RWC: England - Romania (24-09-2011, 18:00)

[McTallshort]

His reputation far exceeds anything he has actually achieved since 2003 (nearly a decade)

World cup final 2007....

 

[Darwin]

That was you?!?!? Don't you ever do that to poor Jonny again .

Romania are a step lower than Georgia so fully expect England to put atleast 40+ points on them and lets hope Youngs and Wilko fire, key to our WC.

Wilkinson to break the record for most penalties in a match?

 

[Teh Mite]

His reputation far exceeds anything he has actually achieved since 2003 (nearly a decade)

THIS

Is far more true then 99% of rugby fans will ever admit to.

 

[Aout]

Once again if you look at what he has done last year in both H.Cup and Top14 with Toulon, he had an amazing season.

 

[Teh Mite]

Once again if you look at what he has done last year in both H.Cup and Top14 with Toulon, he had an amazing season.

By that reckoning, Owen Farrell had a far more successful season and should have been on the plane. If you're telling me form instead of reputation is the basis of the argument.

 

[JW.]

By that reckoning, Owen Farrell had a far more successful season and should have been on the plane. If you're telling me form instead of reputation is the basis of the argument.

Farrel was not a better FH than Wilko this season.

 

[Teh Mite]

Farrel was not a better FH than Wilko this season.

Ah, but on a ratio of Success (I.E. Achieving something), Farrell lead that 1-0.

Not saying that Farrell is good enough like, but that doesn't mean Wilkinson is. He lives off the success from 1 drop goal 8 years ago (forgetting he happened to miss 5 of them in the same game and also passed the wrong way, thus making a difficult conversion which he proceeded to miss). Argentina demonstrated 2 things:

1. Wilkinson does NOT do this mythical "keep the scoreboard ticking over
2. Players with numbers 11 through 15 written on their backs may as well not be on the pitch when he is.

The other options
Flood - All the talent in the world, but the stability of potassium.
Hodgson - Consistently below average
Farrell - Pretty good, won't ever be a world beater
Myler - No
Lamb - Blew it years ago.
Cipriani - Like someone took all the best parts of Carlos Spencer... And threw them away. Cipriani was the result.
Burns - There a definite maybe.
Wilkinson (looking with the same cynical eyes) - His best asset is being named Jonny Wilkinson. Anyone who says otherwise is a communist.


The biggest problem for England however is named Brian Smith.

 

[Aout]

Disagree, Wilko is much more than this.

He's a nice guy on and off the pitch (I already said that in an other post), and this is something England really needs. With the likes of Ashton, Hartley and their friends, they need a guy who stays calm and quiet, who can keep his mouth shut for 80 minutes. This is probably one of the main reason people like him. He's just a nice guy who enjoys playing rugby.
He had a poor game against Argentina, but considering he didn't play much with England (he wasn't in the starting XV many times in 2011, was he ?) and he plays with a pair of centers which is A. changing quite often (Banahan, Hape, Flutey, Tindall, Tuilagi) and B. not the best in the world, you can't really blame him.

He deserves an other chance, especially since Flood is far from being the next Daniel Carter.

I'm not a "hardcore" Wilko fan (tho I do appreciate him), I just think that he has been forgotten too quickly by the English, and he's not the rusty guy you tend to describe.

 

[JW.]

How shortsighted. Wilkinson does not live of the succes of a dropgoal 8 years ago I think that's a stupid thing to say, his carreer may have been a pumpy ride cause of injuries etc. but have you seen him play for Toulon this season, he was close to his best. You either have a very bad sence of humour? Or are very 'positive' about anything England.

And you pick players on how they play for there club and country, as an individual not on how many trophies there team wins. Argentina didn't prove anything he had a bad day kicking, he's a great goalkicker even someone who hates him or England must admit that?

Agree completely with the above, just remember how well Wilko played with Cat next to him.

 

[superhans121]

Ah, but on a ratio of Success (I.E. Achieving something), Farrell lead that 1-0.

He lives off the success from 1 drop goal 8 years ago (forgetting he happened to miss 5 of them in the same game and also passed the wrong way, thus making a difficult conversion which he proceeded to miss). Argentina demonstrated 2 things:

1. Wilkinson does NOT do this mythical "keep the scoreboard ticking over
2. Players with numbers 11 through 15 written on their backs may as well not be on the pitch when he is.

​This

 

[superhans121]

Similarly, those that cite the 2007 world cup as 'Jonny inspired' are utterly deluded with a short memory. We scored staggeringly few tries and his goal kicking couldn't hit a barn door (seem to remember him constantly moaning about the ball).

Andrew Sheridan probably had more to do with our place in the final than anyone else.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Flood, Tait and Robinson (in the groups) had a lot to do with it as well
Odd how Tait played so well as an 18 year old, then dropped off completely

 

[Saintjay]

Should have gone to the world cup with this team:
1. Tim Payne
2. Lee Mears
3. PDJ
4. Borthwick (c) - Great Captain
5. Deacon
6. Worsley
7. Moody
8. Crane
9. Paul Hodgson
10. Geraghty (or however you spell it)
11. Banahan (vc)
12. Tindall
12. Hape
14. Anyone who isnt Ashton
15. David Wilson (yes thats right,David Wilson)

Anyone who isnt Ashton? Can you explain why?. As for Worsley he has never been good enough and always a fringe player.

At 15 it has to be Foden I am afraid and Lawes in the back row. Yeah a slight Northampton bias but I do think they are the best players we have in there positions.

 

[Sixesandsevens]

Anyone who isnt Ashton? Can you explain why?. As for Worsley he has never been good enough and always a fringe player.

At 15 it has to be Foden I am afraid and Lawes in the back row. Yeah a slight Northampton bias but I do think they are the best players we have in there positions.

I think you have completely missed the point mate....

 

[Sixesandsevens]

. He lives off the success from 1 drop goal 8 years ago (forgetting he happened to miss 5 of them in the same game and also passed the wrong way, thus making a difficult conversion which he proceeded to miss)..

This is ridiculous. You might not rate him now but how can you possibly suggest he wasnt one of the best players in the world from 2000-03. He played in and conducted countless awesome England performances over that period, dont play down how good he was then to try and prove your point 10 years later.

 

[superhans121]

.

 

[Saintjay]

I think you have completely missed the point mate....

Maybe to many early mornings. I just can't see how you could leave Ashton out just on the fact he is consistant and scoring. Which is what you want from a winger.

That was just my point really, but yeah maybe I am just not getting it today.

 

[superhans121]

This is ridiculous. You might not rate him now but how can you possibly suggest he wasnt one of the best players in the world from 2000-03. He played in and conducted countless awesome England performances over that period, dont play down how good he was then to try and prove your point 10 years later.

What Teh Mite has written is totally correct - Jonny was a very good fly half up to 2003 but has been living off the glory of the world cup ever since. Also, as it happens, he did have a pretty poor game in the world cup final.

The only genuinely first class performance I can think of from Jonny since then was against Scotland in the 2007 six nations.

 

[superhans121]

Maybe to many early mornings. I just can't see how you could leave Ashton out just on the fact he is consistant and scoring. Which is what you want from a winger.

That was just my point really, but yeah maybe I am just not getting it today.

Mate, his 'team selection' was a ****ing joke. Albeit not a very funny one.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Maybe to many early mornings. I just can't see how you could leave Ashton out just on the fact he is consistant and scoring. Which is what you want from a winger.

That was just my point really, but yeah maybe I am just not getting it today.

He was making a team of the worst players to have played for England recently