Matt Banahan and the england backline

[eot345]

I believe that Bannahan is an underated player. What england will need when they play the wallabies are good strong offensive players that can brake lines and make something out of nothing. Bannahan is good strong ball carrier who is potentialy devistating. Were englands back line to be:

11.tindall
12.Hape
and then bannahan and Cueto on the wings

Both Tindall and Hape are powerfull line breakeres as well as bannahan. whilst Cueto and tindall have the experience that Hape and bannahan lack on an international level. These player joined with Foden at fullback would be a truely formidable back line when joined with capability of flood at 10 and the creativness of care or Hodgson at 9.

what do ya think ???

 

[TRF_Olyy]

First thing's first: Welcome to the forum!

I presume you mean 12. Hape, 13. Tindall?

I agree with Banahan being underrated, but only at club level. I've been watching some videos of him on youtube, and think he's great for Bath, but I think he'll get found out quickly at international level. He's good at smashing through people, but his agility leaves alot to be desired, which isn't what you want from an international standard winger. How's his defence? Depending on how well we perform in the first Australia test we may have to put out a defensively minded side for the second.
I think him and Strettle will be used primarily in the midweek games, and will be called up to the tests if any injuries occur.

I was impressed with Hape in the BaaBaas game, but i don't think his defensive game is up to scratch, he missed a few tackles, and some that he did make left alot to be desired (rather than stopping the player he'd slow them down). I think he's a decent player, but not outstanding, and he's not English either, so i'm not sure why he's there tbh. I think use him in the midweek games, but not in the tests.

I'd like to see:
9. Care
10. Flood
11. Ashton
12. Barkley
13. Tindall
14. Cueto
With a bench of Ben Youngs, Charlie Hodgson/Johnny Wilkinson, Mathew Tait.

Tindall for a bit of strength, Barkley is smart, and is a good playmaker, Cueto can pick out gaps, and is very smart on the pitch if a little lacking in pace, and Ashton has pace and is also good at picking out gaps in the defence
Where Ashton also excels is his link with Foden, they play week in week out together at Northampton, and when they link together they work very well

 

[mohamed_ali12]

Firstly:

I was impressed with Hape in the BaaBaas game, but i don't think his defensive game is up to scratch, he missed a few tackles, and some that he did make left alot to be desired (rather than stopping the player he'd slow them down). I think he's a decent player, but not outstanding, and he's not English either, so i'm not sure why he's there tbh. I think use him in the midweek games, but not in the tests.

I don't think Hape should be there at all, he's not international quality (or maybe he is, we'll see on this tour)
One thing he excells at though, is his defense. He is a really, really good tackler, and that is definately his best attribute. If you watch him for Bath he always makes the important tackle, and reads the game well considering he's only been knocking around for a couple of seasons.


Secondly, there's no doubt that Banahan gets a bashing on this site and on a few others two, it's a shame that people consider him to be another Vainikolo (who's had a good season, mind) and judge him without actually watching him play. Bath use him very differently to England, he comes in at first or second receiver, and is most effective when offloading out the tackle or drawing in men a la Bastareaud. Even despite this, he has scored 4 tries for England in 6 games. His defense is pretty sturdy, you only have to look on youtube to see how powerful he can be, and he really gets his decisions wrong when going for the intercept or the big hit.

Yes, he's vulnerable to the ball chipped behind him, as he's not the quickest on the turn, but as long as Johnno and Smith use him right he can be a very good player.

Having said all that, i still think Cueto and Ashton are rightly above him in the England pecking order, but Banahan could definately be the number 22 to chuck on to have an impact with 15 minutes to go.

At 9, it's got to be Youngs, Care has a couple of weaknesses in his game, and Youngs probably has more top-level experience that him anyway (H-Cup, Prem finals etc.).
At 10, you can't look past Flood, reliable from the tee, reliable from hand, stands nice and flat.
At 12, Barkley. Unbelievable return to Bath, best centre in the league for the last 3 months of the season, at his most confident for a few years too.

9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Ashton
12. Barkley
13. Tindall
14. Cueto
15. Foden

20. P. Hodgson
21. Wilkinson
22. Banahan

 

[coonor]

I don't think Banahan should be playing maybe make the bench. I think he's good for bath but I don't think he is a good decision maker. He is obviously strong and powerful but he isn't nimble and basically runs at people which my work in club rugby but not against the southern hemisphere teams. Basially his skill level is dump.(This is all quite bias though as I obviously dislike Jersey)
11.Ashton
14.Cueto
15.Fodden

 

[veux]

We tried that (big players to break lines) in the Autum fixtures and it didn't work - we only scored 1 try in 3 tests!!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Who scored the try though?
I agree though, trying to smash through SH teams doesn't really work for NH teams these days

 

[Iron Mike]

What happened to Riki Flutey? I thought he was the best thing that happened to an English backline in years.

My backline, excluding Flutey as he might be injured as no one has mentioned him is as following;

9 ) Danny Care
10 ) Toby Flood
11 ) Chris Ashton
12 ) Olly Barkley
13 ) Mike Tindall
14 ) Mark Cueto
15 ) Ben Foden

It doesn't really matter, they are going to get trounced by Australia. England have no forward pack.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Fluteys out injured, Knee problem i think
I'd have Barkley over him atm anyway, Barkleys on cracking form

 

[Iron Mike]

I like Barkley, but to me he isn't as good as Flutey. But that is my opinion and yours is yours. The fact that Barkley has been inconsistent over this last few years and last year barely starting a game had me think the talent had gone in the same way of Rupeni Caucau.

 

[Tomsey]

What happened to Riki Flutey? I thought he was the best thing that happened to an English backline in years.

It doesn't really matter, they are going to get trounced by Australia. England have no forward pack.

Australia may not have a forward pack either. We are missing out first choice tighthead, our first and second choice hookers, a first choice lock and first choice number 8. AND our first choice loosehead just destroyed his knee against Fiji, so there is a chance that we may have to field a front row with ONLY 2 CAPS BETWEEN THEM! amongst all the injuries in the loose.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Injuries are what caused Barkleys career to come to a bit of a standstill in the last year or two,
I think Flutey hasn't been performing as well this last season, though he's been injured alot as well (i think i read he's only played 3 or so games for whichever french side he went to), and he didn't do as well as usual in an England shirt before, but it could've been the gameplan not suiting him
Flutey is one of my favorite players, i just think, atm, Barkley is playing better rugby (but the point is moot anyway as Flutey is out for the summer)

 

[mohamed_ali12]

I like Barkley, but to me he isn't as good as Flutey. But that is my opinion and yours is yours. The fact that Barkley has been inconsistent over this last few years and last year barely starting a game had me think the talent had gone in the same way of Rupeni Caucau.

Really? His form won him a starting berth in England's first World Cup game in 2007, and the season after he was playing brilliant rugby with Butch James (when Bath narrowly lost the Premiership Semi to Wasps and won the Challenge Cup) and the bad form only came when he moved to Gloucester and was forced to partake in Dean Ryan's awful game plan. He was restricted to playing a kicking game rather than his natural running style, and wasnt allowed to display any sort of imagination at all. This season's he broke his leg in July and returned Feburary, since when he's been in fantastic form, and has won Man of the Match in every Bath game on Sky Sports with the exclusion of the Semi vs. Leicester.

 

[munster2010]

9. care
10. flood
11. ashton
12. barkley
13. tindall
14. cueto
15. flood

england have some quality backs among their ranks, pity really about the forwards

 

[Teh Mite]

Really? His form won him a starting berth in England's first World Cup game in 2007, and the season after he was playing brilliant rugby with Butch James (when Bath narrowly lost the Premiership Semi to Wasps and won the Challenge Cup) and the bad form only came when he moved to Gloucester and was forced to partake in Dean Ryan's awful game plan. He was restricted to playing a kicking game rather than his natural running style, and wasnt allowed to display any sort of imagination at all. This season's he broke his leg in July and returned Feburary, since when he's been in fantastic form, and has won Man of the Match in every Bath game on Sky Sports with the exclusion of the Semi vs. Leicester.

That was only because Wilkinson was injured. I'm pretty sure he was crap against the USA (Paul Emmick spear tackling him aside) didn't score a single point against South Africa.

 

[coonor]

9. care
10. flood
11. ashton
12. barkley
13. tindall
14. cueto
15. flood

england have some quality backs among their ranks, pity really about the forwards

do you mean 15.Foden