You're right, Johnson doesn't like rookies, he'd never take a 19 year old centre with 2 caps to the World Cup, or start a 20 year old with 1 cap against a SH team on their own patch, or play a half-back pairing with an average age of 22 in his first match, or pick a front row with an average age of 23...
Oh wait, hang on, he's done all of that and you're talking out of his arse.
You'd be more accurate to say Johnson doesn't like Sharples because he's from Gloucester.
Genuine alternatives to Cueto should have been trialled way back. I don't care how solid he is, there are Scottish test wingers who are more dangerous to the tryline than him these days and thats as low as it gets. However, we could do worse.
Johnson' PR man?
As England coach, he's had 3 years to prepare for this world cup, and the largest player base, plus a very strong domestic competition, to select from. The talent's always been there for him.
Yet we go into this world cup with a sketchy back row, with just two possible options at 10, with no idea who to play in the centres, and with a slow and unprolific winger (who happens to be the best option that's been tried out...)
Compare that to Robbie Deans, who's had the same period of time to prepare for this world cup, just that he's coach of a country that barely cares about rugby union and has barely five professional teams to select from. Yet they've beaten the All Blacks twice in the last two years and have just won the tri nations, and are rightfully second-favourites to win the RWC.
Who's Johnson picked as 'breakthrough' players who've proven a success?
Dan Cole, 6N 2010. ****ing obvious since he was tearing up the premiership and England had no tighthead.
Courtney Lawes, again ****ing obvious but [strike]could[/strike] should have been involved more in 6N 2010.
Tom Wood, not for want of trying to pick Fourie, Worsley, Moody, and about anyone else not good enough/ not English in the back row.
Ben Youngs, another one you'd be to stupid to miss.
Manu Tuilagi, ****ing obvious.
Chris Ashton, only for the Australia tour when he was probably ready beforehand.
Ben Foden, only after four shockers from Delon.
Delon Armitage, with England in a fullback crisis, as the only guy fit (despite having been one of the best in the prem for two seasons beforehand).
Pat on the back for them, but then, since it's his job to watch the premiership and pick talented English guys (and build them into a team to compete for the 2011 world cup), not that big a pat for him.
How about those he's missed?
problems in the back row, no caps for Chris Robshaw. No out-and-out 7, but when has Andy Saull (or even Steffon Armitage) been involved? One game given to Crane, nothing to Narraway and not enough to Haskell at 8, not to mention the likes of Dowson, etc.
Joe Simpson goes to the RWC without a cap.
Owen Farrell spent the summer ****ing around with the U20s despite just having won Saracens the premiership. Why wasn't he even in the EPS??
Two best 12s in the premiership, Allen and Barritt, might go down with Cole, Lawes, Youngs etc. in the ****ing obvious category. Yet no sign of them.
Back 3 spaces, and we've seen nothing of Topsy Ojo since he scored 2 tries in 2 caps on a **** tour of NZ, plus a lot of solid premiership form since. We've seen nothing of Simpson-Daniel. We've seen 15 minutes of Charlie Sharples. And nothing of James Short.
Yet we've seen Matt Banahan, Shontayne Hape, Ayoola Erinle etc. get thrust into the England starting lineup, often out of position, on a number of different occasions.
Johnson doesn't like rookies, fact. If they stare him in the face and there's no one old/ foreign/ from rugby league/ from Bath who we could possibly call up, then they'll get a go. Otherwise, he doesn't like rookies.
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