
Froth away... 😀
Never really understood people getting annoyed or embarrassed about swearing. Swearing is noise coming out of your mouth. It is used for emphasis or because you can't think of a good enough non-swear word. It does no harm to anyone and yet it's seen as more serious than actual violence. Swearing before the watershed is seen as a big no-no and yet fighting and hurtful speech is seen as fine.
You never hear commentators apologising for players fighting on the field.
Well in the case I wrote about above it was the fact the guy was calling the lady in the cafe a ****ing phillipino **** that got my back up.
- Hartley/Youngs
2 - Dunno / Alex Brown
3 - Cole / Dunno
4 - Launchbury/Attwood
5 - Lawes / Gaskell
6 - Robshaw
7 - Nathan Hughes / Dunno
8 - Vianikola / Sam Jones
9 - Care / Youngs
10 - Farrell / Ford / Lowoski
11 - Watson / Gashton / Semendaki
12 - Elliot Daly / Burrell / Farell
13 - Tuilagi / / Daly / Nowell
14 - Nowell / May
15 - Brown/Goode
Dear God old chap. I suppose having 2 players in most positions will help but even then two hookers at loosehead is novel to say the least!
Hartley as a prop??? Fantasy is a good word
I presume its Lesley Vinakolo at 8? These south sea islanders all lookbthe same eh?
Wales then?
Gethin
Owens
Lee
Jones
Davies/Charteris
Lydiate
Faletau
Warburton
Davies
North
Biggar
Roberts
Davies
Cuthbert or Loopy Liam if fit.
1/2p
Evans
Baldwin
Jones
Charters/Davies
L Williams
Patchel
S Williams
Anscombe
Kryters, the fail is strong with you today!
Beat the Scabs at their place by a point doesn't get better than that. 😆
Waiting for Idle Jon to give details as I am in Cumbria
Beat the Scabs at their place by a point doesn't get better than that.
Lydiate very nearly gave it away at the end. Fool.
Mako V
Hartley
Brooke's
Atwood
Launchbury
Robshaw
Mccaffrey
Billy V
Care
Ford
Burrell
Daley(Slade b4 leg break)
Ashton
May
Watson
M Vunipola
J George
K Brookes
Attwood
Launchbury
Itoje
O'Connor
Beaumont
Simpson
Ford
May
Nowell (I know I know but I reckon he could do a job there, and the alternatives aren't exactly demanding selection)
Joseph/Daly
Watson
Brown
12 scares the living daylights out of me tbh. Burrell is in awful form, 12Ts isn't even playing 12 for his club that much any more and in the games I watch in the AP no one else is really putting their hand up, apart from maybe that chap at Irish (Williams is it?). Hence my selection of Nowell, everyone moans about him not having the pace for wing but he's tough, a strong runner who always seems to beat the first man, defensively sound and seems to make the right decisions all the time. Really impressive at 13 for the Chiefs and see no reason why he couldn't make that move inside.
Tbh at the moment the way Farrell is playing I wouldn't even be too bothered if Jones played him at 12.
Williams looked good today. I like ekul's selection but whoever plays 8 is just keeping the shirt warm for Hughes once he qualifies and I wouldn't let George Ford anywhere near an england shirt at present. Without a dominant pack, he's rubbish.
Yeah Hughes looks unbelievable, but as this was a 6Ns dream team I couldn't include him! Haven't got Billy V in as I think the back row will need to be more mobile than it has been and Beaumont is a good compromise until Hughes qualifies.
I echo Wreckers concerns about Ford but I think I lot of his issues shouldn't be there in an England shirt. He SHOULD be behind a fairly dominant pack and he should have options to get front foot ball. I think baths biggest issue at the moment is not having anyone to take the ball up in midfield and get quick, go forward ball to suck in defenders and create a quick platform. Baths midfield are awesome at broken field play but when there's no options they don't have anyone to truck it up and go again. For England Ford should have that. It doesn't even need to be the 12, a quick mobile back row could answer that.
So Bath need a big boshing inside centre?? Didn't they have one of those, but played him at flanker.
Not so much a centre, just a big carrying option. They had a couple but it completely backfired on them and they both left (Fearns and Burgess). Floew is an awesome player but not a big carrier and Houston isn't quite the same this year.
Marler/Mullan
Hartley/George
Thomas?
Slater/Lawes
Launchbury/Attwood
O Connor/Clifford
Vunipola/Beaumont
Robshaw/Itoge
Care/Simpson
Farrell/Cipriani
Nowell/Rokoduguni
Burrell/Williams
JJ/Daly (can we play both?)
Watson/Ashton
Brown/?
Similarities in the tighthead prop position as the inside centre berth; england have a large number of very good looseheads (Waller, Auterac, Mullan, Marler) but, seemingly nobody to challenge wilson or cole for the tight (and neither are good enough).
Shame that Brookes and Slade are injured; they'd both be in otherwise.
Bearing in mind the lofty ambitions they have (you were going to pump Wales and Oz and avoiding the cheating All Blacks meant anything could happen,remember?)it is heartening to see that the Engerland supporters are still in denial and a lot of them seem to think they have two international class players for every position. I am trying to think of one successful player in white..sorry; to "wear the red rose" from the campaign. Oh wait,got it; Launchbury won MotM 😛
On a serious note,Burrell is justifying the logic of dropping him and Lawes,Cipriani and Marler the hinge aren't good enough,either because of form just now or ever. Picking players because they didn't play in the WC doesn't mean they are any good.
Says the Scot 😆
Tell you what; we will lend you a 7 and a centre,we have a few spare.
Pity about the other 13 though.
Tell you what; we will lend you a 7 and a centre,we have a few spare.
I think we'll be alright, but thanks. This conversation is probably better had after the 6 nations no?
This conversation is probably better had after the 6 nations no?
Could be better now.... the Scots have the potential for some big upsets (how many times do we hear that?!).... but in truth will do very well to match their WC performances. Who knows, should be an interesting 6N
match their WC performances
Beating Japan, the USA and Samoa (just). Heady heights indeed.
Beating Japan, the USA and Samoa (just). Heady heights indeed.
If you extrapolate that logic to any of the home nations then they all hit pretty much the same heady heights. Scotland come out looking marginally better than England at that rate if anything! 😀
This has all been done before but performance-wise they looked to really be getting their act together finally. More potential than ever recently but also probably more potential to let down the fans 😕 😀 They scored more points than any other home nation if I'm not mistaken too??? Interceptions count too! 😀
I'm amazed how poor a reputation Tom Youngs seems to have with any non Tigers supporter. His line out stats are as good as any, and better than most, seems to go brilliantly in the scrum with Leicester ( with Cole who's also getting stic) despite being England's only decent scrummager and thier best 7 at the World Cup) and is in a class of his own in open play.
I also think that mostly the same players should / will perform so much better in the six nations it'll shock a few (Scots included)
That should get a bite.... 🙂
I agree. I think there was a lot of shit flying about behind the scenes and basically the players were mentally in disarray. It seems the investigation has been forgotten about.
Hartley is your best hooker.
Not a chance. Line outs no better, he pops up in the scrums and he's not as mobile around the park, making fewer tackles, getting to fewer rucks and making less runs.
He is a dick though if that helps?
Great you make sure Youngs is picked.
Wales then?
Gethin
Owens
Lee
Jones
Davies/Charteris
Lydiate
Faletau
Warburton
Davies
North
Biggar
Roberts
Davies
Cuthbert or Loopy Liam if fit.
1/2p
Evans
Baldwin
Jones
Charters/Davies
L Williams
Patchel
S Williams
Anscombe
Apparently 1/2p will moss all six nations and Loopy Liam and Anscombe struggling as is Amos so full back looks a real problem for Wales. Patchel has been playing 15 a fair bit so maybe him or Dan Evans.
No messing around England-just stick kvesic at 7. 😉
Hartley and George are both better than Youngs. Cole has struggled in the scrums (for eng at least) ever since the law change. I've put Slater in if that helps?
He is a dick though if that helps?
Defining feature of a good hooker.
Kryton57 - Member
Pity about the other 13 though.
Yup,but give Jones time,Rome wasn't built in a day.