Gloucester's fab four could give England some potency
I SAID last week that England would have to step up their performance from the Italy game if they expected to win in Wales.
They didn't, and the result was there for all to see at the Millennium Stadium.
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ENGLAND CALLING: (l to r) Billy Twelvetrees, Freddie Burns, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May could all give attacking intent to Stuart Lancaster's England
It was always difficult to see England going to Wales and getting a win on such a huge occasion and with such a young and inexperienced squad, but the manner of the Welsh victory was the surprise.
Clive Woodward said during the BBC coverage at half-time that he thought England were still in it.
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That felt like wishful thinking at the time, and so it proved. The score was 9-3 but that already felt like too much for England to come back from.
The Wales victory was born at the scrum and completed with some ruthless finishing out wide.
Alex Cuthbert, a product of our very own Hartpury College, showed why he was out there and has to go down as one of the players of the Six Nations.
Compare Cuthbert and George North to the England wings, Chris Ashton and Mike Brown, and there is simply cutting edge in swathes among the Wales ranks.
This has to be the issue Stuart Lancaster addresses now. I simply don't think he has his balance right out in the backs.
Although Brown had an excellent game in terms of his all around contribution, with one superb tackle on North when he could have scored, he simply isn't a winger and doesn't have the pace to cause defences any trouble.
When England had the ball it felt like they could have played all night without scoring.
All Wales had to do was double up on Manu Tuilagi and England's only source of menace was gone.
While panicking isn't the answer – remember, this team has just gone closer to a Grand Slam than England have for years – there are some selection tweaks that Lancaster needs to be bold enough to make.
I'm not being biased when I say that many of the players coming in out wide could be from Gloucester.
There may not be room for all of them, but the likes of Jonny May, Billy Twelvetrees, Freddie Burns and Charlie Sharples could offer potency England just didn't have against Wales.
Wales had it. All Cuthbert needed was one sniff and the game was dead.
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by ken_farnwood
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 9:02PM
“I'd like to see ND go for Rupert Harden to start because he is our best tight head and he can be relied upon to deliver against Welsh. I guess that is why ND normally goes for Harden in these tough games.”
by Drussus
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 8:47PM
“London Welsh is going to be a tough game, that is why Harden is needed to start. I don't want to see another Saracens game where, after Harden was replaced, we lose the last scrum because the front row is stood up.”
by star_turn
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 8:13PM
“We've played 17 Premiership games, so far this season, Harden has started 13. Nigel Davies, the chap who earns his money from knowing what is what when it comes to rugby union, certainly knows which of his tight-head props is his first choice even if the clueless troll DumbDumb20/dave_rh/huccydave/Jonesy2013 is incapable of understanding that.”
by Roon76
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 7:50PM
“The DoR, Nigel Davies, knows that Harden is his top tight head; everyone else knows that Rupert is the best tight head at Glaws. The only one who thinks otherwise and thinks he knows more about rugby and the Gloucester Rugby players than Nigel Davies is the troll DumbDumb20/dave_rh/huccydave/Jonesy2013.”
by Curt_Downe
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 7:41PM
“RUPERT HARDEN... Nigel Davies' selection as his first choice tight head. Not second or third but FIRST CHOICE.”
by s_sorrca
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 7:36PM
“Rupert Harden; Gloucester's best tight head.”
by SteveBronko
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 7:31PM
“Our scrum is always underpowered when Harden isn't in there propping.”
by Nick-Iewis
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 7:06PM
“Harden proved time and time again, why he is the number one tight head at Gloucester and why the multi-troll DumbDumb20 is clueless about any aspect of rugby union.”
by StephenGeorge
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 6:57PM
“Rupert Harden... Most starts at tight head.... Most starts of any front row player. That proves he is the top rated tight head at Gloucester.”
by Nick-Iewis
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 4:43PM
“Rupert Harden = Gloucester Rugby's first choice and best tight head by a country mile. Not that the Gloucester Rugby hating troll DumberandDumber20 would know anything about that as he is absolutely clueless when it comes to rugby.”