God knows I'm no half-back either, but I don't think this is fair. Certainly Care's stepped into the team from the subs bench and raised performance plenty of times - and making his tackles and kicks, which Flood did, has been enough to get Farrell tons of media praise.
Both men made half-breaks and looked for support and no one was there. Flood in particular lives and dies by his support runners - if he has them, he can create magic, if not, he'll do a job and little more. There's also a distinct lack of striking power outside them. We've been having problems with penetration in the back line for a while now, since the Scotland game, and basically a break happens when a) the forwards make it b) Manu makes it c) the scrum-half makes it. That's more or less it. Previously there have been mitigating factors, today there was none.
That said, while I fully defend Flood as an England player, I am bewildered by the lack of Burns - who would have offered a breaking threat in himself. I guess by the time Lancaster was ready to move the game had become too tight for his liking. I'd have thrown him and Twelvetrees on a lot earlier.
Agree about an 8, hopefully our options will mature there soon. Agree about the lack of a scrummaging lock - not nearly enough said about that! That said, who? The ultra mobile tight five has been a very important factor for us in the loose, I'd be very loath to lose that.
