Should players play out of position?

[Scotty]

Alot of players are being played out of position for club and country, most notably Lawes at 6 for england and Daly at 15 and even 11 as he's a 13.

Now my question is should we play players out of position just because we think they better suit to it as EJ did with daly or should it only be in an injury crisis?

Also are there any players that you believe suit a another position better than the one they are in?

For example, joe cockanasiga, great winger but his skillset would be well suited to 13 IMO. He is quick, powerful and also has a great offload, with the likes of daly, may, watson on the wings and him breaking the line and offloading to a speedster outside him it would give us a real edge.

Just my opinion, i want to know your opinions on players suiting positions other than their own and reasons why.

 

[BPM]

At test level, the simple answer is no. Versatility can be a real asset to a squad but a good specialist will always be better than someone playing out of position IMO.

Daly is able to do it as he's very naturally gifted rugby player who can play at a good level in multiple positions but he could arguably be world class if given time to develop in his preferred position. If Watson, May and Nowell are all fit, I'd be pretty happy to see them make up the back three with Daly at 13.

Lawes is a better example. He can cover 6 perfectly well in he Premiership but he's just not a test level flanker whereas he is most definitely a test quality lock.

Most players should have properly nailed down their best position by the time they reach senior level anyway. It's not unusual to change quite a bit before that - for example Genge was an 8 before becoming a prop, but it rarely works well later down the line. Tom Youngs is the only real example I can think of who was more successful in a position he switched to much later in his career.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I think that they can do, and they can be very successful doing so. Farrell's been playing out of position since EJ took the reins and he's been one of our best players.

 

[Scotty]

What about players that you think would suit another position? as with my example of what i think with big joe.

Or simmonds at 6 rather than 8, he has a high tackle count and is a strong carrier, not an international 8, id rather have a proper 7 such as curry at 7. Id like to see simmonds curry billy.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Couldn't see that back row working; you need at least one lineout jumper in the back row.

 

[Chief Pete]

I think it depends on the character of the player, Elliot Daly for example is a quality centre who is good enough and intelligent enough to learn WG and FB although he'll always be a better 13 on the other hand someone like Henry Slade gets moved around and you end up with a player who really is a jack of all trades and a master at absolutely none.

so I'd say it's down to the individual, some need a positional 'home', although at test level a nation such as England shouldn't need to play player's out of position IMO.

 

[Scotty]

I think it depends on the character of the player, Elliot Daly for example is a quality centre who is good enough and intelligent enough to learn WG and FB although he'll always be a better 13 on the other hand someone like Henry Slade gets moved around and you end up with a player who really is a jack of all trades and a master at absolutely none.

so I'd say it's down to the individual, some need a positional 'home', although at test level a nation such as England shouldn't need to play player's out of position IMO.

Agree with all of that tbh but sam simmonds is a wierd one to me because i believe he is good enough for international rugby now and young enough to improve but at chiefs has played all across the back 3 and played 8 and 7 for england but what is his position for club and country as hes not big enough for test 8, is this going to lead to him being a test 20. Can cover everything but doesnt start because he hasnt nailed one position down down?

 

[Chief Pete]

Agree with all of that tbh but sam simmonds is a wierd one to me because i believe he is good enough for international rugby now and young enough to improve but at chiefs has played all across the back 3 and played 8 and 7 for england but what is his position for club and country as hes not big enough for test 8, is this going to lead to him being a test 20. Can cover everything but doesnt start because he hasnt nailed one position down down?

Personally I see Simmonds as the test 20, I think there are players who are (potentially) individually better in each position, so at 6 I want a strong powerful workhorse which would be Sam Underhill at 7 I want first and foremost a jackel at the breakdown so Tom Curry's my man and at 8 it's the ball carrier Billy, Sam would IMO be a more useful replacement than Nathan Hughes...

 

[Juggler]

I want Sam to play 12

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I think we're sometimes far too quick to pigeon hole players in a particular position before their skill sets become fully apparent.

Everyone has their "best" position, but sometimes as with Faz team needs have to be put before player preferences. So if its best for the team then yes they should play elsewhere. Leonard did it at THP for the Lions against NZ, nowadays props squeal if asked to contemplate covering the other side.

And that best position could change over time anyway as a player fills out or slows down. Rodber was a good example when he switched from back row to lock and was one of the best in the world alongside Johnno for a year or two. Sheridan toured with Eng as a back 5 player before converting pretty successfully to LHP. The first 4 years of Mendez's international career were spent at LHP before converting to hooker and he did OK.

Behind the scrum it's probably easier. Ashley-Cooper regularly switched between centre, wing and FB and he didn't have a bad career. Ditto Ben Smith. Parra, Michalak and Laidlaw have all regularly done a job in both HB positions - are there any Englishmen who could do that? Even if you're much better at one than the other as those all were, you'll still gain a much better understanding of the pressures of the other position, which can only help your game.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I want Sam to play 12

Hate to break it to you, but he went back to league

EDIT why don't my smilies work? And had Burgess stuck it out we might have been looking at someone who could have played contrasting positions very effectively.

 

[Juggler]

Hate to break it to you, but he went back to league

EDIT why don't my smilies work? And had Burgess stuck it out we might have been looking at someone who could have played contrasting positions very effectively.

Sam Simmonds has gone to league???

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Sam Simmonds has gone to league???

Nah. Miserable attempt at Burgess related humour on my part!

 

[Chief Pete]

Nah. Miserable attempt at Burgess related humour on my part!

I thought it was quite sharp LOL...