Quote: Willzay "I'm not sure but isn't Holmes Scottish and played for Scotland? (That hasn't stopped McBanana in the past) but get your point
Few years ago Danny Kirmond was the best second rower in the comp but wasn't selected because he didnt play for a fashionable club. That's the problem with England, always selecting on reputation and not form. There's that saying - you keep doing the same thing you get the same results.'"
IIRC, McNamara stated before the world cup that he wanted England to be "team England", and set out to more or less turn the national team into a club team, with a squad , he then proceeded to more or less pick every eligible wigan and leeds players plus a couple from warrington, hull, hudds and rangi chase!
the idea been that as leeds and wigan were the top club sides at the time then the "team England" should be more or less based around 1 or 2 club teams.
it nearly worked though in terms of getting to the final.