Comments on: England’s collapse shows they still need more leaders

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 03:47:42 +0000

Terry Venables, Egg?

By: Don P

Don P — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:30:27 +0000

The Donald Trumps of rugger ol’ boy, Acee. Stated by M. Lynagh at the time of EJ’s appointment. He got the job due to Japan’s WC win v SA!

By: acee

acee — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 17:26:00 +0000

Don’t get me started on the RFU Don. If ever there WAS a suitable case for treatment………….!

By: Don P

Don P — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 00:47:02 +0000

Me neither Andy, unless TRB likes my doing extra leg work?!

By: Don P

Don P — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 00:43:40 +0000

Thanks for heads up Hutch, but eliminating @’s didn’t work. Also used @ in prev post?

By: Hutch

Hutch — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 18:22:27 +0000

I think it’s the use of @ that it doesn’t like, Don. It gets mistaken for spam

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:59:22 +0000

They are both me Don. No idea why the site use one sometimes and the other the next.

By: Don P

Don P — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:17:50 +0000

Can’t respond Bolter. Gremlins? My actual attempted responses got ‘lost’!

By: Don P

Don P — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:01:55 +0000

Not working?

By: Bolter

Bolter — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 12:54:20 +0000

What do you think of the idea of swapping Slade and Manu round so Slade plays 12 Don, or anyone else? I know this isn’t ideal as means yet another player out of position but Manu is much more dangerous at 13 and Slade at 12 would mean another ball player next to Farrell to help him make decisions and relieve pressure. Slade is a lot more intelligent than Farrell. Problem is maybe Faz wants to be alpha male and won’t listen?
Scrum half situation is horrible beyond belief and completely Eddie’s fault. Credit to Spencer that he was able to play last very stressful 10 minutes without mistakes, is he one for the world cup given Robson probably out with illness?

By: acee

acee — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 10:33:43 +0000

Excellent analysis DM. Nothing I can add to that really!

By: Don P

Don P — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 10:24:37 +0000

Bolter. Isn’t it more likely that Farrell’s ‘meltdowns’ are to do with his innate character rather than his position? Prev he’s not been under much pressure, so cracks were not exposed. You too allude to this pressure. Agree re Hartley. If he plays, he should start. As already mentioned elsewhere, what England need is a decision maker who can assess what’s happening during a game & why. Much ought to be pre-planned though, working through potential game outcomes, situations, scenarios. England’s style worked for them for 2 yrs, then it stopped. Now they’re inconsistent & are doing wrong things. Like the, by now, old chestnut of kicking away posession. Hurricanes did similar this morning. If points are required, possession is required. Hard to state why England have hit a bit of a wall, but being predictable doesn’t help. Upping the tempo, variation, might help. Other teams work out & can relatively nullify, disrupt familiar tactics. Having a more rounded game with the ability to alter, adapt during a match should prove more fruitfull. A couple of key player & positional changes could also help. The problem with all this however, is, as you mention, Jones himself. His lack of vision & capacity to even see this as an issue is holding England back. A predictable, blinkered albatross with a millstone around it’s neck is making his team dysfunctional.