England Training Squad announced

[Tiglon]

Sheedy is in great form, but he's about to turn 25, he isn't a young up and coming player - he's probably at his peak and going through a purple patch in a team playing exciting rugby.

Well done to him for getting to where he is, but he isn't going to set the world stage alight.

[RagingBull]

Since when is 25 at a peak for a fly half? or in any rugby position.
By the time the next world cup comes around he will be the same age as Farrell is now....

[BFG]

Sheedy is in great form, but he's about to turn 25, he isn't a young up and coming player - he's probably at his peak and going through a purple patch in a team playing exciting rugby.

Well done to him for getting to where he is, but he isn't going to set the world stage alight.

I suppose that's more credible than playing in a team breaking the salary cap rules!

[Tiglon]

Since when is 25 at a peak for a fly half? or in any rugby position.
By the time the next world cup comes around he will be the same age as Farrell is now....

Who said 25 is peak for a fly half?

A comparison of Sheedy's career this far and Farrell's up to age 25 might suggest they are on slightly different trajectories, no?

[RagingBull]

"he's probably at his peak"

[Tiglon]

"he's probably at his peak"

Do you honestly not see the difference between saying Sheedy is probably at his peak and saying 25 is at a peak for a fly half? Really?

Unless he does something spectacular in the next few years, I would say that Manu probably reached his peak at about 22/23. Does that mean I think all 13's peak at 22/23? Obviously not.

There's a difference between talking about one specific player and making generalisations about all players in a certain position.

[sam16111986]

Sheedy is in great form, but he's about to turn 25, he isn't a young up and coming player - he's probably at his peak and going through a purple patch in a team playing exciting rugby.

Well done to him for getting to where he is, but he isn't going to set the world stage alight.

No he's not an up and coming player but he is the flyhalf guiding Bristol into the playoffs. He kicks well, has got attacking vision and is consistent. The next RWC is in three years so he'll be what 28 and the one after that he'll be 32. Hardly running out of time.

[Tiglon]

Sheedy is in great form, but he's about to turn 25, he isn't a young up and coming player - he's probably at his peak and going through a purple patch in a team playing exciting rugby.

Well done to him for getting to where he is, but he isn't going to set the world stage alight.

No he's not an up and coming player but he is the flyhalf guiding Bristol into the playoffs. He kicks well, has got attacking vision and is consistent. The next RWC is in three years so he'll be what 28 and the one after that he'll be 32. Hardly running out of time.

Not running out of time at all. Just my opinion that this is as good as he's going to get and he won't maintain this form. I might be right, I might be wrong - time will tell.

[Chobbsy]

Joe Simmons has to be on Eddie's radar, he is, in my opinion much better than Umaga, I think ne hope we will see him feature in the 8 nations assuming he doesn't get injured in the semi or final of the play offs

[Chobbsy]

Sheedy is in great form, but he's about to turn 25, he isn't a young up and coming player - he's probably at his peak and going through a purple patch in a team playing exciting rugby.

Well done to him for getting to where he is, but he isn't going to set the world stage alight.

No he's not an up and coming player but he is the flyhalf guiding Bristol into the playoffs. He kicks well, has got attacking vision and is consistent. The next RWC is in three years so he'll be what 28 and the one after that he'll be 32. Hardly running out of time.

Not running out of time at all. Just my opinion that this is as good as he's going to get and he won't maintain this form. I might be right, I might be wrong - time will tell.

Too late for Sheedy for England he has been named in the Welsh squad

[JP14]

Surprising that Reffell is nowhere to be seen in the Welsh nor the English squad.

[Tiglon]

Surprising that Reffell is nowhere to be seen in the Welsh nor the English squad.

Playing a dozen good games for Tigers doesn't get the international recognition it used to. To be honest I wouldn't pick him in an England squad yet either - there are too many others who are at least a level above him at the moment. If he can keep playing as well as he is though, keep improving and Tigers can perform better next season then I wouldn't be surprised to see him earn a cap for Wales next season.

He needs to cement his place in the Tigers first XV against stiff competition from Wallace before he can worry about international honours.

[Wes]

In regard to Sheedy, I also strongly suspect that if he had any international aspirations for England (assuming that Wales isn't his first choice and I have no idea about that at all), that he'd talk to Eddie first and see if there was a chance, just as Joel Tomkins did. Once he's told there's no chance in the next x years or that he's 17th inline, why not go to another country for honours

[TigerFeetSteve]

Piers Francis has withdrawn from the training squad after a positive Covid test following playing against Sale Tuesday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54443267

[Scott1]

Simmons gets an arm chair ride behind a dominant pack week in week out. Imagine the carnage Ford could cause playing for Chiefs. Smith for me is the far better talent and has proved it behind a mostly retreating pack,that’s the mark of a top FH for me. I’ve saw Simmons on the very rare couple of occasions where Chiefs pack were under the cosh,Munster was one of them and he wasn’t all that imo.