Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:53 pm
I'm as big a Murley fan as you'll find but unless we plan/know how to use running threats, and have the confidence to give guys like Freeman and IFW the ball and a bit of freedom, but he's not going to fix this side if we continue as we are in the coaching room. Not that I wouldn't love to see him take Daly's place in the long-run.
I feel sorry for Daly in a way as he's worked so hard to become a better 13/15 than wing. He does offer some big assets still but just doesn't belong in any one role. He's learned a huge amount from Alex Goode, becoming so effective at playmaking/linking from 15 for Saracens in a team largely on the front foot, but he doesn't fit there for England. By the time he is finally put back in the position where he was world class in 2017 he just hasn't got that spark anymore. It seems to be a pattern with English selections.
Randall being markedly a class ahead of Randall doesn't make much sense if you look at the Premiership this season either. Let's not pretend Randall would have played with the same freedom if he'd been at Murrayfield yesterday. Is it even a coincidence Care has found his way back to the 9 shirt just as he's completely stopped being a threat as a runner?
It's the mistakes, too. Daly just makes too many defensive mistakes in broken field. He has done for a decade, so I don't know why we expect any different. Murley is quite decent there in the Prem, so he deserves a chance.
And on Randall, yeah, it's more the fact he was passing the bloody ball, rather than it being Randall. But, for me, Spencer just doesn't have a good enough pass to be an international 9, anyway.
Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:53 pm
I'm as big a Murley fan as you'll find but unless we plan/know how to use running threats, and have the confidence to give guys like Freeman and IFW the ball and a bit of freedom, but he's not going to fix this side if we continue as we are in the coaching room. Not that I wouldn't love to see him take Daly's place in the long-run.
I feel sorry for Daly in a way as he's worked so hard to become a better 13/15 than wing. He does offer some big assets still but just doesn't belong in any one role. He's learned a huge amount from Alex Goode, becoming so effective at playmaking/linking from 15 for Saracens in a team largely on the front foot, but he doesn't fit there for England. By the time he is finally put back in the position where he was world class in 2017 he just hasn't got that spark anymore. It seems to be a pattern with English selections.
Randall being markedly a class ahead of Randall doesn't make much sense if you look at the Premiership this season either. Let's not pretend Randall would have played with the same freedom if he'd been at Murrayfield yesterday. Is it even a coincidence Care has found his way back to the 9 shirt just as he's completely stopped being a threat as a runner?
Just look at Spencer. The Spencer playing for Bath this season, with Russell outside him, is a totally transformed player to the Spencer of last season and beyond. What we got on Saturday was Spencer from last season. Turgid, cumbersome, inhibited.
For me, it is down to Safety Bollard. I can;t see Spencer looking at the game situation and thinking the best thing to do is slow it down and start kicking the ball away more.
Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:53 pm
I'm as big a Murley fan as you'll find but unless we plan/know how to use running threats, and have the confidence to give guys like Freeman and IFW the ball and a bit of freedom, but he's not going to fix this side if we continue as we are in the coaching room. Not that I wouldn't love to see him take Daly's place in the long-run.
I feel sorry for Daly in a way as he's worked so hard to become a better 13/15 than wing. He does offer some big assets still but just doesn't belong in any one role. He's learned a huge amount from Alex Goode, becoming so effective at playmaking/linking from 15 for Saracens in a team largely on the front foot, but he doesn't fit there for England. By the time he is finally put back in the position where he was world class in 2017 he just hasn't got that spark anymore. It seems to be a pattern with English selections.
Randall being markedly a class ahead of Randall doesn't make much sense if you look at the Premiership this season either. Let's not pretend Randall would have played with the same freedom if he'd been at Murrayfield yesterday. Is it even a coincidence Care has found his way back to the 9 shirt just as he's completely stopped being a threat as a runner?
Just look at Spencer. The Spencer playing for Bath this season, with Russell outside him, is a totally transformed player to the Spencer of last season and beyond. What we got on Saturday was Spencer from last season. Turgid, cumbersome, inhibited.
For me, it is down to Safety Bollard. I can;t see Spencer looking at the game situation and thinking the best thing to do is slow it down and start kicking the ball away more.
Lol. Yes I did mean to write "ahead of Spencer" rather than Randall ahead of Randall. I'm really interested how possible it is to tell if you're over-coaching the players when you're up to your neck in playbooks and strategies and trying to account for every possible game situation in training. I've probably said this before, but having demoted our defence coach to 'skills' just to give him something to do says a lot about how we view skills.
'Safety Bollard' is probably my favourite one so far.
Have we formally made a move for O'Gara yet? Best case scenario it would goad the Irish into doing a trade for big daddy Faz.
