England - Where to without Jonny?

[Rebel rouser]

Todays loss may very well have been the last time we see a number of old English campaigners in the white jersey, but in particular that man we love to hate, Jonny Wilkinson, may have finally done his dash.

His solid all round game and flawless boot have been the cornerstone to a successful (if bloody boring) English team. Today, for the first time in three world cups, we saw an English team not confident to take 50/50 penalty shots. Where in years past they would have happily let jonny tick the scoreboard over at every opportunity, the English started going for the corners and taking rushed tap-kicks.

The positional kicking game has always been Englands strength but today the stats actually showed something very interesting. According to foxsports, England had sum total of 350 metres gained via kicking, the French had 700!! The French actually outdid them in these stakes, not to mention in the running game.

I don't watch much English rugby outside of world cups and spring tours, but it seems to me that with the young backs like Youngs, Flood, Tuilagi and Ashton England may be evolving into trying a running game in the next few years. Should be fascinating to watch.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

On your bike. Zero sympathy. Not personal. You were part of a machine. Machine didn't work. Tough. On Your bike.

 

[light]

I thought they looked better all tournament when Flood was at 10, including tonight. At #12 he looked lost and always wanting to take the line on himself, when he moved inside he seemed to look around more and find players running angles. Johnny is replaceable, while his kicking is second to none (usually), Flood and numerous others that feature in Heineken Cup rugby are accurate kickers. It's a heavily relied on facet of the English game so I don't see that changing just because Johnny is gone.

I doubt we will see Moody, Palmer, Thompson, Easter or Tindall again at the RWC. That being said, they are still in the capable hands of Tuilagi, Ashton, Foden, Cole, Flood and Youngs. As much as I hate the Poms(which is alot) it is hard not to acknowledge the contributions many of their retiring guys made to the game, whilst perhaps seen as boring by many, they did set the formula for winning the world cup back in 2003 and was closely followed by the Boks in '07. The game will be weaker without these players but it will certainly be interesting to see the younger generations coming through.

To Tindall, Moody, Johnny and whomever else may be departing England, I tip my lid to you, most of you will retire with a World Cup to your names, thankfully only one. All the best in the future lads, please don't take up a coaching role anytime soon, it has been a joy thrashing you and some of the biggest disappointments in my life losing to you.

 

[Hardtackle]

Good on you Light, more gracious than I would have been.

 

[Cardiffblue]

after Jonny's performance today, they can only get better. Always rated him good defender but he even shit at that

 

[sudrugby]

It is maybe the time to launch Owen Farrell to see what he worth at international level

 

[urallidiots]

why try the still very green and not particularly exciting farrell when we already have the best 10 in the 6 nations.

i keep seeing guff about this being a triumph of french flair over english stodge. just the usual thoughtless bollocks from people who can't engage their brains while watching a game of rugby, or chippy celts being chippy celts.

at least it was a contest decided by the the 30 players and not the man with the whistle...

 

[dobduff11]

It is maybe the time to launch Owen Farrell to see what he worth at international level

Englands best future prospect at 12! He has only played one season at 10 and although he was composed he didn't actually do a lot. Been playing at 13 this season outside Charlie Hodgson. Will play for England within the next four years barring injury.

Freddie Burns (Glos), George Ford (Leicester), Rory Clegg (Quins) are all good players and will be pushing for starting places over the next few seasons. Clegg has already played for the Saxons but has Nick Evans ahead of him. Burns is class but inconsistent at this stage. Ford is only just out of school and has Flood ahead of him at the Tigers.

Wilko has been average in attack for years, offers no running threat, stands far too deep and can't create things. Sad to see him go like that but he needs a quality 12 outside him to make it work.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Where to? go home!

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

As much as i hated Wilkinson for what he did to us in 2003, i admire the guy. It would have been better if his teamates went down swinging like Matfields and Smits.

 

[Scarfman]

Jonny seemed to be a nice guy, but surely the single most over-rated player in rugby history.

England rugby will never be number 1 (where they conceivably have a right to be, given their playing numbers and structures) while they persist with a 10 man game. It'll get you so far and no more.

 

[fatprop]

I still don't understand why Flood didn't start at 10, England will be more of an attacking threat without Wilkinson

 

[Ruggo]

I don't know what to think about Johnny as the ball cheating thing has left me sour. Before that I hugely admired the bloke as somebody who worked bloody hard to achieve what he has. He has had some shit injuries and how he kept fighting his way back to the top shows the heart of the bloke.

The bloke has his place in the history of the game and all the best for his future.

 

[Dan54]

As much as I hate the Poms(which is alot)

What is this hate, I never quite get what Poms have done to upset you lot. I see it not just you Ligh as a few have say they agree. Though I admit,I can't get into this I hate business whether it be against Auusies,Kiwis ,Saffas,Welsh or Irish etc. I know you can dislike one or two,but the whole lot??
As for Poms, I know they have played 10 man stuff at times, but I have watched them over a lot of years, and their rugby has gone on cycles, sometimes good, at other times not so good. And I enjoy Pom supporters(as I do almost everyones) company. actually think Pom team may have a year or 2 of rebuilding, but so will most other countries.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's not that we hate English people specifically. We hate The English in general.

It's a symptom of the whole penal colony thing.

It's much like the Scots or Irish hate The English whilst they don't really hate every English person.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

What is this hate, I never quite get what Poms have done to upset you lot. I see it not just you Ligh as a few have say they agree. Though I admit,I can't get into this I hate business whether it be against Auusies,Kiwis ,Saffas,Welsh or Irish etc. I know you can dislike one or two,but the whole lot??

Pretty sure it started with the convict days.

 

[International Badboy]

i hate them because they always think they have a right to win

 

[08umema]

I may still have night terrors about that drop goal, but it'll be sad to see him go. At least he can say he's won a RWC and has come back from some brutal injuries just to be back in the English setup. Best of luck to hm.

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

What is this hate, I never quite get what Poms have done to upset you lot. I see it not just you Ligh as a few have say they agree. Though I admit,I can't get into this I hate business whether it be against Auusies,Kiwis ,Saffas,Welsh or Irish etc. I know you can dislike one or two,but the whole lot??
As for Poms, I know they have played 10 man stuff at times, but I have watched them over a lot of years, and their rugby has gone on cycles, sometimes good, at other times not so good. And I enjoy Pom supporters(as I do almost everyones) company. actually think Pom team may have a year or 2 of rebuilding, but so will most other countries.

Stop being nice.

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

i hate them because they always think they have a right to win

As opposed to NZ?