The Official English Rugby Thread

[Dragster]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

And his record is 1 win in 4.

James Grayson must be kicking the dog.

[Slick]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

And his record is 1 win in 4.

James Grayson must be kicking the dog.

Paul might be as well

[sockwithaticket]

Eddie Jones.

It just feels such a basic failure in planning that should never be happening to England

He appears to have a massive hard on for Furbank at 10 despite absolutely nobody else feeling the same. And Eddie is stubborn.

Hybrid players, maaaaate.

[Dragster]

Sensational defence from Lawes.

[ASMO]

Anyone who thinks Slade is international quality is on drugs.. he is fucking terrible

[SaintK]

Sensational defence from Lawes.

Stunning from the old warhorse

[sockwithaticket]

Anyone who thinks Slade is international quality is on drugs.. he is fucking terrible

If Ford and George's domestic form was enough to leave them out, then Slade's should have seen him buried in a shallow grave rather than earning another cap.

[Margin__Walker]

Scenes in the Sarries v LI game.

Finishes as a draw 34 - 34. LI down to 14 for most of the game and were 34 - 8 down with less than 20 to go.

[fishfoodie]

It just feels such a basic failure in planning that should never be happening to England

He appears to have a massive hard on for Furbank at 10 despite absolutely nobody else feeling the same. And Eddie is stubborn.

Hybrid players, maaaaate.

It's a mixture of arrogance, & madness; for an International coach to think they're the one who can create a Hybrid player.

They will never have the time with them; & unless you have a situation like Ireland; where the International coach has significant influence over their regular team; it isn't ever going to happen.

[sockwithaticket]

Scenes in the Sarries v LI game.

Finishes as a draw 34 - 34. LI down to 14 for most of the game and were 34 - 8 down with less than 20 to go.

Draw kings and certainly not dull to follow!

[inactionman]

Anyone who thinks Slade is international quality is on drugs.. he is fucking terrible

Flats disagrees - awarded slade man of the match.

[Kawazaki]

Scenes in the Sarries v LI game.

Finishes as a draw 34 - 34. LI down to 14 for most of the game and were 34 - 8 down with less than 20 to go.

Draw kings and certainly not dull to follow!

Very un-Saracens like to draw from a position like that. Fair play to London Irish.

[Margin__Walker]

Was a weird game to be fair, Toga.

They should put us on TV more often. Never dull

[ASMO]

Anyone who thinks Slade is international quality is on drugs.. he is fucking terrible

Flats disagrees - awarded slade man of the match.

To be fair to flats, he knows fuck all about center play.

[Kawazaki]

Was a weird game to be fair, Toga.

They should put us on TV more often. Never dull

Any team that can come back like with 14 players and just 20 minutes left against Saracens away is in a very exclusive club. The bookies love results like that.

[Dragster]

Tonga were knackered, still think Smith looked at home. Ref was decent, never seen him before.

We still look liable to dish out dumb penalties, but positives on the player front.

[Margin__Walker]

Was a weird game to be fair, Toga.

They should put us on TV more often. Never dull

Any team that can come back like with 14 players and just 20 minutes left against Saracens away is in a very exclusive club. The bookies love results like that.

Ruined a few accumulators I'm sure. I had a few quid on LI, as you could get some decent value on them, but wrote it off after the red. Could have done with Jennings slotting one of the kicks he missed.

[Raggs]

Furbank looked fine as a 3rd choice backup. Atkinson just didn't look fast enough in terms of speed of thought for me. Other than that, looked pretty good. Steward unsurprisingly felt very solid at 15.

[Oxbow]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

[ASMO]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

Agreed, hopefully the words Elliot Daly will never ever again be mentioned the in same sentence as FullBack

[Kawazaki]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

[JM2K6]

Steward did a lot right and little wrong, but did seem a little slow in attack.

[Raggs]

Steward did a lot right and little wrong, but did seem a little slow in attack.

Think he's one of those deceptive guys, legs don't move fast but they're covering a lot of ground. he caught up with Veainu didn't he?

[JM2K6]

Steward did a lot right and little wrong, but did seem a little slow in attack.

Think he's one of those deceptive guys, legs don't move fast but they're covering a lot of ground. he caught up with Veainu didn't he?

He had the angle, would've expected nothing less. No issues with his defensive work as his positioning looked good, but in attack he struggled to beat a man. Not a huge criticism and I hope he gets plenty of chances to prove me wrong.

[Oxbow]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

[sockwithaticket]

Steward did a lot right and little wrong, but did seem a little slow in attack.

Think he's one of those deceptive guys, legs don't move fast but they're covering a lot of ground. he caught up with Veainu didn't he?

A decade and several leg injuries into his career. Veanu's not that quick.

[Kawazaki]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

Yes. And Alex Goode got dropped.

[Ovals]

I really like the look of Steward. The player Harry Mallinder could have been if he wasn't such a massive fanny/made out of twigs.

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

Have we given up on Malins already - still think he's a more rounded player and can add more to our attack..

[sockwithaticket]

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

Have we given up on Malins already - still think he's a more rounded player and can add more to our attack..

He's looked a bit ropey at the defensive elements of being a fullback, been playing better on the wing in Prem games.

Also seems to be picking up a tendency to get injured during or just ahead of international windows.

[Kawazaki]

His lack of pace will catch him out against better opposition. Fullbacks must be quick. Steward just isn't.

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

Have we given up on Malins already - still think he's a more rounded player and can add more to our attack..

It's marvelous isn't it. The English disease.

[JM2K6]

The disease of... recognising he's gone up a level on the wing and that he has some pretty major weaknesses as a fullback?

[Oxbow]

Alex Goode says hello.

He maybe lacks a bit of pace, but at least he looked like a proper fullback, which when you've had years of Elliott Daly is a Godsend.

Have we given up on Malins already - still think he's a more rounded player and can add more to our attack..

It's marvelous isn't it. The English disease.

Nobody has given up on him, but as has been said Eddie being Eddie seems to prefer him on the wing.

[JM2K6]

Have we given up on Malins already - still think he's a more rounded player and can add more to our attack..

It's marvelous isn't it. The English disease.

Nobody has given up on him, but as has been said Eddie being Eddie seems to prefer him on the wing.

Eddie, for once, is just following what two clubs have done.

[Kawazaki]

The disease of... recognising he's gone up a level on the wing and that he has some pretty major weaknesses as a fullback?

They're not major weaknesses. He's a genuine attacking threat, has lots of very positive attributes.

The English disease* hates players like this and that includes a player like Marcus Smith. Smith will miss a few tackles and people like you will say he has a major weakness and Farrell will be back at 10.


* Jones has caught a fatal dose.

[JM2K6]

The disease of... recognising he's gone up a level on the wing and that he has some pretty major weaknesses as a fullback?

They're not major weaknesses. He's a genuine attacking threat, has lots of very positive attributes.

The English disease* hates players like this and that includes a player like Marcus Smith. Smith will miss a few tackles and people like you will say he has a major weakness and Farrell will be back at 10.


* Jones has caught a fatal dose.

Marcus Smith is brilliant at the things a fly half has to be good at. Max Malins is currently pretty shaky at some of the things a fullback has to be good at.

It can't have escaped your notice that Malins' best rugby has come on the wing, and that he's made a habit of costly mistakes in the air and poor defending at 15? You were banging the drum for his inclusion after matches where he performed brilliantly on the wing. I agree that he's a fantastic attacking talent! The thing is, it's shown up most on the wing and that's also helped him with the problems in his game.

Play him on the wing like Bristol and Saracens have done, let him develop the weaker parts of his game.

[Dragster]

Malins is probably the new Daly utility back.

[Kawazaki]

The disease of... recognising he's gone up a level on the wing and that he has some pretty major weaknesses as a fullback?

They're not major weaknesses. He's a genuine attacking threat, has lots of very positive attributes.

The English disease* hates players like this and that includes a player like Marcus Smith. Smith will miss a few tackles and people like you will say he has a major weakness and Farrell will be back at 10.


* Jones has caught a fatal dose.

Marcus Smith is brilliant at the things a fly half has to be good at. Max Malins is currently pretty shaky at some of the things a fullback has to be good at.

It can't have escaped your notice that Malins' best rugby has come on the wing, and that he's made a habit of costly mistakes in the air and poor defending at 15? You were banging the drum for his inclusion after matches where he performed brilliantly on the wing. I agree that he's a fantastic attacking talent! The thing is, it's shown up most on the wing and that's also helped him with the problems in his game.

Play him on the wing like Bristol and Saracens have done, let him develop the weaker parts of his game.

The English disease is that a fullback without a quarter of the attacking instincts of Malins (or the pace to achieve them even if he did) is lauded as the new best thing at fullback because he has caught some high kicks. The attributes that Steward doesn't possess are related to attack so are overlooked.

Marcus Smith will miss tackles and it will be cited as a reason to drop hm - that will happen, I guarantee it.

[Dragster]

Anyway, the wheels really have come off in Exeter this season.

[geordie_6]

Was it just having not seen him for some time or did Manu seem to have an extra bit of gas yesterday?

[Kawazaki]

Was it just having not seen him for some time or did Manu seem to have an extra bit of gas yesterday?

He's lost some weight. About 5kgs I think.