Rugby Predictions?

Armatige is the best English FB in the GP and is proving it in an Eng team that is providing him with no attacking platform. Abendanon and Morgan are after him. Its going to be interesting though as Mathew Taits move from Newcastle to Sale was part financed by the RFU and they are paying Sale to play him at 15 when they are able to. So it seems clear that they want Tait at FB.

Hopefully Armatiges performances thus far will make them have a re-think and we can get Tait in at 13 instead of that comedy act Jamie Noon.

We have 8 Wasps players in the starting 15 vs SA and Wasps are 2nd bottom of the GP prem. Its vey very strange. Front and second row needs to be our bread and butter and we need to be strong there. Mears is far too lightweight for the physicality of the SH in the set plays. Borthwick shouldn't be playing, never mind captain and im no Palmer fan. The backrow i have no issues with at all. We have good players there and if the front 5 could provide decent platform, they will do their job better. In turn Care will provide better ball for Cipriani and make his life easier. Too much pressure has been put on DC by the media and a non functioning pack. Sure he's been poor, but no one around him is helping him. The charge down kick for Pienaar 's try, take a look at the pass from Care, long, looping pass that gave Danny no chance, being so inexperienced - he panicked.

As a Tigers supporter im worried about Flood at 10. If he gets caught between two minds or gets stuck he 99% of the time puts in an aimless little chip kick - which when you look at the Kiwis strike runners is absolute suicide.

We need to go back to basics in the pack and provide a bit, strong front 5 that can compete well in the set plays and hit rucks with power. The interesting thing about the last two games is the we are committing far more players than the opposition do to rucks and mauls, which means they constantly have more players around the fringes. No wonder we can't score try's and they have so many options.

If everyone was fit I'd like to see Eng with a team of;

1) Sheridan
2) Chuter
3) Stevens
4) Danny Grewcock
5) Ben kay
6) Tom Croft
7) Tom Rees
8) Jordan Crane

9) Danny Care
10) Wilkinson
11) Strettle
12) Flutey
13) Tait
14) Sackey
15) Armatige

16) Vickery
17) Hartley
18) Kennedy
19) Ellis
20) Cipriani
21) JSD
22) Dan Hipkiss

Predictions

Eng 16 NZ 42 (im going, unfortunatly)
Wales 22 Aus 14

 

JSD is one of the most talented backs Eng has ever had and im a massive fan (his brother is better BTW and i think just signed for Glaws from school). JSD is the Autumn internationsl in 2002 put in some breathtaking performances. Issue is the gy is never going to be fully fit. We are now coming into 2009 and JSD has played little to no international rugby since those Autumn games in 2002.

Its a tragedy we are never going to see JSD in form in an Eng shirt, but im afraid we have to look forward and i'd rather have a guy who is going to be able to put a run of games together in the Eng shirt and be around for a few years. Strettle is that guy (although he is starting to be an Injury Jinx now)

 

Oh and Sale have picked Tait at 13 for the weekends game vs Tigers