England v New Zealand

[eot345]

ha ha ivegot quite a few m8's that play for cobham also about manu dont u guys think he is still a little young to throw into the england squad he can replace tindall... after the wc

as for waldouck i think we gotta get him now before the wc he can hardly be worse than anyone else we have got. having said that i dont know that much about him what are his atributes/weaknesses? also can 12 trees play 12 or 13

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I wasn't talking about him being in the squad straight away, but he's a definate prospect for the future.
I'd like to see him and Twelvetrees be involved in the saxons in the next year or two, after getting more experience in the Aviva.
I've seen Twelvetrees play 10 and 12, not sure about 13

Waldouck is a agile running 12. I think he'd work well with Tindall, Tindall being more of a bosher and Waldouck being faster and more agile

 

[GunnerAsh]

This game has really crept up on me. It felt like it was months away, can't believe it's only next weekend.

 

[gingergenius]

well waldouck straightens the line better than anyone in the Prem; he's got a good rugby brain and is quick. I personally think he'd be the perfect foil for Tindall.

 

[eot345]

do we think strettle will make the starting line up considering he is having an amazing season.

also im so happy to see englands young talent playing so well at the moment.

courtney lawes is f*king every one over, with that big right shoulder of his he also also carrying really strongly it's like he's got the power of simon shaw but with the ball handling and stealing skills of tom croft. he is one of the best players in the premiership at the mo

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Define amazing.
Scoring other peoples tries doesn't make him an amazing winger, in much the same way as Tom Varndell isn't considered the best in the world.
I expect him to play at least two of the tests (unfortunately), with Cueto the ones that he isn't

 

[donmcdazzle]

Tuilagi is an interesting one, England has never really had any Pacific Islander backs in their set up (I don't think). I think with all the PI guys over here in the UK playing and living now you might get a few more of their kids or younger siblings like Tuilagi if the players decide to live here for good once they're done playing.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We had Lesley Vainikolo, but he wasn't that great, just a flavour of the month type player, hyped as the next big thing but then dropped (like Sackey and Monye after him)

 

[Teh Mite]

I want to make one thing clear: Paul Sackey was never EVER the flavour of the month. He's always been lazy and infuriating and everyone knows that.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I meant to the England Staff/media
They were all bleating on about how he's the next big thing because he got a couple of tries in the 6N a couple of years back

 

[Teh Mite]

Mostly because the Wasps mafia (via the BBC and Dayglo) had a stranglehold on the setup back then. *CoughRobAndrewcough*

 

[eot345]

Define amazing.
Scoring other peoples tries doesn't make him an amazing winger, in much the same way as Tom Varndell isn't considered the best in the world.
I expect him to play at least two of the tests (unfortunately), with Cueto the ones that he isn't

i define amazing as running from just outside your own 22 to gass your opposite man and to step no less than 5 people to score

 

[Teh Mite]

When has Strettle done that?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Maybe he's thinking of Hosea Gear doing that in the Maori match over the summer, when Strettle could've stopped the try if he hadn't tackled like a 3yr old girl

 

[eot345]

yer strettles tackling is pretty shity im tryin to find the match where strettle did it on my sky box

 

[donmcdazzle]

We had Lesley Vainikolo, but he wasn't that great, just a flavour of the month type player, hyped as the next big thing but then dropped (like Sackey and Monye after him)

He was another former NZ league player.. they bloody love the blokes. Him, Paul, Hape atraight into the England set up.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Who's paul? Thought Vainikolo and Hape were the only NZRL guys we'd had?

 

[Teh Mite]

Henry Paul was Ex-RL when we got him, another of the "shoehorn the League guys in" moments following Jason Robinson.

 

[gingergenius]

Yep, unfortunately Union fans the world over fail to see that because an extraordinarily talented league player is a star in that code, that doesn't necessarily mean he will be a star in Union. Usually their talent and skill level is high enough to compete at the highest club level, which is an achievement in itself, but the way they're shoved straight into international sides is plain stupid. Not everyone is a Jason Robinson or Lote Tuqiri (who incidentally has done brilliantly to get back to the Kangaroos after 7 years out of league).

Henry Paul, Shontayne Hape and Lesley Vainikolo were all outstanding League players and are very good Union players. They would all have walked into the England RL team; but they're not at the level in Union to play for the England RU side.

 

[eot345]

just read these guys have been released to play for their clubs:

Paul Doran Jones,
Brad Barritt (Saracens),
George Chuter (Leicester Tigers),
Joe Marler (Harlequins),
Tim Payne (London Wasps),
Dan Ward-Smith (London Wasps),
David Strettle (Saracens),
Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Matt Banahan
Joe Worsley
lewis moody

does this mean they wont play against nz if so who will be in the england starting XV then?