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[2023 Six Nations] England Squad

I don't care to be honest. We get so much **** and hate from everyone and seem to be expected to just sit and take it. Well I'm fed up of it.
We get lots of shite from everybody, mostly tired and boring cliche, and your type of response is exactly the type of bite they're looking for. Mack Hansen's always seemed a decent bloke in every interview I've heard him give and his comments were taken way out of context to provide clickbait headline. Did you read the interview?
 
Back to the rugby, I hate to say this but was EJ right about all the form players in the prem? OHC, earl, Dombrant all shown not to cut it at international level or do we just have a really poor core of players that needs to be replaced so skilled players like those can slot in.
What is increasingly evident is that there's a massive gap between the Prem and international game and that what works in one won't necessarily translate to the other.

Jones was right to identify that although we can argue til we're blue in the face that he should / shouldn't have tried X player or Y player. Excelling in Europe is likely to be a better guide, but we know all about the challenges English clubs face there.
 
What is increasingly evident is that there's a massive gap between the Prem and international game and that what works in one won't necessarily translate to the other.

Jones was right to identify that although we can argue til we're blue in the face that he should / shouldn't have tried X player or Y player. Excelling in Europe is likely to be a better guide, but we know all about the challenges English clubs face there.
A friend pointed out similar. He pointed out how hight scoring and free flowing the Prem is at the moment. He then said or defences are s@it and it's translated to the England team. Saints and Quins for example will out score teams but even as a Saints fan i expect will concede at least three tries a game
 
Owen Farrell was driving to Hendon when he picked up a hitchhiker. The grateful passenger started chatting about sports, and soon got to rugby.

"I just think England would be better if they had a bit of ambition to play. They should move the ball across the back line a bit more".

Farrell shook his head angrily. "Wait a minute, pal. Do you not know who I am?"

"Of course", said the passenger. "Do you not know who I am?"

Farrell got even angrier. "Why should I know who you are?"

The passenger says, "Faz, I'm your outside centre!"
 
I had a quick Google and saw 6-12 weeks as recovery time - not sure how different that is for a pro athlete: on the one hand they have access to better medical/physio care than the average member of the public, on the other hand they need it to be strong enough to be back anchoring a scrum not just walking round Tesco

12 weeks would mean missing the rest of the season but back during the summer - I reckon he still makes the world cup squad if he doesn't play again before then but is signed off by the docs before the bulk of the training camps are done
 
I had a quick Google and saw 6-12 weeks as recovery time - not sure how different that is for a pro athlete: on the one hand they have access to better medical/physio care than the average member of the public, on the other hand they need it to be strong enough to be back anchoring a scrum not just walking round Tesco

12 weeks would mean missing the rest of the season but back during the summer - I reckon he still makes the world cup squad if he doesn't play again before then but is signed off by the docs before the bulk of the training camps are done
Borthwick saying he's likely to be out for 5 or 6 months which unfortunately would make the RWC a tough ask.
 
Borthwick saying he's likely to be out for 5 or 6 months which unfortunately would make the RWC a tough ask.

According to some comments that means he will be in peak fitness ready for the world cup because he wouldn't haven't played in any of those pesky games!
 
According to some comments that means he will be in peak fitness ready for the world cup because he wouldn't haven't played in any of those pesky games!
Well there's recovering from the physical injury itself and then there's recovering match fitness and sharpness, which can only be done through playing games.
 
Surely give Ribbans ago....i dont get why he hasnt been given more time.
Isn't that because Ribbans is leaving the UK in a couple of months?

Excelling in Europe is likely to be a better guide, but we know all about the challenges English clubs face there.
Exeter and Bristol have won European ***les in the past couple of years or so, funnily enough they have had some of the lowest player representation for England. But that's not the key; the premiership operating on half the playing budget of French clubs and even less vs the likes of Leinster, is.
but even as a Saints fan i expect will concede at least three tries a game
Saints have the worst D in the league so that is no surprise (Bristol putting 9 tries past you recently not going to help with that stat) but I wouldn't worry too much as Quins won the league with similar stats. I think there is a philosophical mismatch between how England have traditionally played and how many of the players actually play now. There is more too, but it can boil down to international rugby (read RFU) has to actually give for a change and stop driving the game into the ground. Similar to the traditional premiership old guard hobbling other clubs to maintain the status quo.
 
Isn't that because Ribbans is leaving the UK in a couple of months?


Exeter and Bristol have won European ***les in the past couple of years or so, funnily enough they have had some of the lowest player representation for England. But that's not the key; the premiership operating on half the playing budget of French clubs and even less vs the likes of Leinster, is.

Saints have the worst D in the league so that is no surprise (Bristol putting 9 tries past you recently not going to help with that stat) but I wouldn't worry too much as Quins won the league with similar stats. I think there is a philosophical mismatch between how England have traditionally played and how many of the players actually play now. There is more too, but it can boil down to international rugby (read RFU) has to actually give for a change and stop driving the game into the ground. Similar to the traditional premiership old guard hobbling other clubs to maintain the status quo.
But then why have him in the squad at all??
 
So then I repeat why so little time. Just doesn't make sense.
I guess because he's only ever been seen as a fair way down the pecking order.

Hill's now out of favour, Chessum's now hurt and Isiekwe's not really found his best form after injury. All of those firing would probably have been rated ahead of Ribbans. Not to mention Lawes, Launchbury and Ewels who are all off the scene at the moment but who might be picked ahead of him or at least be contingency in a RWC squad.
 
I guess because he's only ever been seen as a fair way down the pecking order.

Hill's now out of favour, Chessum's now hurt and Isiekwe's not really found his best form after injury. All of those firing would probably have been rated ahead of Ribbans. Not to mention Lawes, Launchbury and Ewels who are all off the scene at the moment but who might be picked ahead of him or at least be contingency in a RWC squad.
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