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most overrated player and team in the 6 nations

Another overrated player: Captain Robshaw

Decent performer for 'Quins he may be but why elevate him to captain the side? All that "warrior" nonsense is absurd. The press called him a "warrior" for picking a fight with Chris Cusiter - the smallest man on the field.

Picking a captain first is nonsense. It harks back to when Jack Rowell picked Phil de Glanville as captain and left Guscott out for a whole season as a result.

If you think he's only been a decent performer for Quins, you're underrating him massively. Also, where's the better player left out for Robshaw? He's there by merit and then captain because he's the best leader in the fifteen.
 
He's played OK against the two poorest sides in the 6N.

I think making him captain for the rest of the tournament is dumb if Tom Wood gets fit again. Then you have to pick him just because he's captain.

Agreed there are no outstanding competitors for the back row as England deem it unneccessary to pick a proper openside. I just think choosing someone as a captain first limits your options.
 
Another overrated player: Captain Robshaw

Decent performer for 'Quins he may be but why elevate him to captain the side? All that "warrior" nonsense is absurd. The press called him a "warrior" for picking a fight with Chris Cusiter - the smallest man on the field.

Picking a captain first is nonsense. It harks back to when Jack Rowell picked Phil de Glanville as captain and left Guscott out for a whole season as a result.

Decent? Nope. A consistent, high-level performer, more like it. Granted, he's not (yet?) on the level of the better SH opensides (his future position in the backrow, debatable) but he's a damned fine player.

For once, it'd be nice to let a young(ish) player and captain get the chance to bed himself in, before vilifying him. Can't say that I read one newspaper article that considered him a "warrior" thank in part to his manhandling of Custier either. The fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve and seems to leave every ounce of effort he can muster on the field is enough at this early stage in his international career. A hard-working and well-respected young man.
 
He's played OK against the two poorest sides in the 6N.

I think making him captain for the rest of the tournament is dumb if Tom Wood gets fit again. Then you have to pick him just because he's captain.

Agreed there are no outstanding competitors for the back row as England deem it unneccessary to pick a proper openside. I just think choosing someone as a captain first limits your options.

He's played well against two good backrow units in his first two "proper" games for his country, as part of a new-look side.

We don't know the ins and outs of it, but if he has the respect of the coaches and fellow players, who are we to say that removing him from the position wouldnt be detrimental? We cannot presume to know what goes on behind closed doors.

And if anything, its the continual inclusion of Croft that is keeping Robshaw from donning the 6 jersey.
 
Ritchie Gray.

QUOTE]

My wife watched the England vs Scotland game with me for the first time and she said "doesnt that tall guy look like a running girrafe, with all his neck movements"
I PMSL cuz i never realised he looked so silly when he tries to run at full speed lolz
 
Ritchie Gray.

QUOTE]

My wife watched the England vs Scotland game with me for the first time and she said "doesnt that tall guy look like a running girrafe, with all his neck movements"
I PMSL cuz i never realised he looked so silly when he tries to run at full speed lolz

Yeah, Jerry Guscott made the mistake of referring to him as "bambi on ice", if I remember correctly. Didn't work out too well for him.

Whatever you make of Scotland's game plan, the man has a rare talent and, at just 22, has many more years ahead of him.
 
He's played OK against the two poorest sides in the 6N.

I think making him captain for the rest of the tournament is dumb if Tom Wood gets fit again. Then you have to pick him just because he's captain.

Agreed there are no outstanding competitors for the back row as England deem it unneccessary to pick a proper openside. I just think choosing someone as a captain first limits your options.

Not what you said originally, and not something I'd agree with anyway - he's been more than ok, has had two good games with only two blemishes at most (that pass to Ashton, and the fact he hasn't won a turnover yet). Dismissing Scotland and Italy as the two poorest sides in the 6N ignores the fact that both have strong back-rows and packs in general.

Croft or Dowson (the latter a pinch) can make way if you want to bring in Wood, but it's not he's even fit for club rugby yet so that's a way off. Robshaw's position in the first XV looks very secure for this tournament on grounds of ability and versatility alone, so it's not like he's in solely because he's captain.

Finally, I'll point out that virtually every country picks a captain for the entire tournament at the outset. I can't think of one that doesn't. If you don't agree with it, fine, but I've got virtually every international coach out there at present on my side on this one ;)
 
Another overrated player: Captain Robshaw

Decent performer for 'Quins he may be but why elevate him to captain the side? All that "warrior" nonsense is absurd. The press called him a "warrior" for picking a fight with Chris Cusiter - the smallest man on the field.

Picking a captain first is nonsense. It harks back to when Jack Rowell picked Phil de Glanville as captain and left Guscott out for a whole season as a result.

You dont know what your talking about. Robshaw should of gone to the RWC. Ok he isn't a No. 7 but as cpt flanker can you name anyone better then him in England?? Shut it mate.
 
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You dont know what your talking about. Robshaw should of gone to the RWC. Ok he isn't a No. 7 but as cpt flanker can you name anyone better then him in England?? Shut it mate.
Better in which position? 6 or 7?
6: Probably no one.
7: Seymour, Gibson, Kvesic, Saull (and I don't rate him) etc. + the injured of Fourie and Rees
 
Better in which position? 6 or 7?
6: Probably no one.
7: Seymour, Gibson, Kvesic, Saull (and I don't rate him) etc. + the injured of Fourie and Rees

Kvesic on the openside? Granted, I havent seen him play as much as i'd like, not to mention Worcester having to move him around, but i've always envisaged him on the blindside.
 
I was under the impression that Kvesic was an openside who can play 6 and 8 to accomodate other players?
Certainly has the skills at the breakdown, and played very well there whenever I've seen him in a 7 shirt.
 
I was under the impression that Kvesic was an openside who can play 6 and 8 to accomodate other players?
Certainly has the skills at the breakdown, and played very well there whenever I've seen him in a 7 shirt.

Started his career as an 8, although probably too small to play there at the top level. Probably safest to think of him as a back-row at this point.
 
Started his career as an 8, although probably too small to play there at the top level. Probably safest to think of him as a back-row at this point.

Plays on the blindside for the u20, but has to be moved around at Worcs to help deal with injuries/lack of depth and quality.

But either way, not in a position to challenge Robshaw for the jersey for the next couple of years.


Back onto overrated, whats the take on Hook? Has oft' been labelled as a mercurial talent, but hasn't been able to find himself a settled role, domestically or internationally.
 
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Finally, I'll point out that virtually every country picks a captain for the entire tournament at the outset. I can't think of one that doesn't. If you don't agree with it, fine, but I've got virtually every international coach out there at present on my side on this one ;)

All good points.

The only difference is other coaches picked captains who were nailed on to start and were proven international performers. I'm just saying it would've been better to pick Robshaw and see if he made the grade as an international player first and then graduate to captain.

Steve Borthwick had the respect of the players and coaches didn't he.......
 
All good points.

The only difference is other coaches picked captains who were nailed on to start and were proven international performers. I'm just saying it would've been better to pick Robshaw and see if he made the grade as an international player first and then graduate to captain.

Steve Borthwick had the respect of the players and coaches didn't he.......

(One of) The problem(s) that we have is that years of youthful neglect has left us in our current quandry. Too many new caps coming in at a time when they should've been introduced to the setup piecemeal. Tom Wood certainly hasn't yet all-but-guaranteed his international future, despite a promising start. Robshaw has show at 'Quins that he has what it takes to be a leader on and off the field and long may it continue.

And Borthwick was merely the last remnants of an old era, a generation of players that we couldn't seem to shake off. Over the hill and merely average, Robshaw is a different breed.
 
I find it amazing those people who judging Robshaw on 2 displays playing in a position he doesn't normally play. As a captain i would say you really can't fault him he is a great captain for Quins and making wood captain is a bit silly as he isn't 1st choice club-side captain
 
Plays on the blindside for the u20, but has to be moved around at Worcs to help deal with injuries/lack of depth and quality.

But either way, not in a position to challenge Robshaw for the jersey for the next couple of years.

Played 7 most of last year's U20s though.

All good points.

The only difference is other coaches picked captains who were nailed on to start and were proven international performers. I'm just saying it would've been better to pick Robshaw and see if he made the grade as an international player first and then graduate to captain.

Steve Borthwick had the respect of the players and coaches didn't he.......

In an ideal world, yes, you pick a proven international performer. England, in the opinion of me (and Lancaster) were not in that ideal world, as England had no proven international performers with the captaincy credentials needed. So Robshaw it was. And it should be pointed out that Lancaster only appointed him captain for the first 2 games at first to see what would happened.

Ideally, I wouldn't have made Robshaw captain on day one either. But given the selection pool we had, I think it was the right move.
 
If I were Robshaw I'd be feeling pretty bloody suicidal after being compared (however fleetingly) to Borthwick.
 
Was a big James Hook fan but I as many feel The Ospreys messed him around a lot and he was unable to play a specific posish consistently. Heard he is performing very well at 10 for Perpignon. Overrated? I'd have to say yes bit I still haven't given up hope on him achieving his potential at some point (prob the next time Priestland is out).
 
Hook hasn't been that spectacular for Perpignan (who are struggling in 12th), he's doing okay, but he's nowhere near the form 10 of the league at the minute
 

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