Old Hob wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:02 pm
I do think we have become a bit too precious about positions - "He's a 6, not a 7" etc. If you have skills and something of a rugby brain, some versatility should be expected. Converting a 7 to a 12 these days should be far simpler than in the old days when forwards looked upon ball carrying as akin to knitting sand
I just don’t buy it - I can’t think of any previous examples nor do I think it plausible that the nuances involved in the centre will just get picked up in the course of the game against international class opponents who’ve likely played there all their professional lives.
Burgess is an example albeit you could argue being from a different code it was already harder but even when wingers play centre they are often picked off defensively and exploited by the opposition.
Is it really that easy to say to an 8 (or in Barbearys case 2/8) and say right - play international rugby at centre even though you’ve not played there before?
Surely it’s not that simple or every back rower of that style would switch positions to suit?
Yes but not many back row players have Simmons pace (the equal of most centres), so that is an interesting call.
Barbeary is an out and out forward, with great line breaking power, I hope he plays 8 v Wales with Curry at 7 and Lawes at 6.
I can almost guarantee Barbeary won’t start against Wales - Eddie won’t experiment in such a big game.
I expect Ludlow & Lawes to start and also think it’s likely (very likely) Manu will start too
Unless the list I saw is wrong, Lawes, Ludlow and Ludlam aren’t in the squad for Wales.
Robespierre wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:14 pm
The Irish aren't happy! New video evidence shows that Romain Ntamack's pass to Antoine Dupont for Franc's first try just may have been forward!
Robespierre wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:14 pm
The Irish aren't happy! New video evidence shows that Romain Ntamack's pass to Antoine Dupont for Franc's first try just may have been forward!
For me, the ref made a good decision in according the try
Either rugby goes with VAR type technology and the ball needs to not travel forward relative to a line on the pitch or actually backwards towards you own try line, as the laws actually stats rather this direction of the hands rubbish or we leave it that humans will make decision and it may be wrong and once the whistle blows its over. Final score will always stand so move on. I do think they now video playback is being used the refs need to employ their own director who knows all the available angles and orders the TV company to produce them. Broadcast director to be liable for a ban on involvement in future games if they misdirect footage for their teams advantage.
Old Hob wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:02 pm
I do think we have become a bit too precious about positions - "He's a 6, not a 7" etc. If you have skills and something of a rugby brain, some versatility should be expected. Converting a 7 to a 12 these days should be far simpler than in the old days when forwards looked upon ball carrying as akin to knitting sand
I just don’t buy it - I can’t think of any previous examples nor do I think it plausible that the nuances involved in the centre will just get picked up in the course of the game against international class opponents who’ve likely played there all their professional lives.
Burgess is an example albeit you could argue being from a different code it was already harder but even when wingers play centre they are often picked off defensively and exploited by the opposition.
Sorry, I wasn't suggesting it was an instant swap like Clark Kent to Superman. It would need time and some intensive training but these are professional players - they don't do anything else. Some have gone the other way - Tom Youngs for example.
Old Hob wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:02 pm
I do think we have become a bit too precious about positions - "He's a 6, not a 7" etc. If you have skills and something of a rugby brain, some versatility should be expected. Converting a 7 to a 12 these days should be far simpler than in the old days when forwards looked upon ball carrying as akin to knitting sand
I just don’t buy it - I can’t think of any previous examples nor do I think it plausible that the nuances involved in the centre will just get picked up in the course of the game against international class opponents who’ve likely played there all their professional lives.
Burgess is an example albeit you could argue being from a different code it was already harder but even when wingers play centre they are often picked off defensively and exploited by the opposition.
Sorry, I wasn't suggesting it was an instant swap like Clark Kent to Superman. It would need time and some intensive training but these are professional players - they don't do anything else. Some have gone the other way - Tom Youngs for example.
Is it really that easy to say to an 8 (or in Barbearys case 2/8) and say right - play international rugby at centre even though you’ve not played there before?
Surely it’s not that simple or every back rower of that style would switch positions to suit?
Yes but not many back row players have Simmons pace (the equal of most centres), so that is an interesting call.
Barbeary is an out and out forward, with great line breaking power, I hope he plays 8 v Wales with Curry at 7 and Lawes at 6.
I can almost guarantee Barbeary won’t start against Wales - Eddie won’t experiment in such a big game.
I expect Ludlow & Lawes to start and also think it’s likely (very likely) Manu will start too.
"For the first ten minutes and then go off injure having claimed his match fee!" Why does nothing change £££'s and injuries.
Give the new players a chance. So glad Tigers saw the light and attracted 3 replacements in for Manu who have excelled and Kelly may well make England if allowed to.
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Geez, get a grip. Watching the game back, a lot of England’s issues were self-inflicted due to basic skill errors. You telling me these ‘good players’ can blame the coach for that? And do you think the French were a shambles last week as well?
I certainly can blame the coach! there was little cohesion or understanding between the players on Sunday and this is not a new phenomena when England play, only when they are playing hoof it into the rafters do the players seem to understand what they should do.
A good coach makes the team better than the sum of the parts, a poor coach makes good players look average, this is what I see in a lot of England matches since the world cup.
"The coach will put the plan and direction of travel on the table and say "this is how I want us to play" but the players have to implement it and adapt if it doesn't work, the coach can't do that for them, he can get messages on, talk at half-time or make substitutions but aside from that, it's down to the 15 on the field. How often do we hear from coaches "training etc is player led, they drive the standards and put the plan in place" ?
If that is all the coach has to do I have severely underestimated the difficulty of the job!
I though he came up with a style and a system that was adaptable and easy for players to pick up and understand then he picked the best players to play that system / style, then he coached them in all the variations and possibilities, if the players consistently failed to play the the style system or the system did not deliver as expected, he either changed the players, changed the system or else he found a new job.
I did not think he wrote a few ideas on the back of a fag packet for the players to pass around amongst themselves silly me!
