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England v France

I was bored of the swallow dive the minute Token Woman kept going on about it after the Wales game. However, it's 2 weeks since the Wales game and between Chris Ashton and the media, a frankly boring celebration has remained in the headlines for the whole time.

It's not as if no-one's ever dived like that before, I've even done it myself. A buffoon of a number 8 on my team did it and dropped the ball. Big deal.

Please: 1) media, find something else to talk about. There's muslims, football, madeline mccan. That's what you do best, leave rugby alone. 2) Chris Ashton, keep scoring tries, but find a better way of celebrating them than just jumping in the air.
 
Croft being fit certainly causes some selection headaches

Moody, being captain, will be pretty much guaranteed a spot in the 22 (if he doesn't break himself playing this weekend - which is a distinct possibility)
Wood doesn't deserve to be dropped at all, but as Johnson sees him as a 6 rather than a 7, it'd be him dropped for Croft (if Croft is chosen)
Should Croft be called up? He's been out for a fair few months, so his match fitness might be shot
If he is then he should be on the bench, but then that means one of Wood/Haskell will be dropped for Moody,
However I can't see Haskell being dropped, but rather shifted over to 6, meaning Wood (unjustly) would be dropped from the squad - despite being a better 7 than "mad dog"

In an Ideal world we'd see:
Croft
Wood
Easter
((Haskell))

But that won't happen, as neither Moody nor Hendre "I'm English, I swear!" Fourie would be in the 22
 
Are there any real better options at 8 for England than Easter?
 
Dowson and Guest would be my two choices, but Guest isn't in the EPS, and Dowson won't be used while Easter and Haskell are alive
Crane is also good, and Narraway impressed me playing for the Saxons
 
I wouldnt go straight for Croft, he's only on the bench for tigers, and to be honest it does usually take him a few games to get back to form after injury, maybe he will be ready for the ireland game, but not yet IMO, maybe stick him on the bench in the lock slot.
 
Think the fact that Easter is so far ahead of the others at the moment in terms of form he looks the best option. Im honestly surprised by him, along with Flood, Easter is Englands most improved player and is a shoe in at present.
 
yep croft definitely needs some gametime. It would be absolutely stupid to throw him straight back after 3/4 months out, especially when our back row has been performing well so far, even if it was against wales and italy.

Including this weekend, he'll have four matches at Leicester to get back some match fitness and form before we go to Dublin. By then, who knows, we might have another injury in the back row... or anyway, he's a better bet than Fourie & Moody imo.

Anyone know when Lawes is due back?
 
Supposedly the next few weeks if he's rushed. Hopefully not until at least the end of March otherwise we may have another Blaze on our hands.
 
Aye, the type of game Lawes plays (very physical) to rush him back from injury would be daft
 
I actually can't wait for this game. Definitely the game that decides the tournament. England hopefully will win it!
 
I agree Blaze was a great shame! I actually think Jordan Crane is incredibly underrated. He isnt as flash as Waldrom but he doesnt win all those gatorade awards for best stats month after month by fluke, he works damn hard and the tigers are considerably better when he is fit and available!
 
Sheridan at 8....that could be quite interesting. His charges against Somoa last year left his opposite number dazed and dizzy (who was a big *******). Maybe at 8 he'd rediscover some of that destructive mobility? Who knows...
 
After todays matches:

I don't mind if Moody is on the bench, he put in a lot of effort in the 30mins he was on the pitch and certainly didn't look like a guy just back from injury
I wouldn't mind if Croft was on the bench, he also didn't look he was just back (though between the two I'd be tempted to go with Moody, as I wouldn't want to risk Croft getting reinjured in the run up to the WC)
I don't mind Banahan being in the 22, he had a blinder
I really wish Olly Barkley could perform in an England shirt, because he was great too
Riki Flutey smashed Alex Tuilagi today, and nullified Manu Tuilagi - his defence was quality, and looked lively in attack, and carried strongly - was the standout player in an average at best wasps - He should be there over Hape
 
Olly I agree with nearly everything you say, and Banahan played the best I have ever seen him play! However....are you related to Ricki Flutey??
 
Did you not watch him play today?
He munched Alex Tuilagi in one tackle (not often you see that) and he stopped Manu Tuilagi almost everytime he got the ball Flutey was there to put him down
Not sure if his defence has always been that good, but I was very impressed

He's also not Shontayne Hape, sooooo.....
 
Yeah I did watch it, I agree Hape is no where near up there with the worlds best (or the rest!) but I have really not been impressed with Flutey this season (and last but that was understandable as he was rushed back from injury), I did think he looked a bit better today to be fair but I dont think he's there yet, and the point Will made about building Tindall and Hape's partnership was a good point in world cup year, his point about a 'world 15' player in every position sometimes not necessarily be the way to make the team play to its best, and he often goes back to the 03 team and talks about them being greater than the sum of their parts becuase they worked out what combinations were best for the team etc, even had it honed down to in which game (eg Catt at 12 for France etc)
 
All looks to be a load of made up bullplop, tbh
Got Haskell to a T though, noisy showoff :p

To be fair Flood would need to be ambitious and controlling considering he's the FH

Must be a slow news day or something :p
 
Isn't Big Bird from sesame street a yellow peacock?

I did the same psychological profile - I came out as a Fulvous Pigeon. Yes, fulvous is a colour.
 

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