Did Lancaster pick his squad to soon?

I'm guessing a significant amount of us would have Matthew Tait in a England shirt after today's performance!

I wouldn't. This second half of the season he has been excellent - but even at the end of the game his left achilles looked to be bothering him. He needs a lot more game time before any step up is warranted. Should he start next season as he is finishing this, then his versatility could see him considered - but as I said on another thread I feel that (even at the young age of 27) his time has gone.

What i would like is to see Brown get a decent run at 15. His effort and commitment today was superb.

Really? Are we picking squads on one performance these days? Feic I'm old

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Really? Are we picking squads on one performance these days? Feic I'm old

yes, you are.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Really? Are we picking squads on one performance these days? Feic I'm old

to be fair to Tait he's been in really good form recently (not just todays game) but as LT says, i still wouldn't pick him for England. He needs another pre-season off to let his body rest.

LondonTiger wrote: - but as I said on another thread I feel that (even at the young age of 27) his time has gone.

I mentioned on another thread that Tait is actually younger than Toby Flood, Delon Armitage, Mike Brown & Ben Foden, and is only a few months older than the likes of Barritt, Allen, Geraghty & Banahan.

However, I think you might be right. A fit Tait would have made a better winger than Brown during the last Six Nations but he had only just come back for Leicester. Unless something odd happens, Lancaster ought to find some genuine wingers in Argentina, which will mean it's unlikely he'll see Tait as a candidate there. He's a decent centre but Tigers won't be giving him much time in that position, so won't have a stage to show what he can do. Even if he has a good run at full back next season, there's a long queue of candidates ahead of him. There's also a chance that he isn't that robust. If injury dogs him, then Lancaster won't give him a thought.

Sadly I t think he will have the same career path as James Simpson Daniel and tom varndell leaving us to wonder what might have been.

I personaly think that he needs another season at Tigers with the same form as today, then he might make the England squad...Stress i did say might.

sickofwendy wrote:Sadly I t think he will have the same career path as James Simpson Daniel and tom varndell leaving us to wonder what might have been.

Well, he's done a lot better than both. 38 caps, with one in a World Cup final, isn't too shabby. He admitted he probably then became a little too complacent and went off the boil in for the 2007-8 season. If he'd maintained his form, he could have been a serious contender for the 2009 Lions. Martin Johnson lost interest in him after the 2010 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Rather than Sinbad or Varndell, his career might look a bit more like that of Austin Healey (51 caps).

He had a lot of niggly injuries while at Sale. Tigers seemed to have handled his early injuries well, giving him plenty of time to get over them. I agree he needs a good break over he summer and a good preseason. International rugby isn't everything and I think it's just great that he's back playing and seemingLy enjoying himself

I agree with what you say I just meant he hasn't become the world beater we hoped he would,same for the other players I mentioned.
I remember watching him at the commonwealth games and thinking he would be our cullen sadly fate has been against him but I would happily see him replace goode in the squad if he continues this form and goode doesn't improve on his,same for foden.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Really? Are we picking squads on one performance these days? Feic I'm old

sure your wife is impressed with any performance at your age

Tait had his day and never made it after Henson turned him into a surf board

100%beefy wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Really? Are we picking squads on one performance these days? Feic I'm old

sure your wife is impressed with any performance at your age

True that, beefy, altho she doesn't call it 'performance' as such

100%beefy wrote:Tait had his day and never made it after Henson turned him into a surf board

yeah just look at where both players are now!!

Feel sorry for the lad but he will struggle at international level, imagine if he was playing in Cardiff the other month and not Mike Brown!
North would have steam rolled him.

nathan wrote:

100%beefy wrote:Tait had his day and never made it after Henson turned him into a surf board

yeah just look at where both players are now!!

I know it's crazy how can you compare a double grandslam winning ,double triple crown winning,double league winning,EDF winning British Lion with a lad who used to play for Newcastle and now plays for Tigers.

A