Exiled: Steffon Armitage
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has appeared to call into question the fitness of flanker Steffon Armitage.
Speaking in defence of England captain Chris Robshaw, Lancaster addressed the calls from both the public and the media for Armitage to be included back into the set-up by questioning whether he was fit enough to handle Test rugby.
"I want our players to stay in England and play in England," said Lancaster to the press on Monday.
"At Toulon he [Armitage] plays behind a dominant pack and they have got world-class players in every position. They are beating everyone on the front foot.
"To play for 80 minutes, at the highest level in Test rugby, when you're not on the front foot and have to keep running around at high levels of intensity, you've got to be fit."
Armitage was named on Monday as the best foreign player in the Top 14 by Midi Olympique, having excelled last season as Toulon reached both the Amlin Challenge Cup and Top 14 Finals.
England came unstuck against Australia's Michael Hooper last Saturday, raising the issue once again on whether a recognised "fetcher" is needed at openside flanker rather than England captain Robshaw.
The Harlequins captain produced more turnovers than any other player during the June series against South Africa, but appears more physically suited to the blindside flank.
"Chris has been named captain for the series and I'm more than happy with his contribution on and off the field. I don't see that Chris' performance would warrant being dropped," added Lancaster.
"There are not many in my opinion who play at seven in England in the same way as Michael Hooper or Richie McCaw do. It's quite hard to magic someone up to play in that way in our competition."
Comments
JamieTheProp says...
I agree with those saying if he wants to play for England he'll come back to England! We'll see where his priorities lie!
Posted 20:06 21st November 2012
Bluesland says...
I saw Armitage playing for LI a few years ago - I thought he was a very good player, but too small for England, which is probably the most size obsessed country in world rugby.
It now appears that he is too big - could it just be that England don't like playing with genuine open sides, preferring to grind out a result in the tried and tested way.
Pick a man on how he plays - not on how he looks!
Posted 15:18 21st November 2012
APV1 says...
@ sirtidychris - that's a very interesting point you make and not one I'd considered. I know that Palmer moved to France before the "rule" was imposed, hence his continued selection. But Sheridan and Armitage (even JW!) went out knowing that any international ambitions would have to be put on hold.
Opening the flood gates is an interesting concept and worth bearing in mind.
The issue comes with the T14 matches clashing with the international "release window" and England players being unavailable for training.
I think it's a nonsense - any professional rugby player worth their salt should be able to pick up moves and calls fairly quickly. And I know there's a long journey between the south of France and England, but it's not like Perth to Sydney!
Posted 10:58 21st November 2012
ben7 says...
Would like to see 6.Robshaw 7.Armitage 8.Morgan
Posted 02:00 21st November 2012
StunTheMullet says...
Looks like he ate all the pies and the pie cart in that photo.
Posted 23:58 20th November 2012
NHsaints says...
@markpat Tom Palmer is now contracted for London Wasps. And for once I disagree Lancaster, sure armitage sometimes disapears on the back foot but that's no different to Croft or Haskell...What I say we need is a GOOD ball carrier to compliment Robshaw's skills and Wood's contact physicality and lineout skills...the obvious player would be Armitage at 7 with Robshaw 8 or Armitage 8, Robshaw 6, Wood 7. I also disagree about our players at 7...have you never heard of Matt Kvesic? If he could be any better for Worcester they'd have to start calling him McCaw Kvesic...anyway I think the best we could realistically go for with our current squad is Robshaw 8, Wood 7, Croft 6 or Robshaw 8, Launchberry/Clark 6, Wood 7.
Posted 21:53 20th November 2012
1st58 says...
SL is proving as bad a judge and as stubborn as MJ was before him - A
rmitage is fit and playing at a level that no other English openside comes near to - all I can say is I hope the RFU don't take as long to realise their mistake in appointing SL as the did with Johnson - English rugby is being let down yet again.
Posted 21:28 20th November 2012
sirtidychris says...
Theres some sort of saying regarding dams, water and flooding thats relevant here...basically pick armitage and everyone will naff off over too france again, so far we have had haskell, palmer, gegarthy and cipriani return strengthening the english game and probably tonnes more turn down lucrative french deals for a punt at a chance in the england shirt. Steffan is da man of the moment, if he wants to play then get over to england and sign a contract with a top 4 club until then robshaw, wood and haskell can do a job.
Posted 18:14 20th November 2012
Spartacus says...
And another thing, Toulon the team of superstars went for Armitage, not one of the muscle boy drones that England are intent on picking. By all means pick moron gym bunnies like Haskell - the rest of the world wont care
Posted 15:13 20th November 2012
Andy1000 says...
Mcaws played behind a dominant pack at the crusaders for the best part of 10 years and it doesn't seem to have affected his fitness.
There's obviously an issue there but not a good look to be making up reasons not to pick him
Posted 15:03 20th November 2012
sanka69 says...
Been impressed with SL....up to now! Doesn't seem like the greatest reasoned argument to me, especially with Waldrom looking the way he does! Has he been fitness tested by his club - couldnt RFU get a look to at least know where he stands, SL needs to back that statement up and will not be able to! Unfortunately, England have not had decent 7's for years now, why are they going to be any different all of a sudden? Neil Back took an awful longtime to buck the trend sadly as I think they are a neccessity!
Posted 14:05 20th November 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Weird. It's not like Lancaster is averse to using his entire bench replacing players who can last 80 minutes at around 50-70 minutes. This is an outward sign that he is realising he made a mistake but can't accept it.
Posted 13:51 20th November 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
Armitage is obviously carrying flab, Peri Weepu was mullered earlier this year for his fitness and I don't think he looked far off Steffan's build.
Lancaster should have Armitage in the saxons at the very least so we have be fairly judged and the RFU need to arrrange some meaningful tests for the saxons. Not the All Blacks obviously but get them playing elite domestic sides around the world. English and French fans would pay to see the Saxons take on Toulouse. If you want to see Armitage on a level playing field then thats your answer. Disimissing him completely as Lancaster has done is extreme and not the right way to husband your resourses.
The other issue is Chris Robshaw. The question isn;t whther hes the best 7 in England. Just forget his natiionality and put him in a "test match team" and then compare him to the openside flankers he needs to beat to win a world cup... Ther are serious question marks, not least because the guy is a blind side flanker, not an openside. I admire chris' attiutude, work rate and character, but break it down to PACE, POWER, TECHNIQUE and he's not the best international no.7.
David Wilson, Neil Back, Juan Smith, Ritchie McCaw, they went along way to winning their countries one of the last four rugby world cups. I just don't see Chris Robshaw in the same light.
Posted 13:40 20th November 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
@Artherfish - you're right about the Aussies outthinking us but that's about all that they are particularly good at presently. (I seem to recall a recent draw with the ABs achieved on the same basis).
That is where England are at the moment, plenty of endeavour, improving skills but still a long way down the learning curve. Part of me wonders whether a lesson in the dark arts from a streetwise Aussie pack offered more to England than a victory earned by shoving them all over the park in the scrum.
A little sour grapes moment maybe but how important is the top 4 draw it strikes me at the moment that, the only team with the beating of all-comers will be the ABs everyone else, Boks to Scotland look fairly evenly matched in a NH based competition.
Worst case scenario for anyone would be 2 decent 6N sides (Wales Ireland or Scotland) in the 3rd tier after this round of matches.
Posted 13:12 20th November 2012
gingergenius says...
A very worrying statement from Lancaster if true. Thus far, results haven't been amazing but I've been impressed by his coaching.
What previous management regimes have suffered from, however, is excessive loyalty to players and a siege mentality. Here is a clear example of classic England blinkeredness.
To say we don't have that type of 7 - a fetcher - in the Premiership is just plain wrong. We do, Andy Saull and David Seymour are two obvious ones. No, neither are sticking their hands up for selection just now but they were in the spring when Lancaster ignored both of them in favour of players like Callum Clarke and Phil Dowson.
Picking Robshaw at 7, a man who is an out-and-out 6, could be an indication of England's lack of resources in the position, and isn't necessarily the end of the world if the back row is balanced enough.
The back row is not balanced enough, however. We were bullied physically against SA and bullied technically against Australia, with Tom Wood noticeably making a difference when he came on.
The obvious answer would be to start 6 - Robshaw, 7 - Wood next weekend.
Another one is to get Armitage in that squad and have a look at him. He cannot possibly be doing more to put his name in the frame - and to hear thinly veiled criticism of him from Lancaster is below the belt and poor form - I'd go as far to describe it as seriously out of character - make excuses for not picking him based on his form/ attitude/ ability, not on spurious allegations about his fitness.
Posted 12:50 20th November 2012
Spartacus says...
Hang on a minute, that pie muncher Easter got loads of caps. Armitage shows guts and talent so should be in the team ahead of fitter dross
Posted 12:38 20th November 2012
markpat says...
Surely, at least put him in the squad to compare his fitness? Without having tested it, that a huge guess about a player.
As someone mentioned, surely 60 minutes of a world class 7 and then Robshaw switching to 7 is better than 80 minutes of Robshaw at 7?
Also, Lancaster doesn't want to pick players from France, but plays Tom Palmer?
Isn't the seemingly appropriate phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face"?
Posted 12:34 20th November 2012
APV1 says...
As others have mentioned, the reason is BS. He's plenty fit enough. And if not, it's an easy fix.
With the options we have at 6 & 8, he would be a great addition to the squad. Robshaw to 7 when / if he goes off. Lawes / Launchbury / Wood / Haskell, etc...
Posted 12:25 20th November 2012
heathy says...
I don't agree with EVERYTHING Lancaster says but he has a plan and also puts across some good arguments. I actually understand what he is saying regarding Armitage. He is NOT the fittest of guys but is a good player. However, yes, he is behind an extremely good forward pack who have rarely been on the back foot. There are some good sevens about and maybe it would be great to have a McCaw or a Pocock but we just haven't. I also don't think that Armitage is the saviour over and above what we are looking to achieve. We just can't pick the players overseas as we can't have them for the rugby camps. As a new team and coach, these are essential. Armitage knew that before going as it was no secret. To be honest, Sheridan would have been shipped in over Armitage if that was the case as he would normally be nailed on to start. Guys, we are planning ahead and must not lose sight of the bigger picture. Saturday was a blow but not the end of the world. We are still developing. We've got Wood and Croft coming back which could give options and I actually quite rate Robshaw in his own right. He works extremely hard and is still settling into test rugby. If England kicked their penalties and were not so naive in places we could have won the game. Even by not playing as well as we could. We didn't and that's that but we must keep a lid on all this. Look at Wales. They have a now established side and would normally be looking at kicking on and winning their November internationals. England certainly were before they won the World Cup. However, they have gone backward at the rate of knots and are in the mire. If England played Wales now I would give Wales a 10 point start!!! The All Blacks are the side to beat and nobody is anywhere near them.
Posted 12:24 20th November 2012
Frooschman says...
First, that photo definitely makes it look like he enjoys a pie or two. And that perception has dogged him throughout his career - he just doesn't look fit! BUT when you're consistently performing for your club at the highest level in a position in which your country lacks depth you should at least get a chance. If Lancaster invited him to training and he was off the pace then this comment would be fine. But to make it with no supporting evidence has more to do with supporting his under-fire captain than fairly judging Armitage. I'm sorry but I've lost a little respect for Lancaster after these latest comments.
Second, Robshaw is not to blame. A recognised fetcher isn't a necessity if you have a back row that works as a unit rather than as three individuals each with a separate roll (the fetcher, the ball carrier and the tackler). If all three individuals can share these rolls then an out and out seven isn't required. The problem is that you then require three players in the back row who are equally good at the three disciplines - to an international standard. Which is harder than just picking an out and out seven in the first place! So either pick Armitage or pick a 6 and 8 who can support Robshaw! Either way stop talking crap.
Posted 12:10 20th November 2012