SCW hits out at "safety first" slancaster

[jgriffin]

My recollection of world cups going back to 1991 are that they always won by brute force and goal kicking. Ever since Campese convinced England they could prance their way victory.

Even in 2011 the Ab backs scored only one try in the knock outs. It was Weepu and the pack that saw them over the line.

If people believe a back line with the likes of yarde, wade, burns, Eastmond, trinder, ford, et al are going to win their WC for England in 2015 it's their opinion. Personally I think they will have a very tough time, and I would think the backs from the big boys in the SH would be licking their lips running at that lot.

Now that I can agree with.Only one of those you mention - Yarde - would I trust near the team.

[mike]

I think that when (if ) Manu is fit and paired with 12trees we will see a big improvement in the back play . He still has to find 2 wings - Wade is good in attack but is quite a risk . The 2003 team was almost 10 man rugby as far as I can recall .

[kornboy130]

I need to go and dig out all those 2003 World Cup DVDs and watch all those incredible back moves.
And since that will take me about 1 minute, I could watch the 2007 run to the final at the same time.

Basically England had a world class pack , and a world class goal kicker..........oh and Jason Robinson.

They scored 2 tries in 6 knockout games, and if they hadn't have had Robinson they wouldn't have scored any.

They also put tries past the ABs and everyone else at will - and on top of that they could also play good low risk knock out Rugby.

This teams inability to attack at will is a concern.

[Old Hob]

I don't usually agree with Guscott but in today's "Times" he has an article that supports SCW and goes further.He believes that League coaching methodology has a negative influence on the back play. RL teams go through phases to manufacture a position to run a set move and, with the number of league coaches in the set-up he isn't surprised that the England team are going down that route. "It is too autocratic, too prescriptive" he says, "quick ball is the key."

[bluntiger]

It was said in the commentary on Saturday that Joel Tompkins in particular completely failed to pass the ball, looking on every occasion to take the ball into contact and recycle it a la RL.

[tig1]

I need to go and dig out all those 2003 World Cup DVDs and watch all those incredible back moves.
And since that will take me about 1 minute, I could watch the 2007 run to the final at the same time.

Basically England had a world class pack , and a world class goal kicker..........oh and Jason Robinson.

They scored 2 tries in 6 knockout games, and if they hadn't have had Robinson they wouldn't have scored any.

They also put tries past the ABs and everyone else at will - and on top of that they could also play good low risk knock out Rugby.

This teams inability to attack at will is a concern.

Sorry, but that is simply untrue. Woodward played the Abs seven times, lost 4 ,drew one and won the last two. In the famous victory in Wellington they didnt score any tries. They did it entirely with the pack and Wilkinsons boot.

Never in Woodwards time as England coach did the backs score 3 times in a match against New Zealand as lancasters team did last year.