Yep, Simmonds looked superb today. Incredibly hard to put down and huge workrate

LCD had a quiet game before going off. In the loose anyway. His darts were great

On the LCD v Taylor question, take both of them to South Africa and tell them it's up for grabs.

Hartley and George can have a rest.

Likely to be revised, but ESPN have Simmonds at 24/0 on the tackle count, with the 3 tries and 95 metres made

Haven't watched, but does he play in the wide channels for Exeter like Read does for the ABs? Eddie doesn't employ BRs like that, does he?

Yes he plays wider. We saw in the 6N that he's sod all use against bigger men.

Apart from one burst down the wing, his yards were all up the middle.

Certainly a conundrum when it comes to international rugby though.

Not when you're tasked with running at them- would Read be any good? Billy V is, but it breaks him constantly.

Hmm, needless twattery there Raggs. I think Taylor is a fine player. I think Gospel doesn't understand what "x-factor" refers to.

There be truth in that. What makes Simmonds so effective is when he's allowed to play his natural game - but the same can be said for all the runners and riders in an and around England selection. It's being able to fit into Eddie's game plan that is the most important aspect.

I think Simmonds can work at 8 at test level if he has the right 6 and 7 playing alongside him.

Playing alongside a big 6 who can carry would make a difference. Chisholm or possibly Shields? It would also help with other carriers elsewhere in the pack too.

I’m not totally sure he’s good enough yet to build out back row around though.

You patronising tosser.

Just calling it as I see it. But nice to know the Wasps fans don't think this



is enough praise and decided to close ranks instead

It was remiss of me not to actually mention what i thought was Taylor's x-factor namely his pace and all court game. Put it down to a busy weekend emptying the house of clutter and posting on the hoof. LCD seems to be the front runner because he's a far more abrasive carrier but unless he can sort his darts out under pressure he's as much use as tits on a bull.

I honestly don't remember Taylor having particularly notable pace (which isn't the same thing as me arguing that he doesn't have it, for the record). And I certainly think there's a place for a guy who is a quality all-rounder. I just think for England that place needs to be on the bench behind a guy who can break teams open and is a demon at the breakdown.

Now, if both of them could stay fit, and if George could regain his off-the-cuff mojo...

Taylor seems to have been injured for ages. It was good to see him back yesterday though Cruse, despite having an impossible mission has really thundered around the pitch and played heads up and eyes wide open stuff.

Eddies plan is struggling a bit, neither hughes nor billy can take the punishment- not sure anybody can play pure smash mouth rugby in the modern era.

Perhaps I am being unfair but I often feel that Eddie falls back into a stereotypical view of English rugby and English people in general where he's trying to play a muscular game with guys from broken homes or Southern Hemisphere imports as the posh twats don't have the grit to get it done.

Spot on. It's all about the street fighters with a sprinkling of SH imports to up the skill level. Frankly offensive stuff

I think the problem is that when you have a fit billy mowing teams down it really is formidable, it's just completely unsustainable and without him (no offence to hughes) the gameplan collapses.

You'd have hoped that an experienced international coach would have been able to work that out fairly quickly and adapt the game plan accordingly.

I've still got a lot of faith in edward, he's earned that- but he's got some painful decisions to make selection wise...and maybe coaching too,

We kept winning when Hughes was playing 60+...

If Eddie has been beasting them, with a focus on conditioning rather than peaking for games, they'll have lacked explosive power. Yes, we could do with some more carriers, but it's not unrealistic to think that Genge, LCD and Sink could be easily introduced. Even picking Haskell over Lawes gives a better tight carrier, and massively improves our ruck security, which is really where we were beaten for most the games. Add in a Hughes or BV at 8, rather than Simmonds, and I think we tip back quite easily onto the winning games side of things.

Colour me Unconvinced. Especially while he is still picking Hartley and Cole in the squad - and while he is also ignoring more dynamic back row options. I'd be more convinced if the touring party is a bit less conservative than he's proven to be so far.

We picked potentially the most dynamic backrow available in Simmonds, but when it came to playing international rugby it looked like some more bosh could have been a better idea...

+1

Balance- the side was lacking carriers.

Think it's pretty clear he's not a 6N starting 8.

That said, he'd be useful on the bench against tired legs and I'd have him starting at 7 ahead of someone like Underhill (who seemed in line for it) any day of the week.

But was it with the correct game plan - you can't use Simmonds as a bosher - and did we have the right balance in personnel - simply putting Simmonds in at 8, and not changing anything else, is poor management.

Remember Hartley was a very inconsistent thrower in his early years. Now that is a hugely dependable aspect of his game.

Which is a problem when you have rigid coach whose gameplan comes before picking the best team rather then placing in the most effective gameplan for the bets players.

There is something ironic that the RFU managed to pick the one Australian coach who is committed to crash ball early 90's England style and has ignored how professionalism has reduced the effectiveness of that massively.

You sure about that?

LCD is nearly 25 anyway - that's a bit old to throw like a twat.

Yeah. He was rated for his scrummaging rather than his line-outs in the Johnson years.

EDIT: Even in 2012 people were complaining Hartley's lineouts were an issue:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1777&p=53942&hilit=hartley+lineouts#p53942

I agree, but I don't want to tip back to winning games narrowly. I'd rather aim much higher.

Bristol to be rebranded Bristol Bears apparently.

Suggestions Gloucester could do likewise but as the Gloucester Lions

source: that RugbyInsideLine plum on twitter

Ahh, LTVG syndrome from 6 years ago.


I found this gem on that thread -



Well I wonder which poster wrote that!

You are mean!

I know this will get shot down in flames, but I will put it out there. Does Simmonds have the gas to play at inside centre ? Or Joe Coka for that matter. I can't see Manu staying fit for long enough. Simmonds isn't an international 8 but could see him in a back row with say Billy and Rhodes or Willis.

If you want someone get get over the gainline and not be relied upon to play like a footballing centre, why not just go with someone who actually plays inside centre, like Barritt or Sam Hill? Would even go Burrell or Banahan before trying to convert a flanker at this stage in his career.

Mallinder has the size...

That's going to make your usual holiday googling tougher, no?