Dan Cole

[Flash]

It was mentioned he was rested for the summer tour but don't recall anything for the autumn internationals.

[BengalTiger]

I think Dan Cole has played too much rugby over the past few seasons, we have overplayed him and England have overplayed him the guy deserves a period to recharge and both Tiger and England need to give him back up.
Playing the toughest possition on the pitch for 80 minutes each game he plays has got to take it's toll, I am glad he is now being given shorter shifts and England are exploring thier options, he remains the best TH currently in the game and we are so luck to have him on our books, IMHO

[Scott1]

This is his first full preseason rest in 10 years!! And Gatland nearly killed him on the Lion's tour even playing him at LH iirc! Well he did play Manu twice in one week and injured him too! Rant over haha

[FrontRowUnionMember]

I think Dan Cole has played too much rugby over the past few seasons, we have overplayed him and England have overplayed him the guy deserves a period to recharge and both Tiger and England need to give him back up.
Playing the toughest possition on the pitch for 80 minutes each game he plays has got to take it's toll, I am glad he is now being given shorter shifts and England are exploring thier options, he remains the best TH currently in the game and we are so luck to have him on our books, IMHO

Absolutely this. The utter lack of faith in his understudies at both domestic and international level has led to him playing repeated long spells for club and country. This has taken its a toll I think. He looks visibly fresher at the minute without test rugby, plus as Heyes gets more experience and starts to share load.

[Old Hob]

This overplaying is a problem for all England players. Johnny Sexton has played about 700 minutes this season while Owen Farrell has played over 1300 (source The Times)

[Scott1]

Ringfence 13 teams,with a bye every week,get rid of the PRC and cut the RCC to 16 teams,simples!

[TTRITH]

Ringfence 13 teams,with a bye every week,get rid of the PRC and cut the RCC to 16 teams,simples!

2 pools of 7.
Each team play twice. (12 games)
Top two of each pool play off for title, 3rd 4th bowl, 5th 6th plate. (2 games max)
7th place, 2 leg relegation decider.

Top 2 teams straight into Europe, finalists of bowl also in.

No games during internationals, from 22 games to a max of 14. Competitive all season.

Prem Cup to be expanded and include Championship sides, will start to close the divide. A-league to mirror league format to keep players fresh.

[Scott1]

Good idea but not for me! With the byes will come more player welfare,due to a closed league players will be rested for European games like the Irish teams do hence a bigger squad will be used and more chances for academy and fringe players. Cutting the RCC gets rid of the dead rubbers at the end of the group stages which are a waste of time,with 4 groups of 4 and 2 guarantee to go through there will be more meaningful games right through to the last group stage game. Cut the dreadful PRC too while we are at it!

[ellis9]

Ringfence 13 teams,with a bye every week,get rid of the PRC and cut the RCC to 16 teams,simples!

2 pools of 7.
Each team play twice. (12 games)
Top two of each pool play off for title, 3rd 4th bowl, 5th 6th plate. (2 games max)
7th place, 2 leg relegation decider.

Top 2 teams straight into Europe, finalists of bowl also in.

No games during internationals, from 22 games to a max of 14. Competitive all season.

Prem Cup to be expanded and include Championship sides, will start to close the divide. A-league to mirror league format to keep players fresh.

Absolutely awful idea!

Here's a better idea- 12 teams who all play each other twice. The worst team finishes 12th and deservedly so, gets relegated. Below, there's a league where other teams compete and whoever is the best team in that league and finishes 1st, gets promoted to play in the Premiership. A feat which they well and truly deserve.

[TTRITH]

Good idea but not for me! With the byes will come more player welfare,due to a closed league players will be rested for European games like the Irish teams do hence a bigger squad will be used and more chances for academy and fringe players. Cutting the RCC gets rid of the dead rubbers at the end of the group stages which are a waste of time,with 4 groups of 4 and 2 guarantee to go through there will be more meaningful games right through to the last group stage game. Cut the dreadful PRC too while we are at it!

I can't agree with removing relegation. The reason the Championship clubs are struggling to make the step up is because there is no link between the two, and there is little financial support in that league. Making the league shorter in terms of fixtures, and playing a Prem Cup that is more like the old cup (or a league cup in football equivalent) will allow those lower clubs a regular testing ground against better quality opposition. Still playing significantly less games then now which helps player welfare. Each pool being 7 games means that out of a 16 week competition, clubs will at most be playing 14 games.

Ellis - the only part I disagree with is that my idea is terrible. I like the league as it is, but I'd much rather see a shorter competition then remove promotion and relegation.

[ellis9]

Good idea but not for me! With the byes will come more player welfare,due to a closed league players will be rested for European games like the Irish teams do hence a bigger squad will be used and more chances for academy and fringe players. Cutting the RCC gets rid of the dead rubbers at the end of the group stages which are a waste of time,with 4 groups of 4 and 2 guarantee to go through there will be more meaningful games right through to the last group stage game. Cut the dreadful PRC too while we are at it!

I can't agree with removing relegation. The reason the Championship clubs are struggling to make the step up is because there is no link between the two, and there is little financial support in that league. Making the league shorter in terms of fixtures, and playing a Prem Cup that is more like the old cup (or a league cup in football equivalent) will allow those lower clubs a regular testing ground against better quality opposition. Still playing significantly less games then now which helps player welfare. Each pool being 7 games means that out of a 16 week competition, clubs will at most be playing 14 games.

Ellis - the only part I disagree with is that my idea is terrible. I like the league as it is, but I'd much rather see a shorter competition then remove promotion and relegation.

Having pools inside of a league is awful. No one will ever convince me otherwise.

Also, which teams do you put into each pool? Do you keep them like it or change every 2 years? To be honest, both of these are rhetorical questions because whatever your answers are, they won't convince me that pools within a league is a good idea because it is an awful idea.

[mol2]

I don't have a problem with say 2 pools of pools of 8 or 9 teams providing they are "even" so that the top sides aren't all in one pool.

The top four play off at the end of the season for the title - lower down for seedings/ranking for next season and European (if entered) places.

Bottom side in each tier goes down automatically to next level.

No cup. No games in AI or 6N period.
Is Europe meaningful to the English clubs any more. As clubs we can't compete (with the current salary cap) with the Irish franchises and the megabucks French so why bother?

[trendylfj]

[/quote]

Having pools inside of a league is awful. No one will ever convince me otherwise.

Also, which teams do you put into each pool? Do you keep them like it or change every 2 years? To be honest, bot h of these are rhetorical questions because whatever your answers are, they won't convince me that pools within a league is a good idea because it is an awful idea.
[/quote]

+1

If we are making player welfare the no1 issue then players have to play less. I suggested years ago that the easy way to do that would be to join the Pro 12, now 14 and the prem together. Get rid of the 2 SA teams, create a tier of leagues from Eng/Ire/Scot/Wales of 12 including championship and maybe even development squads from teams who wish to enter one, promotion and relegation playoffs with top team from lower league and bottom team from upper league home and away. Champions to be decided by top 2 playing at the top clubs national stadium if possible meaning 1 game less for top 2 teams. This would also allow championship clubs to get promoted into a league nearer their own level

Champions cup to be 16 teams - 8 from new top league and 8 from France - same for challenge cup - bottom 4 from new top league, rest of top 14 and top 6 from league 2. Top 2 teams from each cup league into quarters/semis etc would take out no matches in the important cups. Get rid of the mickey mouse cup and one AI would again reduce number of matches played by top players. Will it ever happen - no chance, too much money involved so they will tinker about with the laws to little real effect.

[Jacko27]

Dan may be a little surprised to find that he's responsible for instigating this tangled and complicated debate about the future of English rugby!

[Tiger93]

Should he be named by Eddie on Thursday? Yes

Is he Englands best TH still? Yes

Sinckler at the scrum still doesn't hold his own. Williams yet to wow anyone really.