B
Bullitt
Guest
Something really got my goat this week. During a discussion, somebody suggested that Jonny Wilkinson is still regarded as one of the best 10’s in the world.
There is the problem however; He's not. Its only the English who are stuck in the Jim "the ITV idiot" Rosentiel mindset that believe that anyone remaining from the 2003 England squad are still even useful. Go across the globe and you'll hear universal agreement that Wilkinson is an relic of a long since passed era. I doubt he’d even qualify for the top 10 worldwide if some sort of ranking system was ever devised. In fact, he’d barely scrape the list of active English fly-halfs.
It’s not only Wilkinson though that’s ruining England, he is part of a much wider problem…
Vickery is neither a captain or a particularly good prop. I don’t know exactly what’s involved in a prop forwards job, but I’m certain he’s not doing it. There’s bound to be a better man for the job somewhere.
Mears is a knee-jerk selection purely based on which club side pays his wage. In reality is an over-rated tub of lard with no more ability then Dan Richmond.
Sheridan 50% of the time will be the best in the world, the other 50% will be anonymous.
Kay is another relic from another by-gone era, desperately clung on to because he once played alongside Johnson, therefore must be God re-incarnate. He wins barely 50% of his lineout ball and never does anything of consequence around the park, so really he’s got no business being in the shirt.
Shaw is, while still a decent player, far too old.
Ellis, who is certain to be shoe-horned back into the squad come the summer, is rubbish. I’d sooner have Johnny Howard lead the national charge at 9. And considering I’d sooner dangle my own testicles over a tank of hungry piranha then wish to see Howard play for any team I support, that says enough.
Wilkinson. To say he's been rubbish is an understatement. To say even Ronan "I can't play unless I'm being carried" O'Choke-a has been better then him is also an understatement.
To say it’s shown why he's an over-rated tackle bag who can't pass, can't tackle, can’t kick, can't play anything resembling running rugby and has been cr*p since 2003, but does a fantastic impression of an Italian centre-forward diving for a penalty... That would be nearer the mark.
Vinakolo was brought in from league on a whim, much like Farrell last year (although this time not an RFU funded "Savoir"), who despite a promising start hasn’t shown anything to make him worthy of an international start. Truth be known, we’d be better off bringing Air Ben back.
Flood has been better then any other England back. Which (although not entirely his own fault considering the rubbish all around him) is a bit like saying he’s the hottest fat chick.
Tindall/Noon â€" It takes much more then a clumsy meathead who specialises in crash ball to be an international 13 these days. And what the hell is a Newcastle centre doing in an England team anyway?
Sackey hasn’t lived up to my expectations and certainly hasn’t been "ever-excellent" as certain people would care to describe him. He has a decent side step and has all the key talents to make him one of the worlds best, but something isn’t clicking and he’s not even half as useful for England as he is for Wasps. Only barely worthy as a backup squad.
Balshaw. We all know about him.
Ashton is probably going this weekend when Ireland win. If wouldn’t surprise me if he gets replaced by John Fletcher, another Rob Andrew yes man, who continently left Newcastle yesterday.
There are so many proven talents at GP and HEC level, who could easily make the step up, but will be continually ignored while the old glory-boys are given their last hurrahs for the benefit of corporate sponsors at Twickenham.
Consider the first 15;
1. Sheridan / Freshwater
2. Hartley / Chuter
3. Stevens
4. Palmer
5. Crane
6. Croft / Narraway
7. Rees / Lund
8. Haskell / Lipman
9. Care / Hodgson / Wigglesworth / Foden
10. Lamb / Flood
11. Strettle / Banahan
12. Allen / Geherety
13. Hipkiss / Smith / Clarke
14. Ashton / Simpson-Daniel
15. Abandaman / Cipriani
That team probably wouldn’t have won the 6 nations this year, but it would have given the players a good grounding and would have laid a proper foundation to build from.
All this talk of "playing them all together is fine until the loose and they’ll be permanently ruined" is rubbish - Tait was permanently ruined because he was capped at 18 years old with only 120 minutes of professional rugby under his belt then went swanning of with the 7s series. The rest of them have been there, done that, most of whom have worn international shirts before and all will know the score. A decent coach would make sure the rest would be ready.
That is what I expect from my England coach.
There is the problem however; He's not. Its only the English who are stuck in the Jim "the ITV idiot" Rosentiel mindset that believe that anyone remaining from the 2003 England squad are still even useful. Go across the globe and you'll hear universal agreement that Wilkinson is an relic of a long since passed era. I doubt he’d even qualify for the top 10 worldwide if some sort of ranking system was ever devised. In fact, he’d barely scrape the list of active English fly-halfs.
It’s not only Wilkinson though that’s ruining England, he is part of a much wider problem…
Vickery is neither a captain or a particularly good prop. I don’t know exactly what’s involved in a prop forwards job, but I’m certain he’s not doing it. There’s bound to be a better man for the job somewhere.
Mears is a knee-jerk selection purely based on which club side pays his wage. In reality is an over-rated tub of lard with no more ability then Dan Richmond.
Sheridan 50% of the time will be the best in the world, the other 50% will be anonymous.
Kay is another relic from another by-gone era, desperately clung on to because he once played alongside Johnson, therefore must be God re-incarnate. He wins barely 50% of his lineout ball and never does anything of consequence around the park, so really he’s got no business being in the shirt.
Shaw is, while still a decent player, far too old.
Ellis, who is certain to be shoe-horned back into the squad come the summer, is rubbish. I’d sooner have Johnny Howard lead the national charge at 9. And considering I’d sooner dangle my own testicles over a tank of hungry piranha then wish to see Howard play for any team I support, that says enough.
Wilkinson. To say he's been rubbish is an understatement. To say even Ronan "I can't play unless I'm being carried" O'Choke-a has been better then him is also an understatement.
To say it’s shown why he's an over-rated tackle bag who can't pass, can't tackle, can’t kick, can't play anything resembling running rugby and has been cr*p since 2003, but does a fantastic impression of an Italian centre-forward diving for a penalty... That would be nearer the mark.
Vinakolo was brought in from league on a whim, much like Farrell last year (although this time not an RFU funded "Savoir"), who despite a promising start hasn’t shown anything to make him worthy of an international start. Truth be known, we’d be better off bringing Air Ben back.
Flood has been better then any other England back. Which (although not entirely his own fault considering the rubbish all around him) is a bit like saying he’s the hottest fat chick.
Tindall/Noon â€" It takes much more then a clumsy meathead who specialises in crash ball to be an international 13 these days. And what the hell is a Newcastle centre doing in an England team anyway?
Sackey hasn’t lived up to my expectations and certainly hasn’t been "ever-excellent" as certain people would care to describe him. He has a decent side step and has all the key talents to make him one of the worlds best, but something isn’t clicking and he’s not even half as useful for England as he is for Wasps. Only barely worthy as a backup squad.
Balshaw. We all know about him.
Ashton is probably going this weekend when Ireland win. If wouldn’t surprise me if he gets replaced by John Fletcher, another Rob Andrew yes man, who continently left Newcastle yesterday.
There are so many proven talents at GP and HEC level, who could easily make the step up, but will be continually ignored while the old glory-boys are given their last hurrahs for the benefit of corporate sponsors at Twickenham.
Consider the first 15;
1. Sheridan / Freshwater
2. Hartley / Chuter
3. Stevens
4. Palmer
5. Crane
6. Croft / Narraway
7. Rees / Lund
8. Haskell / Lipman
9. Care / Hodgson / Wigglesworth / Foden
10. Lamb / Flood
11. Strettle / Banahan
12. Allen / Geherety
13. Hipkiss / Smith / Clarke
14. Ashton / Simpson-Daniel
15. Abandaman / Cipriani
That team probably wouldn’t have won the 6 nations this year, but it would have given the players a good grounding and would have laid a proper foundation to build from.
All this talk of "playing them all together is fine until the loose and they’ll be permanently ruined" is rubbish - Tait was permanently ruined because he was capped at 18 years old with only 120 minutes of professional rugby under his belt then went swanning of with the 7s series. The rest of them have been there, done that, most of whom have worn international shirts before and all will know the score. A decent coach would make sure the rest would be ready.
That is what I expect from my England coach.
