Should he stay or should he go?
Discussion
I thought that Jonno had ruled himself out of an England coaching job some time ago - on top of which, he has no pedigree as a coach, which would be a dangerous game to play on the RFU's part.
I don't envy any man stepping into Ashton's shoes. With a "director" who insists on running the show from above, back and forward coaches whose approaches to the game are completely conflicting, and a group of players who are shockingly unmotivated.
(Speaking as an outsider) The English game needs a cull of journeymen who aren't performing, either at club or National level. There are still far too many players in that squad who are there on reputation or past performances, and it's causing a real glut of young talent (and form players) to go unnoticed until it's too late to successfully arrest a decline.
Cipriani needs nurturing, and that's a fact. He had a good game against a weak Irish midfield, but would be eaten alive with Toby Flood playing at 12 against any world class backline. I would be sorely tempted to alternate him and Gehraty at 10 with Wilko at 12, and then to slowly introduce Matt Tait into the 13 spot as Noon's straight-running style becomes more obvious (despite his defensive strengths).
Big Leslie needs to be given more time to play the Union game before becoming the centrepiece of the international game (that his talent/strength deserves), and Balshaw needs to be dropped in favour of someone, anyone. There are plenty of classy English backs in the Guinness Premiership (Monye, Hipkiss, Tait, Barkley, Abendanon, Garvey, Varndell) who are playing well at the moment, but being completely overlook despite the desperate state of the international game.
It must be almost as frustrating a time to be an England fan as it is to be an England coach...
I don't envy any man stepping into Ashton's shoes. With a "director" who insists on running the show from above, back and forward coaches whose approaches to the game are completely conflicting, and a group of players who are shockingly unmotivated.
(Speaking as an outsider) The English game needs a cull of journeymen who aren't performing, either at club or National level. There are still far too many players in that squad who are there on reputation or past performances, and it's causing a real glut of young talent (and form players) to go unnoticed until it's too late to successfully arrest a decline.
Cipriani needs nurturing, and that's a fact. He had a good game against a weak Irish midfield, but would be eaten alive with Toby Flood playing at 12 against any world class backline. I would be sorely tempted to alternate him and Gehraty at 10 with Wilko at 12, and then to slowly introduce Matt Tait into the 13 spot as Noon's straight-running style becomes more obvious (despite his defensive strengths).
Big Leslie needs to be given more time to play the Union game before becoming the centrepiece of the international game (that his talent/strength deserves), and Balshaw needs to be dropped in favour of someone, anyone. There are plenty of classy English backs in the Guinness Premiership (Monye, Hipkiss, Tait, Barkley, Abendanon, Garvey, Varndell) who are playing well at the moment, but being completely overlook despite the desperate state of the international game.
It must be almost as frustrating a time to be an England fan as it is to be an England coach...
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