Comments on: England are failing to learn from defeat

By: Henry Ker

Henry Ker — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 11:44:50 +0000

Andy, having met a few of the journalists, I can assure you they know a huge amount about rugby. It is their job. Bringing their gender into it is not necessary.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 11:00:05 +0000

Can’t help feeling that if players were not persistently confronted with pre prepared questions fed to a compulsory dolly bird, some of whom know as much about rugby as I do about fashion, you would get more considered answers.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:08:01 +0000

Stu
Interesting point about Morgan. After all, he was in the team which beat NZ @ Twickenham in 2012, so he’s got some mileage. Wondered what has/had happened to him. He’s not injured too is he?

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:52:55 +0000

Blub
Thanks. I don’t have particularly have an issue with what you state about Brown & Daly. However, as I think England need more penetration in midfield, Daly would, IMO, better fit that bill. Pity for England that they don’t have 2 of them! It’s a move that I think EJ ought to have already tried, especially as it’s Daly’s club posi & what would/have they got/to lose? Well, the game I suppose, but if they find could a gem here, then it may mend a chronically creaking axis.

By: Henry Ker

Henry Ker — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:41:10 +0000

Hi Marco, Mike L and AlexD,
I take your point on this but think we will have to agree to disagree. While I agree nothing Youngs said itself was rude, it was dismissive of a professional trying to do their job. I accept they will be hurting but they are representing their country and I think they owe the fans a few minutes of their time after the game. I am not 100% on how they decide who speaks, but if Youngs wasn’t up to the task then someone else should have done it. I know some people were not keen on Mike Brown’s response a few years back at the world cup, but I would rather a response like that than just walking away. Alongside Jones having a bit of a standoff with the BBC’s Chris Jones about ‘aggressive questioning’ I don’t think it was a great response to the media. But then I work as journalist in my day job so maybe I am being a bit of a snowflake over how the players are interacting with journalists. But compared to how players usually front up, whether in rugby or other sports (take tennis for examples – when a player loses a grand slam final they must be crushed, but they damn well make sure they take the time to do their media duties), I think it was poor.

On another note – having heard more about the Mike Brown/Joe Marler confrontation with fans (the ‘fans’ were slagging the players off as they came off the pitch) I am much more sympathetic to Brown and Marler’s response and understand them sticking up for themselves. No place for that in the game.

By: AlexD

AlexD — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 11:55:54 +0000

Agreed.
It wasn’t ‘ideal’ is how i would describe Young’s reaction. Contractually the players will be bound to answer the reporters questions – that is all. Youngs did so, no doubt with economy of effort because he was down beat and wanted to get the hell off the pitch! Christ…so would I in his shoes!
Real snowflake rubbish!
Rude and petulant are way off the mark. Where was he rude? He certainly didn’t tell her to “p**s off”
He answered the question (s) and moved on (literally) with a “cheers” afterwards.
This is real “snowflake” territory and media dramatisation i suspect – great story where none exists!

By: Mike L

Mike L — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 10:24:54 +0000

I agree with this. He is not the captain. Media duties start after they have left the field, not while the squad is having a huddle. He was polite, but a bit abrupt.

I prefer this to players not caring. The next question would probably have been something like “Where do England go from here?” To which the answer is ‘the dressing room’. To expect a player to have any further insight without having any time to digest or analyse the result and the game is ridiculous.

By: M Just Richardson

M Just Richardson — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 17:27:04 +0000

I agree with a lot said here but who would do a better job?

By: acee

acee — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 17:09:45 +0000

I did’nt know about Campese’s comment or that the Aussie players were so cowed by Jones. That certainly gives me a different perspective on the situation. If all that is true then where do we go from here? I was hugely concerned with Jones’ interviwe in the Times earlier this wk. He seems to be absolutely relishing the amount of controversy and discord surrounding the camp at present,to the extent that he seems to see it as part of his coaching remit. Someone needs to tell him he is not bigger tha the job and his first responsibility is to his employers and then the players.
With regard to Faz, i stick by my view that he is petulant, there have been plenty of examples of that over the years and he is overly confrontational. He lets his heart rule his head.
Having said all that, if he’s being asked to act the tough guy then yes, he’s in a very awkward spot. (As are the RFU)

By: JK

JK — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 13:39:58 +0000

I can actually see the reasoning in most positions – right or wrong, there’s some justification.

Back three – Brown/Daly is an experiment, May in hot form
Centres – giving Farrell and Slade a go together
Front row – giving George and Sinckler starts, Genge injured
Second row – somewhat confusing! Not sure EJ trusts Hill, clearly has doubts now about Isiekwe. In any case, he’s got Kruis and Lawes waiting at home so not such a need for depth.
Back row – Curry now becoming established, a rare bright point from this tour. I’m personally not happy about Shields but he’s being given time. Unfortunate over-reliance on Billy. As others have said, an alternative to Hughes would be useful (Ewers?).

BUT – we absolutely could have afforded to start others at 9 and 10.

By: jake

jake — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 13:24:19 +0000

This is what I find the most disappointing. Given the number of absentees (25 apparently) it seems this was the perfect chance to blood some rookies and see which ones could possibly make the WC.
Yet two tests in and we are seeing the same tried and tested players run out. Yes we have seen Shields and Curry run out, but what about Lozowski, Cipriani, Robson, Spencer, Woodward, Earle, Wilson? Is Jones relying on the likes of Watson, Nowell and JJ all returning to full fitness, and Youngs and Care remaining injury free from now until post WC?
This constant naivety/arrogance is just baffling.

By: Stu

Stu — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 13:10:00 +0000

I agree, Cips was excellent when he came on and should start the 3rd test, what is the point in him going if Ford keeps starting when we already know what he does. Likewise Robson, not even played a minute yet for me is the 2nd best scrum half in England (after de Klerk) and is not even being given a bench slot – he must be fuming. I also agree re Hughes, he is just not doing it for England and I would rather have Ben Morgan who always seemed to play well in an England shirt. It just seems like we have wasted an opportunity to add depth to a squad that badly needs it.