Quote DHM="DHM"I repeat, what are you going to learn that you couldn't already know about? A non competitive match tells you nothing about a player. Play your first choice 17, they can't possibly combine properly unless they get a chance to practice.
Here's a scenario, the "first choice" 17 goes out against Wales and play like they haven't met each other (which in all hoestly they haven't as a unit). What do you do as coach? "Damn, if only we'd had another game to gel?" Squad players are squad players. You assume they know how to play rugby because you selected them in the squad, but you are not obliged to give them all a game.
The England Union bods play a dozen internationals a year together, including a huge chunk of time where they effectively don't play club rugby because of autumn internationals and 6 Nations - they just train together. We play a couple of games at the end of the year and think we can play about with selection to "look at players".
I'd have my starting 13, I'd have my most valued first choice player off the bench (usually dummy half relief) and if I wanted to look at 3 forwards I'd do that and have them on the bench. Spell my first choice props a little more than normal if needed to give them a lighter workout.'"
Spot on.
Too often we select a non team in the warm up, then the first choice is rusty in the first game, then because they were rusty, we say well x and y need to come in place of x and y and then combination are screwed again for the next game.
Decide on your best 17, and play it. Deviate only through injuries or poor performance.
I agree with you totally.
'"
