If we had second row options I woulds put Ellis at LF but I don't think we can take him out of the SR.

The reason GB have been trying to find a ball-playing loose forward for the last 20 odd years is that they haven't had a decent ball-playing halfback in that same period. If they had a Lockyer/Thurston combination in the halves then you could use the likes of Ellis or Burgess as an extra ball carrier in the back row in the same way the Aussies have used Watmough, Johnson, Waterhouse etc in recent years.

Sadly the 13 - be it Farrell, Sculthorpe, Sinfield or O'Loughlin - is having to play as a third half back to cover the deficiencies at 6 and 7. Maybe a role there for Roby if England persist with the same structure?

Wouldn't be a bad idea if we had Hock or/and JJB for the second row.

I thought that last week was arguably Sinfield's best game in an international.

He should be a cert for the team this weekend.

In which role though Sam? Arguably his best contributions to the game were in the first 20 minutes of the second half when he switched into dummy half.

Do you start him in that role as GB did in 2004(?) or leave him at loose?

There is also a southern hemisphere tendency to find ball playing fullbacks who can act as another pivot player, whilst we look for defensively safe support players.

Both? Spell Roby there for a period then switch them or move Burgess or Westwood to loose forward.

I thought Sinfield's passing from DH was much slicker and more accurate than Roby's last week. Hopefully Roby can up his game a bit this week.

I also thought Sinfield was our most creative player from 13 in the first half (not saying much granted) and in his final stint at 6 was superb.

Why are people wanting wholesale changes across the team and changes not only to personnel but to positions. If these players are being asked to take on different roles how is there ever going to be any continuity. You would not see the Aussies put Lockyer at DH because they lost the 2nd half of a game?. How are any of our players going to be measured/tested and be able to improve their game if they are been asked to play against the best in unfamiliar positions.

I always thought Mathers played that role at Leeds. Before Burrow really established himself I thought that Mathers would one day move to 6 with McGuire at 7.

I'd play Sinfield at 6 against the Kiwis, with McGuire on the bench. I'd have Eastmond in the centre with Smith on the wing also. Personally i'd have put Wellens in the squad at FB.. but hey ho.

LMFAO



Unsurprising though.

Well deserved MOM he controlled the game end of