Hartley must be next England captain!

[fentiger]

I doubt Hartley will get into any Match Day 23 let alone be Captain!

I, too hope so, however there has been a campaign by certain 'pundits' seemingly talking him up recently!

[LE18]

Are you really analyzing his play, or is it the prejudices against his club and his behaviour. Let's face it he isn't too bad a player, with a new broom in charge he might wipe the plate clean, I can only think of one better hooker than him and in a squad of 23, it needs two hookers, my betting he will be back even though I don't like him.

As for Captain, not sure, but one of the best ways to cure a trouble maker is to give them responsibility.

[Noddy555]

You must be joking, I credit Eddie Jones with more common sense than to even consider Hartley for a place in his squad, this person who cannot now claim the innocence of youth still has a great deal of growing up to do.

[LE18]

I would have thought you might have been in favour Noddy?

[Iain]

I would have Dylan Hartley in the England squad. There is always a place for a snarly wind up merchant hooker with the skills to back his arrogance. Heaven knows our current Director of Rugby was from the same mould.

Never as captain though. Even Saints have worked out that this was a bad idea as you can't have your captain constantly letting you down in your biggest games.

[Noggs]

I would have Dylan Hartley in the England squad. There is always a place for a snarly wind up merchant hooker with the skills to back his arrogance. Heaven knows our current Director of Rugby was from the same mould.

Never as captain though. Even Saints have worked out that this was a bad idea as you can't have your captain constantly letting you down in your biggest games.

Agreed; as a player he probably warrants a place in the squad but not as captain, partly on the grounds of discipline and partly on the basis that you want your captain to be the first choice start for every game which he is not. I also think the captain should not be a front row player as it is common for the front row to do no more than 60 minutes a game and it's not the best position in which to have a good overall view of what is happening around you, particularly from the scrum.

Whoever is chosen as captain they have to be the first name on the team sheet for every game (if fit) and I suspect Steady Eddie will take his time in making his final choice with various player being given the captaincy for just one or two games until such time as he has settled on his choice of core players.

[drc_007]

My Saints friends reckon Hartley might struggle to get a starting spot back at Saints.

[Noddy555]

For LE18 What kind of warped logic are you applying to think I'd say anything positive about this horrible individual, whose even struggling to be number one hooker for the Sinners, sorry saints?

[Big Dai]

Pick your best team first, worry about a captain second!

[Creature]

I would have Dylan Hartley in the England squad. There is always a place for a snarly wind up merchant hooker with the skills to back his arrogance. Heaven knows our current Director of Rugby was from the same mould.

Never as captain though. Even Saints have worked out that this was a bad idea as you can't have your captain constantly letting you down in your biggest games.

Agreed; as a player he probably warrants a place in the squad but not as captain, partly on the grounds of discipline and partly on the basis that you want your captain to be the first choice start for every game which he is not. I also think the captain should not be a front row player as it is common for the front row to do no more than 60 minutes a game and it's not the best position in which to have a good overall view of what is happening around you, particularly from the scrum.

Whoever is chosen as captain they have to be the first name on the team sheet for every game (if fit) and I suspect Steady Eddie will take his time in making his final choice with various player being given the captaincy for just one or two games until such time as he has settled on his choice of core players.

The only successful captain who played in the front row I can think of is Sean Fitzpatrick, but then he is one of the greatest in the history of the game and had numerous 'lieutenants' around him in the pack and the backline.

I like the idea of Maro Itoje being picked and made captain in order to capitalise on the number of his teammates from the extremely successful under-20 team he captained to World Cup glory, but that would take a long-term look, and I don't know whether Eddie Jones will do that until after the Six Nations when he has more say over selection. At the moment, only making 9 changes to the World Cup squad (excluding Sam Burgess) will really hamstring him putting his fingerprints on the entire England setup, particularly the senior squad and starting 23.

[Creature]

Also, with Maro Itoje, he would have to be (arguably) the best at his position, and I don't know whether he would be the first choice lock ahead of Courtney Lawes, Joe Launchbury and Ed Slater.

[drc_007]

The only successful captain who played in the front row I can think of is Sean Fitzpatrick,

Peter Wheeler?

[Bill W (2)]

Eddie Jones is indeed restricted in the short term for who he can select. But he is less restricted in who he can choose to not select - Hartley, Farrel and Robshaw I would suggest!

[Creature]

The only successful captain who played in the front row I can think of is Sean Fitzpatrick,

Peter Wheeler?

I didn't consider him because he only captained England five times. Really successful at club level though.

[Spicer]

Currently I would say there are maybe 4 definite starters: Cole, Watson, May and Brown. None really captain material.