Scrum half
Options: Lee Dickson, Ben Youngs, Dimitri Yachvili, Francois Trinh Duc, Eoin Reddan, Tomas O'Leary, Edoardo Gori, Mike Blair, Mike Phillips
After the wealth of choices along the back line and especially at 8, its a bit from riches to rags hear. I think Youngs is possibly the best on his day, but bar 20 minutes against Ireland he was poor as were Yachvili, Trich Duc etc etc. Essentially this has to be Mike Phillips as there's almost no-one else, and this will be something of a concern for all the nations in the future and the Lions - much might depend on Youngs refinding his form of 18 months ago
Fly Half
Options: Owen Farrell, Charlie Hodgson, Lionel Beauxis, Morgan Parra, Johnny Sexton, Ronan O'Gara, Kristopher Burton, Greig Laidlaw, Dan Parks, Rhys Priestland
Not as bad as scrum half, but no a wealth of options either - Italy, France and Scotland were a mess basically so really its down to Farrell, Sexton or Priestland. Whilst Farrell is young for me, in this tournament, he was consistently the best with Sexton and, to a lesser degree Priestland, seeming out of sorts at times. Farrell looked great from the minute he came on - a fine place kicker and tackler, with his only (slight weakness) perhaps being in attack, though I think that will come
Next up - the centres
Team of the Tournament - Half Backs
posted on 22/3/12
Don't worry about it, they've been the wrong way round for ages.
Trinh-Duc's should be playing centre as he kicks about as well as D'Arcy and Parra sees himself as a fly-half/scrum-half combo/demi-god where he is, in fact, a noxious weed.
posted on 22/3/12
Well taras, the french have always blurred the lines between Scrum half and Fly half, Effectively in France the Fly half does not need to be able to kick from the turf. But he does need a good from hand kicking game.
posted on 22/3/12
This is a fairly recent fashion, probably dating from about 5/6 years ago when Michalak and Ellissalde couldn't make their minds up as to who was what. Ellissalde started out as a 9 but finished his carreer as a 10, Michalak started as a 10 but now sees himself purely as a 9.
The likes of Galthié, Mignoni and those who went before never had any delusions of being a fly-half or a penalty taker.
The French thing before this was the 10 and 12 were totally interchangeable to the extent the Trinh-Duc is (and forgive me if my numbers are slightly out but the gist remains the same) the 1st French player to wear the 10 shirt in 10 consecutive games for something like 40 years.
Of course the French like to be different. For years the scrum-half threw in at the line-out.
posted on 22/3/12
On the French liking to be different, you chaps might appreciate this. My (Irish) brother in law was travelling with friends in Europe when "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" came out, and they went to the cinema in France - possibly Paris but if not somewhere in the (very rough) Paris, Angers, Rennes sort of area.
The film was shown in English with French subtitles and come the bit where the knights turn up outside the castle occupied by Frenchman and ask "Are you French" with the response "Yesss, why do you sink I aave zis outraejuss accent" they burst into laughter only to be glared at for the rest of the film by the rest of the audience!
posted on 22/3/12
9. Philips
10. Farrell
I just feel young Farrell really stepped up to the mark in every aspect, lots of potential.
posted on 22/3/12
Its hard to pick a SH, nobody stood out to me.
Farrell
posted on 22/3/12
Phillips and Sexton for me.
posted on 23/3/12
Just watched Cipriani win a game for the rebels! Starting to show what all the hype was when he burst onto the scene. I think if his season continues as is then he is England's best flyhalf and could really get their backline going. Surprise pick for the June tour of SA maybe?
posted on 23/3/12
Max,
Him being picked for England would depend on a few factors.
First who becomes the England manager. Mallet of Lancaster. Neither of which i can see tolarating any stupidity from players off the field.
Lancaster has mover his team away from the media spotlight and is hell bent on keeping it that way. Cipriani would draw a mountain of negativity, would wees with the mind set of Farrell and would generally be a disruptive influence. So i don't think Lancaster would be even a little bit interested in a guy who is not even a has been because you have to become something before you can be a was something.
Likewise mallet is a great man manager, and a decent bloke. I would see Cipriani as having more chance to feature under Mallet but only at a pinch if Mallet was in a bind. Lancaster on the other hand would look within the English club game if he was in a bind.
The fact is, unless Cipriani gets back to the English game he has 0% chance.
If he does get back i would give him 10% under Lancaster and probably 15% under Mallet.
Also, if he is better than Farrell i swear i will eat my jocks without salt!
posted on 26/3/12
phillips
priestland