Robshaw named as Captain, picked on form ?

Poorfour wrote:Robshaw's had a reasonable start to the season - he played well in the opening games and it showed that he had been working on his pace (he's been regularly breaking off the scrum to get in the FH's face). Had a muted game against the Scarlets (but then the whole Quins team failed to turn up that day) but was good enough against Clermont that even Dewi Morris noticed. From what I have seen, Robshaw has done significantly better behind his struggling tight 5 than Kvesic has behind his, and with Croft out the only other option for Lancaster would have been Vunipola, Wood, Morgan - which lacks both balance and experience.

Sky's guest pundit (I can't for the life of me remember who it was) made a very interesting point that Vunipola, Wood and Robshaw is a very balanced back row and Billy V's own work rate (in contrast to Morgan or to Wood out of position) would "free up Robshaw to do more of a traditional 7 role, while still playing his own game."

I personally think that Wood and Robshaw are a very well-balanced pair, just not a conventional one. They both play 6 and 7, get through a huge work rate and are smart players who make good choices about where to be and what to do. Wood is slightly better in the air, Robshaw does more dirty work. It irks me that the press see Wood's position as unassailable and Robshaw's as vulnerable when I think they bring very similar abilities. The incessant media sniping between Cardiff and now would make anyone question themselves.

Good points, my concern at the moment is that against the ABs and SA we're going to struggle to find the right balance that is competitive. Against SA I could see Wood and Robshaw being battered, especially if our locks are say Parling/Lawes or Parling/Launchbury. All fine players but a step down in terms of power from the SA locks. In which case the Morgan/Vunipola combo at 6 and 8 may work better. But it's untried and means we're trying to beat them at their own game - the ABs didn't seem to need to do this. Basically, I'm still having nightmares about Alberts.

Against the ABs the problem is work-rate mainly surely. So maybe Wood and Robshaw would work better. The difficult thing for us is that Read is like another flanker. BV and Morgan might get the better of him for a 10/15 stretch, but his accuracy and work-rate give him the rest of the match. He's probably not as powerful but he's technically brilliant and his fitness must mean he's closer to his maximum for a much longer stretch. What do we do about that? They're not the right shape to compete with him for fitness, could Ewers end up being the right balance of power and fitness?

One thing is certain, and v disappointing - Morgan has looked very very unfit, and not up to international rugby at this point. It's a shame because he's got bags of talent.





Anyway, CR will get a big lift from this and I expect him to up his game going into the AIs.

quinsforever wrote:i agree armitage is the hands down strongest in position. have no idea why french based players arent considered.

Poorfour wrote:

quinsforever wrote:i agree armitage is the hands down strongest in position. have no idea why french based players arent considered.

Availability. It's very unlikely that Armitage's Toulon contract lets him go off and train with England outside the IWs themselves. Also, how good would Armitage actually be without the superstar-packed Toulon pack around him? They can probably field two complete packs that are the equal of most international packs.

sirtidychris wrote:Manu is the only nailed on starter when fit and he ain't no captain !!! There is no 7 in England that has played well enough this season to userp robshaw, therefore robshaw starts...tbh in last years six nations robshaw was motm in most the games he played in !!! He is awesome just not a fetcher 7, when Fraser is firing on all cylinders that's where I expect the real challenge to come from, for the captaincy time is running out before the world cup if robshaw is to be ousted and another chap get experience, I guess the other contenders are Hartley, wood, flood...but those guys as said before are not guaranteed anything !!

Tiger/Chief wrote:I'm more worried about Wood being under powered as a 6 than I am about Robshaw being captain or playing 7.

and there is no obvious experienced choice for openside

sirtidychris wrote:Manu is the only nailed on starter when fit and he ain't no captain !!! There is no 7 in England that has played well enough this season to userp robshaw, therefore robshaw starts...tbh in last years six nations robshaw was motm in most the games he played in !!! He is awesome just not a fetcher 7, when Fraser is firing on all cylinders that's where I expect the real challenge to come from, for the captaincy time is running out before the world cup if robshaw is to be ousted and another chap get experience, I guess the other contenders are Hartley, wood, flood...but those guys as said before are not guaranteed anything !!