Official Rugby Thread

[BoyBrumby]

Seeing as how John Mitchell and Warren Gatland are both coaching in the Southern Hemisphere I think it would be unlikely that either of them would be serious contenders for the England coaching job unless they go back and do a season in England. Besides, I think Gatland still has a good shot at coaching the All Black's with Colin Cooper and I think he would choose to stay with Waikato.

Both have ample experience of English Rugby & the RFU is pretty minted, so if we were really determined we could get either if they were so minded.

 

[Perm]

I know both have a reasonable amount of experience in England but I doubt that the RFU would pick somebody who was not currently coaching in England, that's just what I think.

 

[marc71178]

Who would you replace Robinson with at this stage anyway?

Andy Farrell?!

Might as well make the money spent on him be partially utilised!

 

[PY]

Ringing the changes:

"Mathew Tait is named at outside centre, Jamie Noon moves to number 12 with Peter Richards chosen at scrum-half.

Prop Andrew Sheridan, wingers Josh Lewsey and Mark Cueto and lock Tom Palmer replace Perry Freshwater, Ben Cohen, Paul Sackey and Danny Grewcock.

Flanker Joe Worsley is recalled while Martin Corry moves to number eight.

Bristol number nine Shaun Perry makes way for Richards while Worsley of Wasps replaces Leicester's Lewis Moody."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6147482.stm

 

[BoyBrumby]

Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.....

Nah, that's harsh. Cueto & Lewsey are two of our more effective backs & Corry is clearly more of an 8 than a 6. Noon, however, isn't an inside-centre & I still don't rate Richards.

On the plus side yer saffies looked pretty ordinary v Ireland so I suspect we might run them fairly close.

 

[steds]

Has Chev Walker played yet?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Has Chev Walker played yet?

Dunno off the top of my head. Bit early for international honours even if he has....

 

[steds]

Who said anything about international honours? I hope England never get desperate enough to give him a go (Unless they're playing Scotland).

 

[BoyBrumby]

Who said anything about international honours? I hope England never get desperate enough to give him a go (Unless they're playing Scotland).

Oooooooo. Sorry, your majesty! As I'd just been talking about England I just assumed that was your train of thought!

Anyway, Barrie-Jon Mather played for England in Union, so Chev's probably quietly confident!

 

[Anna]

Chev Walker's on the bench for Bath v Bristol this weekend, I do believe.

 

[Langeveldt]

Worried about Saturday, although England are a mess it could be really embaressing if we slip up against them, and our performance against Ireland was as incipid as England's was against Argentina.. If I was Jake White i'd be wanting to end Andy Robinson's career and I'd make that public just to make England that bit too fired up..

 

[steds]

Anyway, Barrie-Jon Mather played for England in Union, so Chev's probably quietly confident!

Really?!

Didn't even know he played union tbh...

 

[Smudge]

Brilliant thinking, Andy. You finally find an outside winger with just a hint of flair (Sackey), and drop him. Great stuff..

 

[Perm]

To be fair Lewsey, Cueto and Balshaw are a pretty reasonable back 3. But Sackey looked reasonable promising over the last couple of weeks.

 

[Matteh]

Ringing the changes:
"Mathew Tait is named at outside centre"

Another Mathew. We're a rare breed.

 

[Smudge]

Another Mathew. We're a rare breed.

I'm a Mathew too...

 

[PY]

Brilliant thinking, Andy. You finally find an outside winger with just a hint of flair (Sackey), and drop him. Great stuff..

I was thinking he was the only player to show genuine potential against your lot the other day.

 

[marc71178]

Brilliant thinking, Andy. You finally find an outside winger with just a hint of flair (Sackey), and drop him. Great stuff..

There is an agreement for players to only play 3 of the 4 games this Autumn - it may be that this is just Sackey's game off.

 

[Craig]

I would have thought England were hardly in the position to have a rotation policy. I mean for the All Black's it wouldn't matter as they probably would win with what ever side they put out (in their touring squad that is).

Anyway I will ask people like Voltman, Perm etc. iwith the AB's form is there a sense that next will be now or never for them, if they don't win the World Cup then they won't win iot again? In that context how England were going into the last World Cup where you new that if they didn't win it then they never would.

 

[Perm]

No I don't think it's like that, the team England had at the World Cup in 2003 were alot older than our team and it was basically their only chance. But in 5 years time we will still have guys like Carter, maybe McCaw, Weepu, Ryan, Eaton, Smith, Rokocoko, Sivivatu, Nonu providing that form isn't an issue. I've gone right off the All Blacks to be honest, I don't enjoy watching them play any more because they are very rarely challenged, the commentators we listen to are fairly biased and it's not fun anymore. I was cheering for the South Africans in Rustenburg.