He's gone. He's actually bloody gone!

[Vieux Talonneur]

I'm a firm believer that you only see the best out of players when they are honed on the international stage. Which is why I am so antsy about getting Kvesic involved. I think he has another level in him that he won't show until he's become an established international. You have to wonder how many potentially very good players have slipped by because they were never given a chance to unlock their "next level".

Agreed. And it generally takes a good few games for the coach to have a proper look and not be unduly swayed by a couple of stellar or lousy performances. And that is what gets me nervous about having so many places up for grabs at the moment.

 

[Peat]

No doubt that there is a lot of promise coming through, but I stand by my point. The position we are now in means that the new guy will have to spend the first couple of years filtering through all these options to see who may cut it and that's very different to blending a couple of new faces into a settled team. Chances are our 2019 side won't really start taking shape until post 2017 6N - ha;lf way through the cycle. And as this year proved yet again, experience counts for so much in RWCs.

People will say that Cheika worked miracles in a year with Aus. He did, but (a) he's a top class coach and (b) he could call on Ashley-Cooper, Giteau and Moore all with 100+ caps, not to mention Genia, Hooper, Pocock, Kepu, Beale and Mitchell all with 50 - 70. Many of the others have 30+. My instinct's that we'll still be screaming inexperience and learning in 2019.

There's a settled side in place. Most of it even consists of players we don't want to chuck into oblivion. There's quite a few places where the starter and back-up are interchangeable, but that's no bad thing. Virtually everywhere we're hoping for upgrades, but so should everyone ambitious, and most of the likely upgrades are already part of the system.

You are significantly exaggerating the problems with no account of the positive stuff.

 

[MrTea_32]

I'm a firm believer that you only see the best out of players when they are honed on the international stage. Which is why I am so antsy about getting Kvesic involved. I think he has another level in him that he won't show until he's become an established international. You have to wonder how many potentially very good players have slipped by because they were never given a chance to unlock their "next level".

Kvesic could do with being at a club who's at least playing in the champions cup and having more success. Though he still looks good in a not great Gloucester side

 

[Tony Manx]

That bell has been rung... and as Eddie has told us, you cannot unring a bell.

He's looking for a job after failing at the failures of Biarritz!!

He must have been so, so bad if such a really bad club put him out to pasture!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Kvesic could do with being at a club who's at least playing in the champions cup and having more success. Though he still looks good in a not great Gloucester side

Should of gone to Leicester.

 

[MrTea_32]

Should of gone to Leicester.

Could be a good signing for Bath with Louw at 6

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Could be a good signing for Bath with Louw at 6

Lol.

He isn't from London Irish you know.

 

[MrTea_32]

Lol.

He isn't from London Irish you know.

Lol, very true

 

[Colombia]

Skysports saying Nick Mallett is one of the front runners. Forget about it. He said he is done with coaching, because it's too stressful. He is enjoying being a pundit.

When did he say this?

 

[Hightower]

The way it looks in regards to the potential HC candidates the RFU are looking at, being foreign coaches (I think SH coach is coming in). Yet they have the rule for foreign based players not being selected makes me laugh. Some consistency would be nice. I think who ever they bring in is going to have to push for the rule to be gone. I think it is too much of a distraction as it has been a hot topic for 2/3 years now. Lets find out if Abendanon and Armitage would be the difference makers most people think they would be.

Nick Mallett rumours surfaced before the WC was over, don't seem to be going away.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The way it looks in regards to the potential HC candidates the RFU are looking at, being foreign coaches (I think SH coach is coming in). Yet they have the rule for foreign based players not being selected makes me laugh. Some consistency would be nice.

Nah.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

The way it looks in regards to the potential HC candidates the RFU are looking at, being foreign coaches (I think SH coach is coming in). Yet they have the rule for foreign based players not being selected makes me laugh. Some consistency would be nice. I think who ever they bring in is going to have to push for the rule to be gone. I think it is too much of a distraction as it has been a hot topic for 2/3 years now. Lets find out if Abendanon and Armitage would be the difference makers most people think they would be.

Nick Mallett rumours surfaced before the WC was over, don't seem to be going away.

Doubt they have an agreement with the PRL about coaches.

 

[Peat]

The way it looks in regards to the potential HC candidates the RFU are looking at, being foreign coaches (I think SH coach is coming in). Yet they have the rule for foreign based players not being selected makes me laugh. Some consistency would be nice. I think who ever they bring in is going to have to push for the rule to be gone. I think it is too much of a distraction as it has been a hot topic for 2/3 years now. Lets find out if Abendanon and Armitage would be the difference makers most people think they would be.

Nick Mallett rumours surfaced before the WC was over, don't seem to be going away.

If you are eligible for the role England are considering you for by WR's rules and you are employed by a part of the English game, you can be part of the England team.

If you aren't, you can't.

That applies to coaches and players. Very consistent, very simple.

 

[Which Tyler]

Yep - I don't think we're looking for an England coach to live overseas and pop over for the matches only, whilst missing most of the training camps etc.
Pretty sure that moving to England will be a requirement for any candidate.

A better equivalent would be that we allow foreign born players to represent England, why shouldn't we allow foreign born coaches?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

No doubt Rats is jizzing over this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...because-too-much-power-is-with-the-clubs.html

 

[Peat]

No doubt Rats is jizzing over this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...because-too-much-power-is-with-the-clubs.html

If those of us who believe the current structure is unhelpful were to jizz every time pointed this out, we'd all die of dehydration in three days because, since it's hyper-obvious, people keep on saying it.

It's not condemning us to automatic failure but it constantly puts us that little behind and our successes come in spite of it rather than because of it. No one possessed of rationality and no sentiment in the matter would keep the current structure if given a magic wand.

 

[McTallshort]

RFU hasn't the brain power or the bottle to take on the club's.

 

[smartcooky]

No doubt Rats is jizzing over this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...because-too-much-power-is-with-the-clubs.html

Maybe so, but its hard to argue against the observations and the resuts

[TEXTAREA]This is not exclusive to English rugby, France have exactly the same problem.

Which two countries were the biggest underperformers at the World Cup? England and France. Which two countries have consistently delivered less than the sum of their parts over the past four years? England and France. Which two countries have the biggest senior male playing bases? England and France. Which two countries have virtually no control over their players because of the power of the clubs?[/TEXTAREA]

 

[FrenchFan]

The clubs have power because they took charge of their own affairs and because our union, through its own uselessness and incompetence, let them.
The same union clowns are still in charge over here. Nothing has changed. They won't reform because it would mean voting themselves out of their own job.

Instead, they are talking themselves back into the jobs they should have resigned from. Same causes will produce same effects.

The union will blame the clubs next time again for their own failure.

Noves is going to have a nightmare

 

[smartcooky]

The clubs have power because they took charge of their own affairs and because our union, through its own uselessness and incompetence, let them.
The same union clowns are still in charge over here. Nothing has changed. They won't reform because it would mean voting themselves out of their own job.

Instead, they are talking themselves back into the jobs they should have resigned from. Same causes will produce same effects.

The union will blame the clubs next time again for their own failure.

Noves is going to have a nightmare

What are you saying... put the LNR in charge of French International Rugby? I suppose they couldn't do much worse than the FFR!!