A bit of perspective

First topic message reminder :

First of all congratulations to Wales (tardy I know) on the win last weekend.

From an England team point of view it was very encouraging, tight 5 were good, Botha in particular played well, the back row were impressive and easily matched the over-hyped Welsh trio, half backs great and the centres for once were a strength for England. The back 3 were out of the game and although Strettle played well, Ashton and Foden seem clueless at the moment and IMO may benefit from some bench time, at least give Brown a start

Wales are a good side, but should stop congratulating themselves and face some stark realities - please Wales fans take this as constructive.
The "best Welsh Team" since the 70's that have been built up over the last 3 years could only beat a scratch England team that had been together for a couple of weeks and boasting only a handful of caps between them, with the help of a Scottish 4th official. Why is this?

Wales boast a couple of very good players, but internationally speaking that's it. However many really good teams only have perhaps 2 or 3 world class players, mixed with some decent club players and achieve much in the international arena, but not Wales, why? IMO you need to have world class in at least one of the halfback positions preferably both in order to profit from class elsewhere on the field and that is where Wales suffer. Priestland is merely okay and Phillips is woeful - that's the problem. Wales probably have had no one approaching world class since Jiffy at halfback and will squander the talents of North and Warburton until they can find another.

Whereas as England can probably boast 3 or 4 world class players but tellingly in the key positions and that's how a group of young, inexperienced strangers should have beaten Wales last Saturday. On this evidence the future is white - sooner rather than later.

Yes, yet another thread hijacked by the "Wacky Welsh" brigade.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:With France he would struggle to get any game-time with Picamoles and Harinordoquy. I think both are ahead of him.

Parisse every day - comfortably the best 8 in the NH IMO

Harinordoquy was the 8 of the world cup, and is a player in a similar mould to Parisse. More of a brain over brawn type of player. I don't think Parisse is as good. Picamoles I feel could be the best 8 in the world if he finds consistency. His offloads are spectacular, and he runs through people for fun. It is a bit of a joke he isn't starting for France. Parisse fits in after those two for me, in the NH.

Feels a bit odd agreeing with Rory G - but he's right. Harinordoquy is a significantly better player than Parisse.

Parisse is no mug, obviously, but he gets a lot of praise because he's the world class player in a mediocre team (like Howley or Quinnell when Wales were dire).

Picamoles is a freak. Which is always nice to see in the game.

Why do people find it weird agreeing with me??

Because you're a cheeky scamp Rory

We will beg to differ.

Reid was the best 8 of the WC for me - comfortably

Thought Read was pretty average by his standards actually. Missed quite a few games but came right at the end.