Should Robshaw Captain England?

[welshglory]

Im not even going to bother you seem to have everything figured out

Vainikolo is not slow

 

[Gavin]

Im not even going to bother you seem to have everything figured out

Vainikolo is not slow

He is probably a lot slower now than he was when he first moved from league to union.

 

[welshglory]

And according to most fans Shane Williams slowed down a

 

[welshglory]

Yet according to most fans Shane Williams has slowed down when in fact he has stayed the same if not improved in some aspects of speed.

I think its just how you perceive someone. Because Shane was getting older people though he was getting slower while Vainikolo is big and chunky so people automatically think hes slow.

 

[j'nuh]

What does everyone think of Jonny May. I have to say that in the games i've seen him play for Gloucester he looks very impressive and naturally talented. And apparently hes the fastest player in the Gloucester squad which is very impressive considering Sharples was the fastest player in the England squad and Vainikolo is very quick as well.

Yes, he's on fire at the minute. There are two matches before the EPS gets picked for him to make a statement, but I'm thinking it's more likely that he'll go into the Saxons and try to impress there first.

he's not even in Gloucester first choice XV

He's competing with JSD and Sharples for the wing-spot, Trinder and Tindall for the outside center spot, and Morgan for the fullback spot, and even then he's starting quite a few games now. You could hardly blame him when he doesn't start, since all those players (bar Morgan, who isn't a bad player, just not really on the level of Foden/Brown/Armitage (when he's in-form)) are all also England players/potentials. It would be like calling Cole/Castrogiovanni not international props since neither ties down the spot.

The EPS (S - starting, B - bench):
Hartley, Gray, Webber
Cole, Corbisiero, Stevens, ??? (to be decided), Marler (just for the training)
Lawes, Palmer, Robson, Attwood
Robshaw, Croft, Wood, Seymour, Morgan/Waldrom/Easter
Youngs, Care, Simpson/Dickson
Flood, Burns, Farrell
Barritt, Tuilagi, Trinder
Ashton, Sharples, Brown, Foden, JSD, ??? (to be decided)

 

[Teh Mite]

Yet according to most fans Shane Williams has slowed down when in fact he has stayed the same if not improved in some aspects of speed.

I think its just how you perceive someone. Because Shane was getting older people though he was getting slower while Vainikolo is big and chunky so people automatically think hes slow.

Williams key asset was always his acceleration and agility rather then out-and-out speed. Hence the reason he's better then Cueto (for example).

 

[Peat]

I'm sorely tempted to put May into the full squad. He is ridiculously quick, quite fast for it, incredibly versatile and has a wide range of skills. He's playing enough to satisfy me.

I think I'd likely put him in the Saxons with an eye to bringing him out on Summer tour as a dirttracker and throwing him in come autumn time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm sorely tempted to put May into the full squad. He is ridiculously quick, quite fast for it, incredibly versatile and has a wide range of skills. He's playing enough to satisfy me.

I think I'd likely put him in the Saxons with an eye to bringing him out on Summer tour as a dirttracker and throwing him in come autumn time.

 

[Melhor Time]

Confirmed as captain

Should play 6.

 

[Peat]

Confirmed as captain

Should play 6.

Bet you a tenner he won't though

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, probably start at 8 with Dowson at 7 *retch*.

Hopefully he's gotten over his "2pts behind, penalty right in front, not long to go....SCRUM!" tendancies

 

[Peat]

Aye, probably start at 8 with Dowson at 7 *retch*.

Hopefully he's gotten over his "2pts behind, penalty right in front, not long to go....SCRUM!" tendancies

You see, I was expecting him at 7 with either of Dowson or Morgan at 8. Preferably Morgan. I would be content with that. Robshaw 8 and Dowson 7 would be... uhm...

And yeah, a little bit of pragmatism will be needed here.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, could be either or.
Both are better at 6, and can fill in at 7 or 8, and both have been playing 7 recently in the HEC due to injuries to Wood/Skinner, so it could go either way. It won't really make any difference as they won't alter their work at the breakdown etc. it'll just be a different person trying to clear the ball up at the bottom of the scrum.

 

[Peat]

Yeah, could be either or.
Both are better at 6, and can fill in at 7 or 8, and both have been playing 7 recently in the HEC due to injuries to Wood/Skinner, so it could go either way. It won't really make any difference as they won't alter their work at the breakdown etc. it'll just be a different person trying to clear the ball up at the bottom of the scrum.

Except Robshaw has been regularly playing 7* for the last couple of seasons, even when Skinner's fit, while Dowson's played a lot more 8 recently and overall. There is definitely a better way round to this, and it involves Morgan starting anyway.

*7 on his back, Quins have very much gone for two 6.5s atm though. He is more of a 7 than Dowson though.

 

[cyRil]

Aye, probably start at 8 with Dowson at 7 *retch*.

Hopefully he's gotten over his "2pts behind, penalty right in front, not long to go....SCRUM!" tendancies

I'm banking on that kind of decision-making being a crucial factor if Wood is still out when we roll into town.

 

[Tomsey]

rookie move in my opinion. sure robshaw may be playing the house down for northampton but we all know that doesn't always translate to success on the international stage.
where he will play for england is another matter. from what i gather he has played everywhere in the back row, but mainly at 6. tom wood is the incumbent 6 and although is is injured for the scotland game, he will be a big part of englands future. james haskell is the best english number 8. yes is is unavailable at the moment but he will be back and i suggest that he will be a better player for his time in japan and in super rugby. again i don't know a hell of a lot about robshaw but from what i understand he isn't your traditional number 7 either. i don't think it is a good idea to make a player a captain for and international team when he only has one cap (several years ago) and isn't assured a place in the starting 15.
should he be in the squad. absolutely. should he have been made captain. no. i think lancaster may have made a mistake here.

 

[Teh Mite]

Robshaw plays for Saints? ****, what team have I been watching all season?

 

[gingergenius]

rookie move in my opinion. sure robshaw may be playing the house down for [strike]northampton[/strike] Harlequins but we all know that doesn't always translate to success on the international stage.
where he will play for england is another matter. from what i gather he has played everywhere in the back row, but mainly at 6. tom wood is the incumbent 6 (that's been Tom Croft recently) and although is is injured for the scotland game, he will be a big part of englands future. james haskell is the best english [strike]number 8[/strike] back row forward in general, who should only be playing 6. yes is is unavailable at the moment but he will be back and i suggest that he will be a better player for his time in japan and in super rugby. again i don't know a hell of a lot about robshaw but from what i understand he isn't your traditional number 7 either. i don't think it is a good idea to make a player a captain for and international team when he only has one cap (several years ago) and isn't assured a place in the starting 15.
should he be in the squad. absolutely. should he have been made captain. no. i think lancaster may have made a mistake here.

otherwise, i agree.

 

[Tomsey]

otherwise, i agree.

HA! thanks. i wrote this quite late at night. robshaw does indeed play for the harlequins (sorry trf_mite) and i can't really be blamed for mixing up crofts name when england has so many back rowers called tom 4-letter-surname (croft, wood, rees)

 

[RetiredRog]

I feel sorry for Robshaw having to captain a side with Hopeless Hodgson at 10 and two rookie centres in Barritt and Farrell, also with Strettle on the wing it's almost a Sarries back line........Whoops... of course Owen Farrell's daddy helped pick the team. I think this selected side will be thumped by Scotland.