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gingergenius
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (feicarsinn @ Feb 28 2010, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
England coaches in recent years suffer from 1) Inability to develop young talent properly and pick the right players, 2) Inability to select the correct gameplan and 3) bad luck with injuries.
Today, our player base:
Loosehead: Sheridan may not be the bees knees he's built up as, but he's a destructive loosehead and potentially gamechanging on his day. Payne is no replacement for the year that AS has missed through injury, and the GP is over-reliant on foreign props. Not to mention that world class Trevor Woodman had his career cut short by at least 5 years.
Tighthead: Same point about foreingers, but Vickery was a very good player. Cole is now coming through to fill his shoes.
Hooker: long ago, Hartley was identified as a future star, and he's not a bad option, though I still think a hooker's first job is lineout throwing, which Mears is better for. Not a problem position, considering only the French have any hookers worth their salt in this 6 Nations.
2nd Row: Shaw is world class and Lawes has massive potential as his natural successor at 4. Out of lineout locks we have no one as good as POC or Matfield. Borthwick is, I'm afraid, the next best option, seeing as Kennedy hasn't improved on his form of a few seasons ago. Gaskell has potential in this position.
Flanker: At 6 Haskell and Croft are good players. Granted, they're not Ferris or Dusautoir, but the All Blacks make do with Messam and Kaino, and these 2 are no worse. Tom Rees looked like he might grow into being the long term 7 for England. He had several battles with the likes of McCaw and stood up well. Now, out of action for ages. So we're stuck with Moody who has never been a proper 7. Saull needs to be brought through; Armitage deserves a chance.
Eight: Easter seems to be the only option, and he's OK. I said this years ago and I stick by it, a back row of Croft-Rees-Haskell could be very effective.
Scrum Half: Care needs to grow into the position, he's the sharpest 9 in the 6N but his pass and defence need work. Youngs and Simpson are good shouts for the future.
Fly Half: Wilkinson is past it. Cipriani is overhyped, but the hype is there because he has Giteau's level of talent. Unfortunately Giteau has his head on his neck and is the world's most entertaining playmaker, while Cipriani has his up his arse and is the world's biggest waste of talent. Toby Flood is the best option available, and I think a very good one.
Centres: Won't talk about Flutey, but we've cocked around with Tait for too long, Waldouck hasn't had a look in, and neither really have Allen, Clarke, Turner-Hall or any other young centres we have available to us.
Wings: Strettle, Simpson-Daniel - wrecked by injuries and coach conservatism. Let's hope Ashton, Cato and Ojo don't fall into the same category. Monye is decent if you put him in space, but he won't create anything on his own.
Fullback: Armitage and Foden are both very good options who've emerged in recent years.
In short, that's a very large pool of talented players who have emerged over the past few years. Given a few years, a good coach with good tactics could make 1) A very strong scrum, 2) A reliable lineout, 3) a mobile back row, 4) a set of backs oozing creativity.
Unfortunately, an England coach is so blinkered he sees no further than Sunday morning's headlines. An England coach knows what certain older players in the squad can bring to the table, and an England coach relies wholeheartedly on their experience to get that win. Too bad that old players who aren't world class and never were world class, can never develop into world class players. An England coach continues their conservative outlook by choosing a gameplan and fly-half that completely nullify the point of having any pace and creativity out wide.
What will happen? England will stutter through the remaining internationals leading up to 2011 RWC and reach the quarters there, and maybe even grind their way to a semi. What won't happen? Johnson's masterplan clicks into place and England suddenly start winning big games, stuffing **** teams like Italy and Scotland, and going into the RWC with some realistic hopes.
What should happen? After 2011, we appoint a proper coach (Booth, Mallender, etc.) on a flat out 4 year contract. He can then avoid having to worry about job security, and headlines, and get on with the process of building a team that is globally respected, and one that can go into 2015 with a serious chance of winning.
England coaches in recent years suffer from 1) Inability to develop young talent properly and pick the right players, 2) Inability to select the correct gameplan and 3) bad luck with injuries.
Today, our player base:
Loosehead: Sheridan may not be the bees knees he's built up as, but he's a destructive loosehead and potentially gamechanging on his day. Payne is no replacement for the year that AS has missed through injury, and the GP is over-reliant on foreign props. Not to mention that world class Trevor Woodman had his career cut short by at least 5 years.
Tighthead: Same point about foreingers, but Vickery was a very good player. Cole is now coming through to fill his shoes.
Hooker: long ago, Hartley was identified as a future star, and he's not a bad option, though I still think a hooker's first job is lineout throwing, which Mears is better for. Not a problem position, considering only the French have any hookers worth their salt in this 6 Nations.
2nd Row: Shaw is world class and Lawes has massive potential as his natural successor at 4. Out of lineout locks we have no one as good as POC or Matfield. Borthwick is, I'm afraid, the next best option, seeing as Kennedy hasn't improved on his form of a few seasons ago. Gaskell has potential in this position.
Flanker: At 6 Haskell and Croft are good players. Granted, they're not Ferris or Dusautoir, but the All Blacks make do with Messam and Kaino, and these 2 are no worse. Tom Rees looked like he might grow into being the long term 7 for England. He had several battles with the likes of McCaw and stood up well. Now, out of action for ages. So we're stuck with Moody who has never been a proper 7. Saull needs to be brought through; Armitage deserves a chance.
Eight: Easter seems to be the only option, and he's OK. I said this years ago and I stick by it, a back row of Croft-Rees-Haskell could be very effective.
Scrum Half: Care needs to grow into the position, he's the sharpest 9 in the 6N but his pass and defence need work. Youngs and Simpson are good shouts for the future.
Fly Half: Wilkinson is past it. Cipriani is overhyped, but the hype is there because he has Giteau's level of talent. Unfortunately Giteau has his head on his neck and is the world's most entertaining playmaker, while Cipriani has his up his arse and is the world's biggest waste of talent. Toby Flood is the best option available, and I think a very good one.
Centres: Won't talk about Flutey, but we've cocked around with Tait for too long, Waldouck hasn't had a look in, and neither really have Allen, Clarke, Turner-Hall or any other young centres we have available to us.
Wings: Strettle, Simpson-Daniel - wrecked by injuries and coach conservatism. Let's hope Ashton, Cato and Ojo don't fall into the same category. Monye is decent if you put him in space, but he won't create anything on his own.
Fullback: Armitage and Foden are both very good options who've emerged in recent years.
In short, that's a very large pool of talented players who have emerged over the past few years. Given a few years, a good coach with good tactics could make 1) A very strong scrum, 2) A reliable lineout, 3) a mobile back row, 4) a set of backs oozing creativity.
Unfortunately, an England coach is so blinkered he sees no further than Sunday morning's headlines. An England coach knows what certain older players in the squad can bring to the table, and an England coach relies wholeheartedly on their experience to get that win. Too bad that old players who aren't world class and never were world class, can never develop into world class players. An England coach continues their conservative outlook by choosing a gameplan and fly-half that completely nullify the point of having any pace and creativity out wide.
What will happen? England will stutter through the remaining internationals leading up to 2011 RWC and reach the quarters there, and maybe even grind their way to a semi. What won't happen? Johnson's masterplan clicks into place and England suddenly start winning big games, stuffing **** teams like Italy and Scotland, and going into the RWC with some realistic hopes.
What should happen? After 2011, we appoint a proper coach (Booth, Mallender, etc.) on a flat out 4 year contract. He can then avoid having to worry about job security, and headlines, and get on with the process of building a team that is globally respected, and one that can go into 2015 with a serious chance of winning.
. I LOVE TOMMY BOWE, BEST FINISHER IN THE WORLD[/b]
