RWC Quarter Final: England - France (08-10-2011, 20:30)

[Saintjay]

Wilkinson is playing because he did well 8 years ago. Unveliebable.
France will win. With Wilkinson England is lost and with no ideas.

I do not think eight years ago has any thing to do with it. No team in the world would pick a player because they were good eight years ago. If you are not good enough you would not get in the squad, the issue is that Wilkinson is lacking form and Flood seems to be the better option. I do not think many would disagree with Wilkinson making the squad it is his recent lack of form that has been the issue.

 

[JW.]

I do not think eight years ago has any thing to do with it. No team in the world would pick a player because they were good eight years ago. If you are not good enough you would not get in the squad, the issue is that Wilkinson is lacking form and Flood seems to be the better option. I do not think many would disagree with Wilkinson making the squad it is his recent lack of form that has been the issue.

Agreed.

 

[no-1-rugby-fan]

England have been poor but France have been terrible. England to win but get no further than the Semi-Finals because I think Ireland or Wales will be too much for them on current form. Good to see Flood get a chance as well.

 

[SpanishBob]

I do not think eight years ago has any thing to do with it. No team in the world would pick a player because they were good eight years ago. If you are not good enough you would not get in the squad, the issue is that Wilkinson is lacking form and Flood seems to be the better option. I do not think many would disagree with Wilkinson making the squad it is his recent lack of form that has been the issue.

Recent and no so recent. Wilkinson lost the spot after an awful 2010 6 Nations; Besides everyone knows how Toulon plays; and I don't think Johnson wanted England to play that way, at least in the last year and a half. Flood was the plan B because the plan A didn't work at all; Wilkinson is definetely not playing well with England, and that's not new at all.
England has improved in the last 16 months, and Flood was part of that improvement. Choosing Wilkinson is going back into the past. And yes, I think Johnson has changed all his plan, has forgot all the improvements in the last minute, and Wilkinson is playing for what he did 8 years ago.

Sorry about my probably awful english anyway.

 

[JW.]

England have been poor but France have been terrible. England to win but get no further than the Semi-Finals because I think Ireland or Wales will be too much for them on current form. Good to see Flood get a chance as well.

To be honest, in a semi-final I can't see either Wales or Ireland beating England. Might be made to eat my words, but I am still very hopefull we shall find our form.

 

[gingergenius]

seems like England are swapping Cueto for Armitage, and that's it. I'll reiterate, how can we look so crap against Scotland, then look so much better with Palmer and Flood, and keep an unchanged team?

We're in for another arm wrestle.

 

[j'nuh]

England have been poor but France have been terrible. England to win but get no further than the Semi-Finals because I think Ireland or Wales will be too much for them on current form. Good to see Flood get a chance as well.

It depends. Form in rugby seems to ebb and flow. (Remember that the pre-WC warm-up matches were so close. Wales and Ireland have improved in the short amount of time since then, and I see no reason why England can't.) There are some simple solutions to big problems in the England squad at the minute (MJ would only have to change a few selections, and I think we'd see a much better England), and some players could easily take off in this tournament for England yet. Lawes, Croft, Youngs, Foden, Ashton are nowhere near their potential and some of our better players such as Palmer and Flood are being kept on the bench.

I mean, at this minute you'd put money on Wales/Ireland, but don't get ahead of yourself

On the other hand, the idea of England, as bad as they've been in the breakdown recently, coming up against an on-fire Warburton is a scary thought...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

seems like England are swapping Cueto for Armitage, and that's it. I'll reiterate, how can we look so crap against Scotland, then look so much better with Palmer and Flood, and keep an unchanged team?

We're in for another arm wrestle.

Yup
Especially in the scrum - If Stevens is getting done over by Scotlands scrum he's going to get done over by the French
He's much better off the bench, or starting at tighthead - Cole is starting at 3 so put him on the bloody bench!


I hope Deacon eats somethign dodgy and gets food poisoning so we don't have to have him anywhere near the pitch

 

[mustardcharlie]

I'd have Hartley as hooker, Palmer in the second row, Cueto for Armitage (enforced by the wussy-pants unfortunately). Wilkinson/Flood at 10 and Tindall/Hape at 12 is much discussed elsewhere. One thing is for sure, whatever team. If the England team don't turn up until 20 mins. into the match, they may as well book the tickets now. Ashton has been disappointing so far. I agree with Lynagh. Ashton came up with something about "standing on the wing and waiting for some ball". Good wingers go looking for the ball. They turn up at inside centre or on the wrong wing. If you're playing two full backs in the back 3, one of whom is a club colleague, might it not be an idea to make the runs? Cueto is experienced enough to know that if your opposite winger comes into the line, somebody covers. OK, Ashton got the try but for my money, Armitage looked the better winger against the Scots.

 

[j-dawg]

Someone please replace Deacon with Shaw. Shaw impressed against Romania whereas Deacon has done nothing at all...ever.

 

[Teh Mite]

When a former mungoball fullback starts suddenly standing on their wing constantly, perhaps that's got something to do with the shitty backs tactics? For that matter, I don't recall Armitage ever going to look for the ball. Meaningless anyway, the pedantic thug has got himself banned. Must have played 3 games or so since his last ban... [URL]http://www.donstalk.co.uk/messageboard/Smileys/dt_smileys/******.gif[/URL]

I cannot believe people are still saying Wilkinson is even relevant. He's been a liability since 2004.

 

[j-dawg]

I cannot believe people are still saying Wilkinson is even relevant. He's been a liability since 2004.

Jeez, people forget world cup finals quickly don't they?

 

[Teh Mite]

Jeez, people forget world cup finals quickly don't they?

Ah yeah, 2 penalty and a big bag of **** all else.

Sorry for trying to forget that...

 

[mustardcharlie]

Jeez, people forget world cup finals quickly don't they?

They also forget that my granny would outpace Hape, Flood is a dream for for any back row forward with ball in hand and Ashton has the rugby brain of a 15 year old. Nice lad and all that, but we don't need nice. Pleased to see that few are touting Banahan.

 

[Teh Mite]

:lol:

 

[j-dawg]

Oh no I agree fully, I want to see Flood starting. It's just when people say 'Jonny hasn't done anything for 8 years' its like, well thats obviously wrong, we did get to the final with him as our starting fly half last time round. With a few decisions our way and a little luck we may have won it. Oh and the fact he scored all but 5 of our points in the knockout stages.

 

[Teh Mite]

Oh no I agree fully, I want to see Flood starting. It's just when people say 'Jonny hasn't done anything for 8 years' its like, well thats obviously wrong, we did get to the final with him as our starting fly half last time round. With a few decisions our way and a little luck we may have won it. Oh and the fact he scored all but 5 of our points in the knockout stages.

That's because he was nominated kicker and is such a ****ing negative player that Robinson, Cueto, Lewsey, Catt et al needn't have bothered being on the pitch! :lol:

 

[j-dawg]

Who needs them anyway when you have Sheridan and Shaw?

 

[Aristodemus]

If Wilkinson starts I will be very disappointed in Johnson. Flood gets the backs going, Wilkinson doesnt. To those who doubt this, think of the last four years and tell me one (just one) game where our backline has been free scoring and expansive with Wilkinson. You cant, but if you think of the terrible performances (one at Scotland in the 6nations stands out) it was Wilkinson starting. Now think the same for Flood. The difference in performances are night and day and I am shocked the vast majority cant see it.

 

[Teh Mite]

If Wilkinson starts I will be very disappointed in Johnson. Flood gets the backs going, Wilkinson doesnt. To those who doubt this, think of the last four years and tell me one (just one) game where our backline has been free scoring and expansive with Wilkinson. You cant, but if you think of the terrible performances (one at Scotland in the 6nations stands out) it was Wilkinson starting. Now think the same for Flood. The difference in performances are night and day and I am shocked the vast majority cant see it.

The problem is there are 2 choices: Wilko and Flood. Wilko is consistently **** but England three times out of 5 do the job over crap teams. Flood fluxuates between very good to utter, utter **** and it's impossible to know which version you'll get.

Of course there's always Hodgson. He's routinely not too bad, but you guarantee a loss.