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- England Fixtures
| Fixture | Details |
|---|---|
| All times are local | |
| International Match | |
| Sunday , May 26 | |
| England vs Barbarians | 13:00 |
| Sunday , June 2 | |
| Consur XV vs England | 19:30 |
| Saturday , June 8 | |
| Argentina vs England | 20:10 |
| Saturday , June 15 | |
| Argentina vs England | 20:10 |
| More International Match fixtures | |
- Table
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales | 5 | 8 |
| 2 | England | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | Scotland | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | Italy | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Ireland | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | France | 5 | 3 |
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Comments
pierredelot1 says...
Well Heart of Oak I'm confined to Top 14 anyway. But to say they have issues is a bit of understatement. Last two Toulouse games of last season were about the most boring seen in France for years. No flair no innovation just soporific crap, hopefully that was a little dip from the usual exciting stuff we usually get served.
Posted 13:53 15th August 2012
JamieTheProp says...
@ heart_of_oak - are you a Leeds boy then? What club you associated with? I was (for many years) a Burley boy and am now fully retired due to being fat and old!
Posted 13:16 15th August 2012
APV1 says...
I think quite a few are missing the point of Geech's appointment. He's not there to coach the current EPS or Saxons, he's there to analyse performance:
"...that means the best performance pathways, support mechanisms and programmes which ultimately result in better England teams,"
It's the back office stuff.
He didn't get the chance to "work his magic" at Bath, as he was forced into a role he didn't want and wasn't originally recruited to do.
And Teflon Andrews should be got rid of. Does anyone know what photos of who he has, to keep him in his job?!
Posted 10:35 15th August 2012
heart_of_oak says...
Jamie the prop - you're welcome to do that in Harehills or Chapeltown but please don't go anywhere near Roundhay or I'll have to lock the Missus indoors.
Posted 21:13 14th August 2012
heart_of_oak says...
pierredelot1 - agree we're behind SH teams in terms of basic skills. Another problem we have is getting quick ball to the back line. Another is inventiveness, flair - call it what you will - in that back line. There are several problems but I think we are slowly headed in the right direction.
This article isn't proposing who should do this review though is it ? So, though I'd like it to have been done by Graham Henry, that's not going to happen. It'll be McGeechan. Yes, he's Scottish, shock, horror. But he's a professional so lets give him a chance and lets see what he says.
But please let's not bring back Clive Woodward in any capacity whatsoever. We won the world cup because a team of great players came together at the same time. Also, whoever said we should get rid of Andrew is spot on. What a waste of space that man is - about as effective as the Greek government.
Posted 18:05 14th August 2012
JamieTheProp says...
RFU swallowing their pride? The day that happens I'll run naked through the strets of Leeds!
Posted 13:59 14th August 2012
Dingbat32 says...
@pierredelot1
I agree - England have always had technique issues. The one I notice a lot is that their players run into contact very vertical - even greats like Dallaglio did this too much. This looks good when you are knocking over minnows, but good teams will knock you flying. By comparison, Celtic nations typically hit the contact much lower (Rob Wainwright used to hit them practically horizontal) and thus they get more impact than their size would suggest is possible.
Mauls are also now a mess, which is ubelievable for the team that owned the technique in 2003.
I used to watch quite a lot of English domestic rugby, but not any more - Top 14 is more exciting (although not exactly free of technique issues!)
McGeechan is a good choice, but a lot of work to do.
Posted 13:41 14th August 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
Tut, focusing on the england team is a waste of time. You want english rugby to impiorve then follow the NZ model and bring in regions. Wales have improved from 50 point humiliations to narrow losses away in Australia all in the foirst 10 years of regionalism in their country. If england want to imporve then they need a foundation that suports them rather than 12 fat egotistical millionaires who behave like fuedal barons out for their own selfish ends. There's maore that 12 cities in england, what about the rest of us who are part of the previliaged few who can go watch premiereship rugby on a saturday afternoon? We want NEED a sucessful england team to get behind and the clubs are stopping that happening with their sub standard rugby and threats to boycott the eurocup which is the only decent standard of club rugby that the england "Stars" are exposed to. Steps should have been put in place to bring an elite competition over the top of Premiere Rugby as soon as the inept vain idiots started talking about walking away from Europe.
Posted 11:59 14th August 2012
melkdave says...
A move in the right direction ,thats for sure,Geech knows rugby and Keen has certinally delivered in the conditioning of our sportsmen .espically the cyclists.They will be looking at the whole structure of the game from grassroots to elite,and while atm we have an excellant youth programme producing alot of good players ,its that final bit we are missing that turns those good young players into world class players.Hoprfully these 2 will find that missing bit ,and like NZ we will have a conveyor belt of world class youngsters feeding into the England teams,and inproving our clubs,who will have alot to do with any structures the RFU wants to implement in the comming years
Posted 09:33 14th August 2012
boksmashoffice says...
Feck sake, RFU swallow your pride and bring back Clive. Put him as director and get rid of that muppett Andrew (how he survived is beyond me). But I cannot see that happening.
Posted 09:08 14th August 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Whats the point of looking at the head when the whole body needs a major scan. In comparison to NZ, Australia and S Africa, the standout difference is one of technique. English players in particular have often failed to master the basics so to expect to produce a winning team on a flimsy base is a non starter. The problem goes back to club level and coaching, where more emphasis should be placed on imroving skills and technique from an early age so that by the time the players reach 16/17 you can really start to work on polishing the diamond. More touch rugby leagues should be encouraged and even more beach rugby to encourage them to let the ball do the work and not rely on brute force. Nothings changed for years, you line up alongside a kiwi or S/H player and know immediately that they will virtually always do the basics well and cover there patch.
Geech is probably the most qualified in Britain and to and although his time at Bath has been unsuccesful, you can't say that about the rest of his career. As for employing expertise from cycling, boy if only 20% of what has been achieved there is passed on, things might start to move forward. About time.
Posted 08:21 14th August 2012
JamieTheProp says...
Well as long as they don't interfere with what Lancaster is doing currently and concentrate on the future structures of the England team that will be grand.
I don't think it ever hurts to ensure that you are doing the best you can for your elite sports as long as you don't alienate the people who are currently delivering it (and delivering it increasingly well).
Also wouldn't they be better off looking at what the Premiership clubs are doing - that is the breeding ground for future England players and, from what I can see, is currently not good enough!
@ jonesy2 - yeah we were pretty good at equestrian - and boxing, cycling, rowing, running, long jump, diving, heptahlon, triathlon, sailing, shooting to name but a few.
Plus we put on one of the greatest Olympics in the modern era. All from London (not Cardiff) and run by an English bloke. And in a few years we'll be putting on a spectacular rugby festival (again with no involvement from Cardiff - apart from maybe your team who'll play lovely rugby but just come up short against one of the big boys, or Ireland, in the quarters or semi).
I also think we'll give you a run for your money in the 6 Nations this year - not saying we will win but I think you won't dominate (much like you didn't last year). In fact after your performance in the summer (against the weakest of the Southern Hemisphere nations) I am quietly confident. The time for arrogance is over - the best Welsh team in a generation really isn't that good - better than England I admit (but that isn't hard). Nothing to be arrogant about there.
Until you consistently beat SH nations (as England did in the lead up to 2003) you've really got nothing to shout about! That is the yardstick and until then you can't claim to eat at the top table of rugby. Pains me to say it but the kiwis, saffas and aussies who post on here are all right about that!
Posted 08:08 14th August 2012
jonesy2 says...
ha england. stick to... equestrian?
Posted 04:03 14th August 2012
bafana says...
Isn't McGeechan Scottish. Will he dispense of the "Sir" if indpendence occurs?
Posted 01:07 14th August 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
In a previous post I stressed my hope they would hire someone from GB cycling excellence team, so they're clearly taking my advice. Geechs... Hmm... He didn't exactly turn Bath around but I guess he has what Leen is lacking. Provided Keen leads it may work well.
Posted 22:32 13th August 2012