[2015 Six Nations] England

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Sinckler is a phenomenal talent, with a slight (very over-egged, IMO) on-field psychological problem - he just gets too worked up.
He's in a not too dissimilar position to where Marler was at his age, although more talented IMO.

What I'm really happy about is the idea of Adam Jones teaching sinckler! A good technical prop at his size and athletic ability is a beautiful thing for English rugby!

 

[TommiG88]

One's a loosehead, the other a tighthead, though.

My bad, thought they were both tight heads.

 

[91jmay]

Cowan-Dickie and Mike Haywood look good prospects at hooker as well. Do great work around the park.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Cowan-Dickie and Mike Haywood look good prospects at hooker as well. Do great work around the park.

Both are prospects IMO, but nothing more at the moment. If we're talking about the World Cup squad, I wouldn't be giving much thought to either and really don't understand the amount of mentions that LCD gets - he's not even the best English qualified hooker at his club and offers nothing that Tom Youngs doesn't already offer (he's poor in the set pieces and not up to Youngs' level in the loose).

Given that the third choice hooker is one injury away from coming off the bench for England in important World Cup matches, I would be looking for the best man for the job rather than a chance to blood someone. That being the case, Webber has gone backwards massively, but is a safe choice, which would mean it wouldn't be hugely surprising to see Lancaster pick him anyway, but how about Batty who has taken his shirt from him at Bath and is winning plaudits? There's also Yeandle, who would probably be my choice (better in the loose and with discipline than Hartley, better in the set piece than Youngs and LCD) and starts ahead of LCD when fit. Also there's Dave Ward at Quins who toured with England last summer, his arrows are poor, but he's like having another flanker on the field.

 

[91jmay]

Yeah I wasn't talking World Cup, I assumed that exciting team posted earlier on was a team for the future type. I think LCD is actually pretty close to Youngs in the loose, Youngs is a brainless player at times and LCD has much better ball skills. I think Youngs is a bit overrated actually, he isn't close to Hartley for me. Dave Ward is tiny, you are right about his work around the field but he gives up nearly two stone to Hartley. Not sure that can cut it scrummaging against Saffers.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Didn't realise your post related to that one. I agree that both are interesting prospects, hopefully LCD's throwing can be sorted out (he hasn't been a hooker for that long) although this appears to me to be something that is tougher to do than most people imagine. Saying that, I recall a commentator (Ben Kay?) picking up on some very fundamental flaws in Ward's technique which left me thinking that he'd either never received any specialist coaching or had never listened! Joking aside, I wonder if this is an area that is overlooked as the majority of front row coaches are props (Robin Cowling at Exeter for example).

 

[ratsapprentice]

LCD's throwing is also exaggerated a bit, it's certainly not perfect, but it's better than Youngs' was at the same stage in his conversion I think.

 

[Patchey]

Moving away from hookers (ha...), did anyone see the piece on Lawes in the Fail Online? Basically saying that the fact his hit on Plisson was legal is driving parents away from rugby and comparing in to Gerard's stand on Andera Herrera in the Liverpool game the next day (not just comparing it, but stating that the fact Lawes hadn't apologies like Gerard 'spoilt' England's performance).

I have a policy of not linking to anything the Mail writes, but just thought I'd point it in your direction. Lawes responded quite well to it on twitter: https://twitter.com/Courtney_Lawes/status/581429970951651328

 

[Mike Rolls]

Why should he have apologized? It was a legal tackle and deemed so after review by the officials, including slow motion replay which always (well nearly always) makes a tackle look a lot worse than when seen in real time - Warburton on Clerc, Russell on Biggar, etc.
mike

- - - Updated - - -

Second thought - a big player tackling a small player very often will look bad. Similarly someone being chopped down when running full pelt.
Mike

 

[RedruthRFC]

Moving away from hookers (ha...), did anyone see the piece on Lawes in the Fail Online? Basically saying that the fact his hit on Plisson was legal is driving parents away from rugby and comparing in to Gerard's stand on Andera Herrera in the Liverpool game the next day (not just comparing it, but stating that the fact Lawes hadn't apologies like Gerard 'spoilt' England's performance).

I have a policy of not linking to anything the Mail writes, but just thought I'd point it in your direction. Lawes responded quite well to it on twitter: https://twitter.com/Courtney_Lawes/status/581429970951651328

Read it, started getting angry, listing all the problems with his argument and composing a rebuttal in my head, then the penny dropped that this was exactly the reaction he was trying to evoke when he wrote the article, shrugged and closed the tab!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

That guy reminds me of the moral crusaders who try to get violent video games banned, heads stuffed right up their own arses because they can't get enough of a whiff of their own flatulence.

 

[yaboyjj]

Anyone watching Wasps v Northampton? should be a good game- looking forward to seeing how Lozowski does on his first start...

 

[91jmay]

Love that their boxing correspondent wants tackles red carded because it is arrestable off field. I'll repeat their BOXING correspondent.

 

[McTallshort]

If it happened in the street, Lawes should pick on someone his own size, the tackle was too violent, Lawes should apologise blah blah blah

One of the most respected refs in the game didnt see a problem with it but a boxing journo in one of the least respected papers in the land does.

To quote one of their columnists "you couldnt make it up"


Lawes reply was class unlike the article which was trash.

 

[MrTea_32]

If it happened in the street, Lawes should pick on someone his own size, the tackle was too violent, Lawes should apologise blah blah blah

One of the most respected refs in the game didnt see a problem with it but a boxing journo in one of the least respected papers in the land does.

To quote one of their columnists "you couldnt make it up"


Lawes reply was class unlike the article which was trash.

Lawes response was quality but so was Brian moore's in the morning it came out.
" a stupid article by a stupid man" or words to that affect.
That article was written to get a certain response and it did, the guy shouldn't be given the time of day

 

[ratsapprentice]

Tuilagi supposedly fit for June.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Read it, started getting angry, listing all the problems with his argument and composing a rebuttal in my head, then the penny dropped that this was exactly the reaction he was trying to evoke when he wrote the article, shrugged and closed the tab!

Meh, problem is, some Mail columnists actually do believe what they say

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Meh, problem is, some Mail columnists actually do believe what they say

Apparently Courtney Lawes gave Plisson cancer and now house prices have fallen because of it. Also something about immigrants.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Apparently Courtney Lawes gave Plisson cancer and now house prices have fallen because of it. Also something about immigrants.

Nice one!

 

[Patchey]

Tuilagi supposedly fit for June.

I'll believe that when I see it.

Dont want to be 'that guy' but I really don't trust Tiger's to get him into a state where he can keep fit.