HantsTiger wrote: ↑Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:53 am
Ford, Faz, Slade in the midfield is too 'samey', he'll stick Te'o or Manu in there as a foil as those 3 are all distributors and there's no one to run a hard line if needed.
Given Faz is co-captain I think he'll start at 10, Te'o 12, Slade at 13 and manu on the bench with Ford. I know this leaves no back 3 cover, so I guess Nowell would start and given Manu once played a bit for the Lions on the wing they can shove him out there in an emergancy!
I called it right! I didn't actually believe in what I wrote last night, Te'o has 30 mins under his belt this season - this could be a long 80 mins......
Sends out all the wrong messages to the other candidates for that position. What I find most surprising is that it's not as though he's a world class performer. He's okay but he's never really set the world alight in an England or a Worcester shirt has he? It's as though everyone is waiting for him to be brilliant but it hasn't happened yet.
Elliott Daly, Billy & Mako Vunipola, Maro Itoje - these guys are must-picks. Ben Te'o (and a rusty Ben Te'o at that) is definitely not in that category.
Hopefully he proves me wrong but I still don't see what Brad Shields offers that couldn't be covered by any number of actual Englishmen. Not a great sign that he played 100+ games for the 'canes yet the ABs weren't interested.
CitizenSmiff wrote: ↑Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:17 pm
Hopefully he proves me wrong but I still don't see what Brad Shields offers that couldn't be covered by any number of actual Englishmen. Not a great sign that he played 100+ games for the 'canes yet the ABs weren't interested.
If he can replicate his form that he showed again and again for the Hurricanes, he will be a great asset to England, again before people jump down my throat I did say IF
CitizenSmiff wrote: ↑Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:17 pm
Hopefully he proves me wrong but I still don't see what Brad Shields offers that couldn't be covered by any number of actual Englishmen. Not a great sign that he played 100+ games for the 'canes yet the ABs weren't interested.
It’s a very fair point. New Zealand do tend to like an out and out 7 and to go with this a big ball carrying 6 like Messam or Squire.
Shields is more of the 6 and a half player favoured by Jones
CitizenSmiff wrote: ↑Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:17 pm
Hopefully he proves me wrong but I still don't see what Brad Shields offers that couldn't be covered by any number of actual Englishmen. Not a great sign that he played 100+ games for the 'canes yet the ABs weren't interested.
It’s a very fair point. New Zealand do tend to like an out and out 7 and to go with this a big ball carrying 6 like Messam or Squire.
Shields is more of the 6 and a half player favoured by Jones
Nothing against Shields as a person however I couldn't understand why he was selected for England when we have the opportunity to give a chance to the likes of the Curry brothers, Underhill and other home grown talent. As you say if he was really any good he'd have been an All Black. England say they have aspirations to be the best / win the World Cup. If so why pick other nations' cast offs? I honestly can't believe that he's better than our home grown talent. If I were a home grown talent that's worked hard to get into the national squad I'd be somewhat disappointed that an outsider is parachuted straight into the team. Can't be good for morale.
Tigers for the premiership and European Cup. Get behind the team and make some noise!!
Voice of the Crumbie, your assumption that Shields is no good does not fit as there are better players ahead of him that qualify for NZ. He qualifies for England and is seen to be the best of what is available.
How many of the current England players would get into the All Blacks team?
Tigerbeat wrote: ↑Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:10 pm
Voice of the Crumbie, your assumption that Shields is no good does not fit as there are better players ahead of him that qualify for NZ. He qualifies for England and is seen to be the best of what is available.
How many of the current England players would get into the All Blacks team?
Tigerbeat, I didn't say Shields is no good. I just questioned whether he was better than what we have available locally. We don't know because the local talent hasn't been given sufficient opportunity in international games to prove themselves. Eddie Jones has just brought in an outsider and put him straight into the team. If he produces the goods against the likes of South Africa or the All Blacks then fair enough pick him. If he doesn't then jettison him.
Tigers for the premiership and European Cup. Get behind the team and make some noise!!
Slade was hung out to dry by his centre partner on more than one occasion and the whole did ok.
England were very lucky, the Boks destroyed our scrum first half and had their lineout performed would have been out of sight by half time.
England’s replacement front row especially Ben Moon were big improvements.
Woodward was singing Hartleys praises but I saw nothing special
Mark62 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:01 pm
Slade was hung out to dry by his centre partner on more than one occasion and the whole did ok.
England were very lucky, the Boks destroyed our scrum first half and had their lineout performed would have been out of sight by half time.
England’s replacement front row especially Ben Moon were big improvements.
Woodward was singing Hartleys praises but I saw nothing special
I thought George Ford should have come on much sooner. Around the 55/60 minute the game had really started to open up and there was space everywhere, Te'o was knackered too, it seemed like the perfect scenario for George to come on and turn the screw. As it was he came on in the 73rd to little effect.
I thought Jonny May was ace. If Elliot Daly had had the presence of mind to look over his shoulder and pass to the outside then Jonny would have had at least one of not two tries in the second half. That run and offload to Nowell was brilliant.
