Australia vs England - 3 Tests - June 2016

[Peat]

I don't know that Jones has a general preference either way when it comes to playmaker/bosher at 12.

You look at the back lines he has thrown out previously, you usually see a playmaking 12, but I think he's also quite ready to change his mind.

As for the wings

- Yarde looks pretty fast to me and I've seen no reason to think otherwise
- May definitely has a step. He's performed - both ways - against the absolute best in the game. Questions over consistency, sure, over his decision making, but over his top level performances? Well, I wouldn't agree.
- Ashton's no longer on Eddie's Christmas card list and does not have the power, pace, or future to get back barring something extraordinary. You might as well consider Austin Healy's claim to the position.
- Rokoduguni deserves more love

 

[Raggs]

Yarde isn't slow, and has great balance, but he doesn't have killer pace. I'd say probably only May has that, with Wade competing over 30-40m. Very excited to see the Saxons, and although I like him, I hope Lewington is on the bench, or not in the 23, since I want to see Roko and Wade.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

You look at the back lines he has thrown out previously, you usually see a playmaking 12, but I think he's also quite ready to change his mind.

As for the wings

- May definitely has a step. He's performed - both ways - against the absolute best in the game. Questions over consistency, sure, over his decision making, but over his top level performances? Well, I wouldn't agree.
- Ashton's no longer on Eddie's Christmas card list and does not have the power, pace, or future to get back barring something extraordinary. You might as well consider Austin Healy's claim to the position.
- Rokoduguni deserves more love

Does he really have a step? Granted I haven't watched a huge amount of him, but I've never seen him step anyone. The most steps I've seen him do are sideways apart from his NZ try. Unless there is a clear line already in front of him to run through, he can't go anywhere, and yes, I think that includes the NZ game, where rather uncharacteristically, Conrad Smith made a huge cock up, and opened the door for May to run through. He didn't find it on his own
I agree on Ashton, I don't see his appeal. He has a great strike rate, but as Jones has said, any winger could finish off the opportunities Saracens have given him.
And I agree Roko's great, I think he's better than Nowell or Watson, but at 29 he's not going to get into the England team now, which is a shame because he's a real talent.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

People have short memories. Before he got injured May had pretty much nailed down his place. His pace is a USP that will frighten anyone, but the rest of his game had come on enormously too. I just hope he can pick up where he left off. Him and Watson with Nowell at FB wouldn't upset me.

Internationally Slade is a 10 or 12 but never a 13. His post injury form's been nothing to write home about and he has a fair bit of thinking to do about his best position. For all the hype the jury must still be out.

 

[johnmac99]

Yarde isn't slow, and has great balance, but he doesn't have killer pace. I'd say probably only May has that, with Wade competing over 30-40m. Very excited to see the Saxons, and although I like him, I hope Lewington is on the bench, or not in the 23, since I want to see Roko and Wade.

You forgot Anthony Watson, who I think has killer pace, and I'd back him against May on a rugby field.

What about this guy? One for the future?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULIHEAeOlk

 

[Peat]

Very much has a step. Good one too. Lot of complaints at the start of his England career about how much he used his inside step. Some of the stepping in his wonder try against Quins is very good. He's not Wade, but he's up there with most of the England guys.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

People have short memories. Before he got injured May had pretty much nailed down his place. His pace is a USP that will frighten anyone, but the rest of his game had come on enormously too. I just hope he can pick up where he left off. Him and Watson with Nowell at FB wouldn't upset me.

Internationally Slade is a 10 or 12 but never a 13. His post injury form's been nothing to write home about and he has a fair bit of thinking to do about his best position. For all the hype the jury must still be out.

He'd far from nailed down his place, there was real competition between him and Nowell for the 11 shirt throughout the whole of last year with the 2 being more or less interchangeable. I can't see him being as fast after injury either, which is by far his strongest asset. We have yet to see. I agree on Slade though. I think he's best at 12 but with all the 12s at Chiefs I can't see him making a permanent move there, which would suggest 10, but I can't see him ever getting in at 10 over Faz or Ford. It's a difficult one.

- - - Updated - - -

You forgot Anthony Watson, who I think has killer pace, and I'd back him against May on a rugby field.

What about this guy? One for the future?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULIHEAeOlk

I saw a video the other day on Instagram of JJ and Watson racing each other, and although it was quite close, JJ had him. Either JJ's ridiculously fast, or Watson isn't as fast as he appears.

 

[JJFlash]

.
What about this guy? One for the future?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULIHEAeOlk

Yes, he's quick, but apparently prefers athletics to rugby.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yes, he's quick, but apparently prefers athletics to rugby.

He might not when he sees the sort of money Athletics offers.

I saw a video the other day on Instagram of JJ and Watson racing each other, and although it was quite close, JJ had him. Either JJ's ridiculously fast, or Watson isn't as fast as he appears.

Over 20-40.

Tony's stride length would probably see him take a lead shortly after that.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yes, he's quick, but apparently prefers athletics to rugby.

He hasn't chosen yet.

Guess if he has a shot of being a 100m Champion (Or makings of) then that would be a huge niche market for a British athlete.

 

[Which Tyler]

He also apparently never once looks to maybe pass the ball; possibly not a team player (yet)

 

[ratsapprentice]

Guess if he has a shot of being a 100m Champion (Or makings of) then that would be a huge niche market for a British athlete.

That's an absurdly large if.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Over 20m.

Realistically in rugby, when do you need any more than 20m?

- - - Updated - - -

He hasn't chosen yet.

Guess if he has a shot of being a 100m Champion (Or makings of) then that would be a huge niche market for a British athlete.

He seems like a great rugby player but no chance at 100m champion. I'm an age group below and one of my team mates once raced him at a nationals comp and beat him. Again, that's someone a year below. I'd be amazed if he didn't opt for rugby.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Realistically in rugby, when do you need any more than 20m?

As an outside back? ...Often enough if you're any good.

The video you saw is from a standing start, a winger or FB is going to have at least 10-20m fairly often in which to get up to a decent speed approaching the line.... Tony's been really good recently in accelerating really aggressively into gaps when running from FB.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

As an outside back? ...Often enough if you're any good.

I'd say you only ever need to be faster than someone over the first 20, after that unless you're dead slow (Which is unlikely if you've beat another outside back over the first 20) you're set for the rest of the pitch.

 

[Peat]

I'd just like to point out that Joseph is very quick and can quite easily play as a winger.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'd just like to point out that Joseph is very quick and can quite easily play as a winger.

Oh I know, when I brought it up I wasn't trying to in any way discredit Watson, I just thought it was quite interesting to see that JJ was marginally faster over 20 metres.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/ggr-podcast/

Podcast from Green and Gold rugby website. Matt Rowley and Hugh Cavill speaking with Tim and JB from the Eggchasers.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I'd say you only ever need to be faster than someone over the first 20, after that unless you're dead slow (Which is unlikely if you've beat another outside back over the first 20) you're set for the rest of the pitch.

That's assuming that you've made a clean break through a flat defensive line, and if you only measure the distance a player is travelling up and down the pitch.

In reality, there are often defenders spread quite deep beyond the initial defensive line, and in order to get past that initial line you often have to run fairly fast laterally first.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

That's assuming that you've made a clean break through a flat defensive line, and if you only measure the distance a player is travelling up and down the pitch.

In reality, there are often defenders spread quite deep beyond the initial defensive line, and in order to get past that initial line you often have to run fairly fast laterally first.

All true. But I still think it's fair to say that for any rugby player, outside back or not, speed over the first 20 metres is more important than anywhere else.