Brough's nomination for "International Player of the Year" is comical.

IMO he's not exactly taken this World Cup by the scruff of the neck, and that represents his only international rugby of the last 12 months. If there was a desperate need to pick someone from the Home Nations, then why not Ryan Hall or Sam Tomkins who have both had good World Cup campaigns for England?

If (big if) you were going to pick a Scotland player on international performances, surely Matty Russell would have been the choice.

Wes Naiquama is probably my pick of players outside the "big 3" countries.

Tomkins has been a big disappointment, up to now, considering the expectations of him. He's looked a liability defensively. Burgess, Graham, and yes Sinfield, have had much better tournaments thus far.

Tomkins hasn't been a disappointment but at the same time he hasn't hit top gear, he got through the group stage by being ok without being anything more. He showed glimpses of magic against France and hopefully he can show more against the Kiwis and Australia.

What are these moment of magic in defence? Let me repeat, he's been a liability defensively. One glimpse of magic can not make up for brain farts.

That was why I labelled him a disappointment so far. So far as in, he potentially has another two games to step up that gear you mention, he certainly hasn't looked one of our better players so far as I responded to. But for me the issue isn't offence, but defence.

It will be interesting to see who is in the 17 and who starts.

Will Burrow be on the bench, will Widdup start in the halves or at FB? Is Ablett in as cover for possible Watkins injury doubts?

Widdop was excellent. Provided a direct running threat and took a lot of the attention off Sinny.

Probably the reverse of what I expected from the Chase/Widdop choice. Chase was less threat as a runner than I expected, but to be fair got more out of that left side attack. Widdop was more threat as a runner than Chase had been, particularly in the middle.

Left side was not great today on attack. We managed to create a lot more space on the right, really managed to straighten and hold the drift. Contrast was the Kiwi right which was able to drift and handle things pretty well.
Not blaming Cudjoe by any means, but thought there were a couple of times when a very quick shift of the ball would have gotten Hall away. He just seems to hang onto the ball a little too long.

I think the biggest brain farts came from Graham! Widdop stood up today better than I thought considering IMO

You do realise my post was referring to before today's game?

As you quoted my post, would just like to say thought Tomkins was excellent defensively today. Weirdly though, I thought offensively he was lacking.

If you are referring to today, then get your lenses changed. Graham was absolutely outstanding, and the foundation England built on.

Yes realised too late, apologies, but never said Graham played poorly just that he made a couple terrible split second decisions but luckily England weren't punished. I would suggest he dives on the ball rather than kicking it into the oppositions hands on the last play which could have led to a dangerous Kiwi counter attack had the ref not blown up for a knock on.

Awesome match though!

Our left side was not so good on defence either. Hall let one in and was lucky it wasn't two a few minutes later. He did this in the WCC which also cost us. I thought our right side could have made more of the chances they created but the NZ defence was too good.

Overall great effort and we made enough chances for a deserved win. Discipline and errors let us down. Sam Burgess, Graham and Sinfield stood out with good effort from Widdup.

I felt the coach brought on Burrow too soon. He could have been more effective in the second half with our first choice props on and when NZ were looking dazed.