Keep moving it around the country, offer cheap or free tickets for kids. Why not, might cut down on the Celtic nations poaching dual qualified players.
Certainly a benefit, but the bigger piece for me is getting meaningful game time/development opportunities for players on the fringes of the senior squad.
It really depends on the quality of the opposition though. I’d argue that France, Ireland, SA and NZ are the only other countries that have the depth to put out equivalent A sides. If we’re playing developing test sides, it needs to be their first XV. Playing Portugal minus the majority of their professional players feels pointless.
Scotland announced they were restarting their A side as part of their recent reshuffle, so they'll be up for a game.
Beasties wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:17 pm
Having seen Painter play for the first time this season I’m baffled by his name being touted. An Ent has more to offer.
He was the form 3 at the start of the season, although that was damning with faint praise, and after having lost a RWC semi final because of our replacement props, having a 3 that was good in the scrums seemed like a good idea.
Painter has bulked up since moving to Chiefs and his scrummaging work and carrying close to the line have become more prominent. However, he's not what you'd call mobile around the park. It's not quite the old days where you walk from ruck to ruck waiting for a scrum but it's closer than it should be if he wants England caps.
Sounds like the perfect "England need to go back to our traditional strengths of a strong set-piece and forward pack dominance" selection if you ask me. If only Julian White were still available.
Painter could be our Malherbe, as we spend the next 4 years again battling the demons of that world cup loss to South Africa.
Beasties wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 4:29 pm
Honestly, I’m not seeing it. Any comparison to Malherbe is laughable. James Johnston maybe (although he’s better technically than JJ).
100% this! The overhyping of Painter amazes me. From Prem squad full to Prem average is about the limit at present. Not even close for me.
Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 6:47 pm
It’s hard to imagine anything more pointless that Charlie Ewels playing against Portugal A.
To be fair to Ewels he’s stepped up a level this season. I get the feeling, but he’s looked to have genuinely stepped on this season. And he’s an experienced head. I’ve no major issue with it. A year ago maybe.
Unless we’re going to cap him in the next 3 matches, it seems a big miss to not release Roebuck. They can say what they want about it not being the main objective but imagine the upside to us and downside to Scotland/Wales had we captured Rowlands, Tompkins, Redpath, Christie and White.
Captainhaircut wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:43 pm
Unless we’re going to cap him in the next 3 matches, it seems a big miss to not release Roebuck. They can say what they want about it not being the main objective but imagine the upside to us and downside to Scotland/Wales had we captured Rowlands, Tompkins, Redpath, Christie and White.
Rowlands and Tompkins and then White (who the world and his mom derided rightly) are (eventually) starters at Int level. The rest are squad players. I’m not sure how that’s hampering teams by picking them. Other than a minor nuisance. White has improved but would never have been near an England squad. Rowlands and Tompkins equally. We’d be capping people for shits and giggles.
And of course capping them in place of who? And why?
Redpath is the only one that kind of hurts cause he’s class! And quite Scottish.
White's developed into a very good player imo. Ironically he's been better at international level over the last couple of seasons than either of the players he was stuck behind at Leicester.
Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:10 pm
White's developed into a very good player imo. Ironically he's been better at international level over the last couple of seasons than either of the players he was stuck behind at Leicester.
Agreed! But would he have ever had a justifiable opp with England?
I think most would have said good luck to Scotland when they called him up.
Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:10 pm
White's developed into a very good player imo. Ironically he's been better at international level over the last couple of seasons than either of the players he was stuck behind at Leicester.
Agreed! But would he have ever had a justifiable opp with England?
I think most would have said good luck to Scotland when they called him up.
A few might have said, "Hey, didn't he play for England already, in a game that didn't count because the capture rules are arbitrary and weird?"
Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:10 pm
White's developed into a very good player imo. Ironically he's been better at international level over the last couple of seasons than either of the players he was stuck behind at Leicester.
Agreed! But would he have ever had a justifiable opp with England?
I think most would have said good luck to Scotland when they called him up.
A few might have said, "Hey, didn't he play for England already, in a game that didn't count because the capture rules are arbitrary and weird?"
Puja
A Baabaas game? I don’t think there is a poster on her that would have seriously considered him for the full England squad! Myself included!
Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:10 pm
White's developed into a very good player imo. Ironically he's been better at international level over the last couple of seasons than either of the players he was stuck behind at Leicester.
Agreed! But would he have ever had a justifiable opp with England?
I think most would have said good luck to Scotland when they called him up.
He was pretty quick to look very effective for LI.
So absolutely not when the Scotland call up came. That was early, but I think he would have been in the conversation last year. Albeit potentially facing an uphill battle changing Borthwick's mind on him.
Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 6:47 pm
It’s hard to imagine anything more pointless that Charlie Ewels playing against Portugal A.
To be fair to Ewels he’s stepped up a level this season. I get the feeling, but he’s looked to have genuinely stepped on this season. And he’s an experienced head. I’ve no major issue with it. A year ago maybe.
It’s not really about that. Just seems pointless with an older player who already has a bunch of caps.
Maybe having an old head amongst the youngsters is good, but given the quality of opposition they’ll be facing I feel like you might as well just see how the youngsters fare in their own.
Clearly my unique comedy stylings regarding Painter/Malherbe didn’t quite hit the mark. I thought the Julian White reference might have done it.
Agreed! But would he have ever had a justifiable opp with England?
I think most would have said good luck to Scotland when they called him up.
A few might have said, "Hey, didn't he play for England already, in a game that didn't count because the capture rules are arbitrary and weird?"
Puja
A Baabaas game? I don’t think there is a poster on her that would have seriously considered him for the full England squad! Myself included!
Poorly worded - I was grousing about the stupid regulations, rather than saying he should've been picked for England. IIRC, at the time, I was complaining he was even in the Barbarians squad.
