What does this âlooking ahead to the World Cupâ line that you keep trotting out mean?
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Eddie jones will do well to be in charge of England at the next World Cup the way things are going.
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A bit like Declan Kidney, Eddie Jones won a Grand Slam at the first time of asking in 2016. Results have been fairly mixed ever since. England imploded on Saturday in the last 15 minutes, from a position of strength. A damning indictment of the Eddie Jones regime.
One terrible mistake after the next and then a few very conservative subs.
Hard to see how anybody thinks they are building towards a World Cup at the moment.
I wouldnât be surprised to see Jones get the sack.
The 5.5 nations isnât that important for France or England if weâre all being honest. The WC is where the big teams will be focusing⌠thatâs not to say they donât want to win a 5.5 nations but itâs far more important to the little fish like Ireland
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Wales are a mess too. They were depleted on Saturday, but the 7 or 8 they were missing on Saturday are practically all in their 30âs, well into their 30âs in quite a few cases too. How could you be relying on their fitness or even to be still playing for a World Cup thatâs 18 months ago?
Ireland and Scotland both have well settled teams with a nice age profile. France a conveyor belt of talent there at the moment too.
England didnât much look they were building towards a World Cup in 2018 when Ireland turned them over with ease to win the Grand Slam.
19 months later they were stuffing the same New Zealand team which had humiliated Ireland.
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Sexton is 36 now, not a hope he can play a world cup as a 38 year old. He canât string 5 games together in 4 weeks. Not a hope. Playing him now is detrimental to our hopes in 2023. Simple as. Our new tens need blooding now to experience the âwhite heatâ of test rugby.
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The playing numbers and depth of players that England have to pick from is just staggering. Itâs a bit like Dublin in Gaelic Football, if England are organised and have their house in order, itâs hard for just about anyone to compete with them. For most of their history though, English rugby, or more specifically the international team has been a bit of a disorganised rabble.
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Age profile of the squad was very good in 2018 and 2019. There team was built around that cracking sarries team.
I donât really see it this time and I have a strong feeling jones will fall out with Marcus smith.
Imo he doesnât want to play him and his hand is forced.
Itâs madness. Munster have two very promising tens in Crowley and Ben Healy. Theyâll be very good players very soon but are being hampered by the Munster management.
Ireland are all in on the 5.5 nations. The world cup isnât on their radar.
The way groups are, thereâs really only 1 match in the groups. Rest of group fixtures are typically, not always, gimmees. If still included and first choice, could theoretically get away with only couple games before quarter final
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If Dan Crowley gets a full season as munsters ten I see him taking sextons place. Heâs class.
Agreed. Believe it or not I had thought of that and was entertaining the concept that there might be games AFTER the quarter final. I know, I knowâŚ
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While the irfu rule about playing within Ireland has massive benefits and makes them money in an instance like this itâs a hindrance.
If sexton was in France or somewhere it would be beneficial for harry Byrne. Likewise if Murray was abroad Casey would be starting every game.
That would benefit Ireland.
Sexton is hanging by a thread having his game time managed by the IRFU. if he stayed in France heâd be long retired
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Englandâs age profile is just fine and they have a very nice draw at the World Cup, theyâre in a group with Argentina, Japan and Samoa which are nice warm up tests which they arenât going to lose. Quarter-final will likely be against a Wales team on the slide.
Whereas in Pool A you have New Zealand and France in together, and in Pool B itâs South Africa, Ireland and Scotland. The qualifiers from those two pools will face each other in the quarter finals.
That looks a much tougher route.
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Na I wouldnât agree with this at all. Iâm not sure you follow the game at all.
They donât really seem to know their first team at all and their manager looks close to falling out with so many of players.
The Marcus smith issue will continue to raise its head and heâll get battered by the English media. Jones will bring back Farrell and possibly even start George ford next week.
I can see jones being gone by the end of this six nations and depending on who theyâll put in charge I donât see them doing too well. If jones stays itâll get toxic for them. It tends to happen with jones.
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New Zealand arenât all that imo. Theyâve been on the wane since 2015. Havenât replaced 8 or 9 of that great team.
Boks looked very poor during the summer.
Imo France are clearly the best side about at the moment. There wonât be too much between 4 or 5 sides then.