By and large I find the Burgess signing bizarre, to spend a large amount of cash on a player without any notion of his ideal position is odd.

I like Ben Morgan, he has good hands and runs like a train, I'd bring him and/or Vunipola on as a bench impact player for the last 20/25 minutes. Kvesic is in a different league at the breakdown to any English forward other than Armitage, he's young so I guess he has to earn it. Also, Armitage is a massive ball carrier - he makes huge metres so you wouldn't lose anything with him at 8.
Scotland exposed England really badly on the outside. At the end of the first half of that game they had ripped huge holes and a lot of that was becasue we had three slow back row forwards on the pitch at the same time. France scored way too many points - you should never concede that many at home - and again, a big, slow back row that couldn't cover for a big slow centre like Burrell. Thank god for Courtney Lawes.
The only problem might be at the lineout, but as neither Vunipola or Haskell jump, nothing lost there.

The RFU ask a lot of English players. Would you not have selected Sam Burgess at the last World Cup? Nonsense. It's protectionism, designed to stop English star players earning more money in France or anywhere else.
Nick Abendanon is playing out of his skin at Clermont, he's developed his game significantly since leaving Bath, but no matter how much better he gets he won't be eligable for an England call up until he returns to what is increasingly looking like a significantly inferior club competition for almost certainly much less money.

Seems I've stumbled onto rufans.com.

I usually have limited understanding when people are going on about the different RL positions on here, but compared to discussing RU positions, I feel an expert when it comes to RL. All I have really understood is it is about Sam Burgess and different numbers which generally equate to different positions and roles.

Sorry for my ignorance. Haha! Can anyone recommend a good site / book discussing the different rugby league (or union) positions and how you can tell who is playing which..?

He's been signed purely for publicity and to try and destabilise league nothing else.

Maybe Sam fancies a couple of years in SL just to try for a SL GF winners ring

Excellent posting,my one comment would be it's highly unlikely England will win the World Cup under Lancaster. He was the right man for the job to stabilize the team after the World Cup fiasco, but it should have just been a short term contract.
For me he has limited vision for a so called top coach.

If that's the case it's an extremely expensive publicity stunt. Which may make them the laughing stock of the Union world.

Well if I had a free choice for the World Cup I would start Laws at 6, Armitage at 7 and Morgan/Vunipola at 8 which would provide a back row with speed, great defense and ball carrying abilility. Bench cover of Burgess (if he proves himself quickly) Robshaw, Wood, Croft. However the current rules will only allow Armitage to be selected in an emergency so we should select a true 7 and not a converted 6.

This may seem harsh on Robshaw who has given valiant service but IMO he is not quick enough or good enough at the breakdown to be a 7 at World Cup winning level. Moving Laws to 6 would allow a bit more grunt in the 2nd row which will be needed to gain an advantage in the tight and gives us a true destroyer at 6.

Not a fan of Robshaw, Not big enough, fast enough or clever enough for the highest level, the fact that he's captain is still bizarre to me.

Said that since he got into the England side. Does lots of things adequately, nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

The game is speeding up in all facets. A mobile, athletic back row is an essential part of any successful side.

England are still picking based on size and strength, that's not what the game is about any more.

Woah am i on a rugby YAWNION forum or something?!?!?!?!1

This is NOT a KICK N CLAP messageboard is it?'

Steady there Bang, tolerance of a little OT pluralism, is a virtue.

Well some,times we vere off main topic for a bit that's how conversations go and we don't always stick to strict party platform lines.Im surprised we haven't talked about the election,but he's gone missing again probably because Leeds are doing ok

Completely agree with all of that.