[2015 Six Nations] England

[Every Time Ref]

the England coaching team singled Defence out for JJ to improve.

I didn't realise that. I don't know when he was told that, but I stand by my opinion that today he is a very good defender.

I'm not sure it's worth comparing Burrell against JJ as they play different positions at club level, where LB is a pretty solid defender at 12 and has been pretty solid for England at 13 (I don't recall him getting minced at any point but feel free to correct me).

I can't recall specific examples, but for both Saints and England my impression is Burrell tends to go high, so sometimes falls off tackles and rarely puts in a dominant hit. JJ usually has at least one tackle a game which makes me go "good hit". I'm actually a big fan of Burrell (although I'm just catching up with the Sale game and literally as I typed that he knocked one on horribly under no pressure!) I just don't think his defence is all that. If I was England coach I actually think I'd play him at 12 with JJ outside.

On Eastmond, i think you have to look at where the system in NZ was failing. In short it's all very well saying it's only one game and he wasn't alone and so on but the point is NZ singled him out for specific treatment and that had a huge detrimental effect on the entire defence - that is a huge point to take into consideration.

Maybe, but the same New Zealand didn't single him out 4 months later at Twickenham, so if what you say is true then whatever his issue was has presumably been solved.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I don't think it was defense per se... more just "harden the **** up, son".

 

[Every Time Ref]

I don't think it was defense per se...

It was defence - and don't call me Percy

 

[TheSaffycen]

The contrast in forwards and backs with terms of selection is staggering.
Take players like Brookes and Kruis. They are young guys who show some promise for a season, they get called up and we now have a world class pack. You then contrast players like Wade and Eastmond who show lots of promise for a season, then they have to show that over another season, then another.
Maybe it's because our forwards are more complete players ?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

The contrast in forwards and backs with terms of selection is staggering.
Take players like Brookes and Kruis. They are young guys who show some promise for a season, they get called up and we now have a world class pack. You then contrast players like Wade and Eastmond who show lots of promise for a season, then they have to show that over another season, then another.
Maybe it's because our forwards are more complete players ?

Or maybe it's the influence of the coaches. Rowntree may simply be better at getting a good selection of players involved than Farrell.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You look at some of the monumental cock ups Wade has put in, though...
I can understand why your casual rugby supporter wants him in there after they see the aviva highlights on sunday evening, but how many tries did he leak last season when he dropped the ball behind his own tryline?
He's looking more composed this season but I can 100% understand him not being in the EPS right now.

 

[welshglory]

He's the new Serevi!

 

[ratsapprentice]

He's looking more composed this season but I can 100% understand him not being in the EPS right now.

Absolutely.

Before his injury he should have been picked, but since then we've had a number of other wingers put their hands up and the mistakes that Wade's made recently have balanced out his massive pro's somewhat.

That doesn't mean him not being capped at any point in the future wouldn't be an unforgivable squandering of talent.
It's just that at the moment he's not the outstanding candidate that he was.

 

[McTallshort]

Or maybe it's the influence of the coaches. Rowntree may simply be better at getting a good selection of players involved than Farrell.

Yeah I would agree with that, I will be honest and say that since Catt has joined the coaching set up things have stagmented in the backs and selection seems very disjointed. Its almost like the forwards take care of themselves but everyone is tinkering with the backs.

 

[TheSaffycen]

You look at some of the monumental cock ups Wade has put in, though...
I can understand why your casual rugby supporter wants him in there after they see the aviva highlights on sunday evening, but how many tries did he leak last season when he dropped the ball behind his own tryline?
He's looking more composed this season but I can 100% understand him not being in the EPS right now.

Yes he does commit horrible mistakes, but the point is invalid when someone like Ashton is consistently selected. At the end of the day a wingers job is to score tries, in the England set up each winger has about 3 meters of space to work in, name me a better player that we have at our disposal.

 

[Wendigo7]

Ashton out of the world cup squad????

More and more rumours coming out that Ashton is off to France.

His replacement is a bit of a shocker for everyone though.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ashton out of the world cup squad????

More and more rumours coming out that Ashton is off to France.

Fingers crossed, as it'd bump Nowell up the pecking order.

 

[Wendigo7]

The replacement is rumoured to be Josh Charnley... O.O

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The replacement is rumoured to be Josh Charnley... O.O

That would be.....very surprising.
Pretty sure he's got several years left on his contract and specifically said in an interview recently that he doesn't want to go to union.

 

[ratsapprentice]

According to who?

Would be a shock.

I think Charnley would actually be pretty good providing he gets the kicking thing.

 

[chippieolamus]

I don't watch RL much, can someone tell me what this Charnley is like?

 

[Maverick1987]

I don't watch RL much, can someone tell me what this Charnley is like?

He's one of England's best try scorers in league and from the little I've seen of him he's pretty deadly . Not going to comment on what he would be like in Union though ....

 

[j'nuh]

He's one of England's best try scorers in league and from the little I've seen of him he's pretty deadly . Not going to comment on what he would be like in Union though ....

Wasn't Ashton like that when he moved over?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wasn't Ashton like that when he moved over?

No, Ashton was very young and (relatively) unknown.
Charnley is a genuine world class player, much higher profile than Ashton ever had in League. More comparable to Eastmond's move to Union.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Don't think so.