So ducks, who is happier? You, that Ashton has been treated appropriately/harshly, or the English fans that he wont be playing? Tough call 😉
Still cant see anything beyond a crap tackle and a penalty/yellow card. Any contact with the eye can only have been co-incidental. Still chance for more new young blood...
Dylan set to be named England captain according to the bbc - suspect that's why Tom Youngs is dropped from squad, can't have a player better than the captain on the bench!
Must admit, I'm quite surprised, but I have no idea who I would have given it to, so that'll have to do.
I hear a lot of rubgy pundits talking up the Hartley-for-captain thing on the radio - saying England need a bit of in your face belligerence, a bit of edge, a bit of this, a bit of that. I dunno...do we really think he can keep a lid on it and stay on the pitch? Seems a bit suicidal to me. I hope not (honestly, because he's a bloody good hooker) - but in today's game I can see other teams targeting him...
He has less Yellows - 3 - in an England shirt than Johnson DD. He seems remarkably restrained when dress in white.
But yes does have a passionate anger about the pitch and I'd agree we need this.
Meh. I don't think it's a big deal. Whoever it is will be a placeholder until Jones gets to know the players. He has to name someone.
Woah, he is good around the park but Angryabusingbiteygougey Kiwi is a rubbish at actually hooking 😆
He's better than Youngs!
Dylan set to be named England captain according to the bbc - suspect that's why Tom Youngs is dropped from squad, can't have a player better than the captain on the bench!
I think this is a bad appointment. I see the reasoning, Hartley is a top player, and Eddie Jones wants to make his mark and appoint a captain whose the polar opposite of Robshawe. I would have gone for Dan Cole, but maybe he didn't want it, who knows.
struggle with the concept of a cap'n that needs to be subbed at 60!!
"Ritchie/POC mate, off you come, time's up!"
So ducks, who is happier? You, that Ashton has been treated appropriately/harshly, or the English fans that he wont be playing? Tough call
I will bite, I think Ashton is being treated harshly,what damns him is the fact he turns the "offending" hand into a fist as soon as it comes off the face area. That made the ex ref in me suspect there might a bit more to it. I have less worry about England's backs than their pack. For all the brave new world of Eddie,it will be with one notable exception, the same England backs;none of who have kicked on.
It is quite an enjoyable situation for a Scot to be looking at Hogg and Jackson deciding they aren't quite good enough for Scotland's backs just now. Two years ago we were arguing over Shindler and playing Tom Heathcoate.A back row of Cowan,Hardie and Strauss will also do nicely. If Cotter can adopt the same defence against the catch and drive game that Glasgow used against Saints, then you lot are in for a game.
You've not been watching the premiership then Duckman, or noted any of the "new" names appearing in this very thread?
I think you should be a lot more worried about England backs than you would have been in 2015, and might have been in the 3 years preceding that. Eddie's going to open up the attack - with attacking and skillful players not a backline which revolves around Barrit.
[hijack]duckie, did you get my email?[/hijack]
I will bite
Are you Dylan in disguise? 😉
But no need, it was a straight question!
Kryton57 - Member
will most certainly be cheering the Aussies in their match!Me too. Warrens lost his best forwards and England will tear them a new one their, and now our back line is up to the defence with attack options at last. Aus much closer vs Wales, but England to beat both. I do fear our lack of a 7 will cause issues against Aus, so we need to carry and stay standing up / be fast onto the ball or lose by pens.
England V Aus is the decider of that group, Wales will lose to both
I do love it when you make predictions!
Sorry THM,we have previous and it was the suggestion I would be happy that he may have been treated harshly. I think the ban was a 50/50 call.
DD,just checked both replies were in junk mail,many thanks;sound advice.
Ok, no worries duckie. You're welcome.
nae probs pal!
I do love it when you make predictions!
Hindsight does show that there were extenuating circumstances, we should have won, and everyone (english) knows that.
But just on the basis of my own incredible ability to predict the opposite, I'm predicting that in no way whatsover will England win the 6N 😀
I will bite, I think Ashton is being treated harshly,what damns him is the fact he turns the "offending" hand into a fist as soon as it comes off the face area.
I kind of agree but there have been far more dubious ones getting longer bans. He had hands in the face and this is treated very seriously at the moment. As you say going to a fist didn't help the replays look any better.
Some of Harley's bans have been pretty harsh and the Ritchie Rees eye gouge ban is one that sticks in the mind. He was in the middle of a ton of players, he couldn't remember anything happening, Hartley (the victim this time) couldn't remember happening, the TV replays couldn't find anything but Rees still got 12 weeks.
Given the choice between Hartley or Youngs I would far rather "my team" to come up against Youngs and I'm sure the players themselves would too. Why is Brown's temperament lauded by the English press and fans but Hartley is a liability? Maybe Hartley is just better at getting punished poor chap? 😀 Anyway, England had to implement something quickly and this isn't the worst option out there.
Having lots of exciting youngsters is all well and good but stepping up a level and functioning as a team overnight isn't going to happen. Scrape through the 6N and then push on in November with more time to assess the situation and build further (although we all know the pressures above will likely keep a stodgy team until the dawn of the next RWC when overnight change will suddenly then be demanded). 😆
I have had somebody's fingers in my eyes,it isn't nice ( don't think he liked me biting his wrist as best I could!) One of the Quinnell bros lost an eye in an incident nobody was ever charged with,so yeah fair play if the err on the side of caution to send out a message.
Why is Brown's temperament lauded by the English press and fans but Hartley is a liability?
Didn't know Brown had been sent off / banned a number of times, including a premiership final for calling the ref a "cheating ****" just after being warned!
Not the best hooker in the country, neither in the loose nor the set piece.
Not captain of his club side.
Geting on a bit, and unlikely to be a starter at the next World cup.
Likely to play less than the full 80 minutes.
Sometimes lets his passion get in the way of the right decision making,
But, he's got a good bit of fight in him* and should make a decent leader that the younger players will raise their game for.
Good call as captain for now, Rory Best.
*Playing on with a broken arm...
teamhurtmore - Member
struggle with the concept of a cap'n that needs to be subbed at 60!!"Ritchie/POC mate, off you come, time's up!"
POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #
Makes a lot of sense for an interim captain. Succession planning.
Let a younger lad get a taste of leading for 20 minutes towards the end of each game without all the pressure, politics, Title, commitment and drama of being the New National Captain.
Pretty sure it's how the ABs brought Ritchie through at the start, and Sam Cane had a go too in the last WC, and allows the coach a little room to have a look at their leadership without committing.
Pretty sure Best won't be leading the teams out in Japan but if the coach plays this out right they could end up with the right man for the next 10 years.
A strategy worth copying, perhaps.
Youngs isn't in the squad because he can't hook, apparently Jones wants a hooker who can deliver quick channel 1 ball.
That's would be good to see...fast scrum ball
"hindsight does show there were extenuating circumstances"
Like what exactly?
The Ref didn't blow for the end of the match after 55 minutes?
Or that England were not allowed to be given the shot at goal after the failed line out as correct decision making isn't really part of the game and doesn't count?
The penalty Brown gave away was just not fair?
Or that Wales should not have been allowed to play a scrum half on the wing and AN Other supporter plucked out of the crowd to make up the numbers? 😉
Youngs was hooking perfectly well against Treviso at the weekend. Fair enough not the strongest side in the world but he can do it. And he's better in the loose than most of the other hookers that have been mentioned for England. Fair enough his throwing has not been a total success but Leicester always seem to be ok in the line outs so he can't be that bad.
Yes I am a Tigers fan and i'm not saying Youngs should definitely be in the squad, and i'm not saying the Hartley is shit or shouldn't be in the squad either. But looking at the season so far George should be the 1st choice hooker for England, and Youngs is far better than Luke Cowan-Dicke!
I just think it would be a bit silly to pick a captain that is not the best for his position and before you've even had a training session yet.
Thing is, Youngs and Hartley will both be 32/33 at the next RWC. EJ has decided that there isn't much point in having two players at that age there and is actually planning, something England haven't done in a long time, if ever. Even the saxons team is normally full of older players. Youngs is certainly better than LCD at the moment, but will he be in 4 years?
Youngs was hooking perfectly well against Treviso at the weekend.
He wasn't from what I have seen, but I may have a different view of what constitutes good hooking.
Youngs was hooking (he often doesn't), but his lineouts were looking a little dodgy, although I think they all went to hand.
Wrecker - that is the clearest I've seen the argument for not having both in the squad put, and makes a lot of sense.
Anyway, 2 weeks to 6 nations - can't wait!
So, Toulon owner keen on joining the Aviva Prem according to rumours in France.
Youngs was hooking
I am not saying he wasn't, I was questioning the use of "well". Anyway here are Brian Moore's thoughts, he probably knows a bit more about hooking than me - [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/12104689/Six-Nations-2016-Eddie-Jones-mean-streak-will-serve-him-well-as-England-head-coach.html ]here[/url]
So, Toulon owner keen on joining the Aviva Prem according to rumours in France.
He won't like the salary cap.
He prefers the English salary cap to the French one (is this new?) apparently, not sure that this is a good thing.
Just saw this posted on the tigers forum, thought it might interest a few.
Hindsight does show that there were extenuating circumstances, we should have won, and everyone (english) knows that.
Ho ho ho
Today's Saries kit is awful
It obviously put Owen Farrell off to, when he dropped that ball. Oops!!
Did he fix his hair after he fell over?
Exeter are through to the QF!!! What a match and a result! Took everyone a few minutes after the game to work it out but they effectively went from 3rd in the group at kick off to winning the group By points difference (I think that's it?). Clermont out by 3 points, and Parra tapped and went under the posts in the 79th minute 😆
Parra tapped and went under the posts in the 79th minute
No he didn't. He tried to and failed miserably and he deserves to be slapped by every Clermont fan in the stadium for that idiotic bit of play.
Nice to see the Ospreys achieving exactly the same as they do every year lately. Donkeys.
Even though they beat the 'Spreys, bravo Exeter! A real achievement for a real club.
A real turnaround for the English clubs this year - only Bath didn't make it through. I'm not sure why, but the Irish provinces have really gone off the boil.
only Bath didn't make it through.
#BlameBurgess
Maybe blame the Burgess Saga - not sure I blame the man himself for going back to league.
So :
Sarries v Saints
Tigers v Stade F
Racing v Toulon
Wasps v Exeter.
I think!