Sam Burgess believes England 2015 World Cup campaign undermined by Mike Ford

[Mellsblue]

There were several occasions where I'd be watching 12T for Glaws and thinking, "You know, we should really have another look at 12T. I think he's been a bit hard done by." And literally within 5 minutes of the thought, he'd make about 3 howling mistakes in quick succession and I remembered why he'd got dropped.

Puja

Yep. Cut out those moments of madness and he was top drawer. Sadly, those moments of madness occurred all too regularly and tended to be compounded. If only he’d spent another season at the finishing school......I’ll get tired of this eventually.

[Digby]

Billy for sure makes too many mistakes. But again it's not like we're error free in the centres for not having him there, only now the errors show the hallmarks of leadership and the right kind of attitude and we'll just gloss over the handling problems

[Mikey Brown]

Billy's a better 13, when not feeling he's a playmaker. I think he also got confused by an attempt to turn him into a crashball centre.

Are you suggesting there’s a third kind of centre?

[Banquo]

Billy's a better 13, when not feeling he's a playmaker. I think he also got confused by an attempt to turn him into a crashball centre.

Are you suggesting there’s a third kind of centre?

eh?

[Danno]

Inside, Outside and Off.

[16th man]

Inside, Outside and Off.

Visitor and soft too

[Galfon]

Inside, Outside and Off.

Visitor and soft too

nerve, dead.

[16th man]

Inside, Outside and Off.

Visitor and soft too

dead.

What, like when you pick Jamie Noon?

[Puja]

Inside, Outside and Off.

Visitor and soft too

nerve, dead.

Off, Leg, Over the Wicket and Around the Wicket.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

The annoying thing about Burgess is that there were some signs he could be a reasonable 6 if he’d given it time and had been prepared to apply himself.

Maybe if he’d knuckled down post RWC and focused on developing his skill set and game sense as a blindside, he’d have actually earned a place in the squad. Who knows, he could potentially have been good enough to make the 2019 RWC on genuine merit.

[Banquo]

Inside, Outside and Off.

Visitor and soft too

shopping, health

[Oakboy]

Overall, if Burgess disappears into the ether and takes Mike Ford with him, all that remains is deciding who, out of those left (players and staff), should join them.

[Mikey Brown]

Overall, if Burgess disappears into the ether and takes Mike Ford with him, all that remains is deciding who, out of those left (players and staff), should join them.

This sounds eerily like you’re planning to off some of these people. I don’t think we’re allowed to discuss things like that on here.

[Galfon]

control.

[Puja]

Overall, if Burgess disappears into the ether and takes Mike Ford with him, all that remains is deciding who, out of those left (players and staff), should join them.

This sounds eerily like you’re planning to off some of these people. I don’t think we’re allowed to discuss things like that on here.

I'll allow it.jpg

/Mod

[Oakboy]

Overall, if Burgess disappears into the ether and takes Mike Ford with him, all that remains is deciding who, out of those left (players and staff), should join them.

This sounds eerily like you’re planning to off some of these people. I don’t think we’re allowed to discuss things like that on here.

You are not turning into a killjoy, I hope????

[twitchy]

[Mikey Brown]

"He's over-performed at times."

[Puja]

Hmmm. Like I said earlier, Mike Ford being a snake and untrustworthy is generally known as fact and Goode's story does not surprise me. However, Burgess's conspiracy that MFord sabotaged the RWC so he could be coach makes little to no sense, especially given that Ford was one of the early bookies favourites and actively publically declared he didn't want the job, which is a funny endgame to a mastermind's scheme.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Listened to the first episode of Rugby Worlds new podcast, One Game at a Time, in which Tom Curry is interviewed whilst watching the Eng v OZ QF. Asked about Ford being dropped the first thing Curry says is he’s a team player, all about the team etc. Fairly certain it was recorded before Burgessgate, too.

[Digby]

Goode could have spoken about the shockingly low standard of Burgess's actual play, instead he had a really boring story about himself. Which seems the norm whenever I've heard Goode speak. That grates with me more than some others because Goode is a very good reader of what the midfields are doing in a game.

[Stom]

Goode could have spoken about the shockingly low standard of Burgess's actual play, instead he had a really boring story about himself. Which seems the norm whenever I've heard Goode speak. That grates with me more than some others because Goode is a very good reader of what the midfields are doing in a game.

That's why he was so good. He's a wonderful reader of the game. It's just that his ego is as big as his belly.

Which is the main reason he wasn't that good...

[p/d]

I quite like Sam. Reminds me of a ‘young’ Gavin Henson. Bit of a twit but great comic value

[Digby]

Gavin Henson could play rugby though, so they have that difference. Is it they're orange and not especially bright?

[twitchy]

Interesting interview with robshaw. Sounds like he had it rough.

https://www.planetrugby.com/i-was-hugel ... s-robshaw/