It is an inescapable fact that we weren’t good enough. The question that should be asked id why did we fall so short when analysis of the playing squad suggests we aren’t short of good players. However, we are lacking in a few key areas and there are a number of players who have returned from then World Cup with reputations severely dented. And I’m not talking about throwing dwarves, branded gum-shields, dodgy blondes in bars and diving off ferries.
Its time for the post-mortem to begin. Here are my tour ratings for the England World Cup. Its time for some players to go, some to step up and fulfil their potential and others to justify the hype. Some of these guys should make the 6 Nations squad for 2012. Some definitely shouldn’t!
Dan Cole - Failed to justify his reputation as a fierce scrummager. Will need to work hard to justify ongoing selection. Did he grow the beard to hide his blushes?
Alex Corbisiero – One of the few to return with his reputation intact. I do not understand why he was not used more following Sheridan’s injury. The scrum instantly looked more solid each time he came on.
Andrew Sheridan – I suggested it was a risk to take him in light of recent injuries. I fear this is the last we will see of him in an England jersey..in fact any jersey.
Matt Stevens – Found out in the scrum far too often for my liking and gave away too many penalties. Another with a reputation to repair.
David Wilson – Did what he was taken to the World Cup for...bring on the half-time oranges.
Dylan Hartley – Didn’t do enough to claim the first team selection ahead of Thompson. With Thompson likely to retire there must be a number of young hookers in the Guinness Premiership looking to take the spot.
Lee Mears – As Wilson, he was there to make up the numbers. Time for new blood in this position for the 6 Nations.
Steve Thompson – One of the few who can return from the tournament with his head held high. Worked as hard as anyone. Johnson should be grateful he returned that £500,000 insurance payment.
Louis Deacon – Did the donkey work expected of him but he was average. The pack often looked better when he was replaced.
Courtney Lawes – I felt he was unfairly treated by the Citing Committee for his “knee” incident. England missed his physicality although he disappeared against the French (along with nearly everyone else in a white shirt). Hard lessons to be learned but will be better for them.
Tom Palmer – Under-rated by Johnson and put in some strong displays. Was unlucky to be left out of some of the matches. Should be an ongoing pairing with Lawes for the 6 Nations .
Simon Shaw – There is some sentiment in this as I am a big Simon Shaw fan, but what’s the point in having a blog if you can’t be biased every now and then. The guy may be 38 but he plays like someone 15 years younger. I hope Lawes watched and learned!
Tom Croft – Slightly inconsistent at times but definitely one of the stand-out forwards. Future Captain perhaps?
Nick Easter – I said that I would have taken a different number 8 and Easter proved me right. Slow with the ball, slow without the ball. Haskell must be fuming at being left out of the starting XV for the France game. Time to retire!
Lewis Moody – Another who confirmed my apprehension in his selection. A World Cup too far. Lacked the application on the pitch and showed little of any leadership quality. Open-side is an area in which England need to discover a new gem.
Tom Wood – An excellent showing the 2011 Six Nations should have seen Wood get much more game time. A bright future for the England back-row but should have been given a proper chance to shine.
Delon Armitage – Looked dangerous on the rare occasions England put the ball in their wingers hands. Solid defensively but a silly shoulder charge on Chris Patterson ended his tournament early. The long-term successor to Cueto, however I would still play him in the centres.
Ben Foden – As with all of England’s best attacking runners he was rarely given the ball in space. Took his tries well but my lasting memory of his World Cup is likely to be the shocking missed tackle against the French.
Chris Ashton – Went into the France game as the leading try scorer in the tournament. Surprising given the lack of invention coming from the English back line. Why didn’t we give him the ball?!
Mark Cueto – Did nothing badly but did nothing spectacular either. Yes he did bag a hat-trick, but against a weakened team of a Tier 2 nation. Am I being harsh?
Matt Banahan – No impact on the occasions he came off the bench...but that’s not a surprise.
Shontayne Hape – The emergence of Tuilagi restricted his opportunities. Not likely to feature much in an England shirt again unless Tuilagi decides to take up swimming.
Mike Tindall – Led by example....if it was a stag do.
Manu Tuilagi – In danger of his cracking displays on the field being overshadowed by his stupidity off it. Hopefully the fact he will return from NZ about £9000 poorer will get him to focus on his game, the future of which is very bright indeed.
Toby Flood – An indifferent tournament. Perhaps unlucky that he suffered an injury, given that he had a strong Six Nations Championship. I don’t think he is the long-term answer at 10, or 12.
Jonny Wilkinson – Before the tournament I described him as world class. That should have read formerly world class. Defence is still immense, but too many question marks over his kicking and ability to control and run a game.
Joe Simpson – No chance to show what he could do. I think the 9 shirt for the 2012 Six Nations is up for grabs, however Danny Care is returning to fitness.
Richard Wigglesworth – Solid and reliable but didn’t capitalise on his chances given the indifferent form of Youngs.
Ben Youngs – Can someone please, please, please tell him to stop taking three paces and then passing. Opposition defences must have been licking their lips. With predatory open-sides like Pocock and McCaw about we are likely to lose a lot of ball at the breakdown. If Warburton and O’Brien continue their current form into next year the 6N will be hard work.
Reading it, I think you've come to a similar conclusion as I have - we didn't really mess up. Lawes and Armitage were stupid and there were a couple of underperformers (Moody). Basically, though, it was a game plan based on two people: Sheridan and Wilkinson. Dominate the scrum, kick the points. It surprised everyone that Johnny wasn't up to it, though Sheridan was a gamble.
ReplyDeleteMJ made some strange calls - leaving Stevens on for so long, taking Shaw and hardly playing him, going Wilko-Flood even though it had hardly been tried. Can't think of anyone on the bench/out the squad who would have done any better for scrummaging. Scrummy was an odd choice, though.
Dicipline and a squad all trying to achieve something should give us an extra 10%. Doesn't turn them into great players, but would have been good enough for a semi and maybe even the final.
I'd agree with your analysis, except Hartley's set-piece is too weak; Lawes wasn't unlucky, just an idiot; Easter isn't a t*at off the field and that counts for something in my book when the squad's all over the shop; Armitage is no centre; Cueto deserved more of a chance.
Croft for captain.