What are england playing at

12 - 4 to france half time, England are doing Cak...

went and they were very poor and disjointed. Myler may have got two tries but he was gash.

I really enjoyed the game, lets hope France can keep it up against the Kiwis and Kangaroos.

That game just proved to people like me that France to belong in the Four Nations and we need to keep them there to develop there depth.

i think the game proved tha t england are a second rate side

wasn't a pretty performance but it was a win and they can only improve as a team, i think the underdog status will bring a bit more out of us next week.

apart from a couple of knock on's i thought sam burgess was great and cant wait to see him take on the aussie's.

i'd like to see the two wingers get to see a bit more off the ball, their both big, strong, fast and know how to finish.

be intresting to see who he picks at scrum half next week, for me myler's form isn't in as good as it was early season, and i'd like to see tomkins given the nod, i'd like to see wilkin at loose man, maybe put sinfield to six and put mcguire on the bench, get moore out and roby in at hooker. apart from that we cant do much else.

Agree about the wingers they barely touched the ball and for me that comes down to the halves. Myler never actually passed the ball. When ever he did it was so flat that the centres and wingers were hit in the tackle before being able to go anywhere.

Myler did score to tries but lets be fair the defending for them was not exactly great was it??

And as for the kicking game i can remember about only two occassions when the ball actually split the back three in two and that was because the full back let it bounce rather than taking it on the full.

Thought Eastman set up the last try very well great little kick. Possibly play him in the halves for next game?

Not quite sure how you can pick Myler at all after not playing for Salford at all in the latter half of the season. No bias by his new boss there at all.

And no ones telling me that Westwood is the best we have to offer International RL?

I thought Burgess looked dominant but worried about how often he shot out of the line looking for a big hit on their half back. Do that too often against Lockyer or Thurston and they'll make him pay. It's ok doing it now and then but he seemed to do it every time the ball came across.

I was pleasantly suprised by Sinfield last night so I'd feel better about putting him in there for his kicking. I think next week I'd go:

FB Shaun Briscoe
RW Tom Briscoe
RC Lee Smith
LC Kyle Eastmond
LW Ryan Hall
SO Danny McGuire
SH Richie Myler
P Adrian Morley
H James Roby
P Jamie Peacock
SR Gareth Ellis
SR John Wilkin
LF Kevin Sinfield

S Sam Burgess
S Gareth Carvell
S James Graham
S Sam Tomkins

Drop Shenton and Moore because both looked fairly bad on debut against poor opposition, that's never a good sign. All eyes were on Myler but I thought he outperformed these two at least. I think Tomkins and Wilkin are better players anyway. Also I've switched Westwood for Carvell because I think Carvell's had a better season and Westwood didn't really do much last night.

As said we can only get better from this BUT wasn't this the case when we played shocking against PNG last year! Worrying.

Also i'd give big Eorl a go against the Aussies,What's there to lose after last nights flat performance as he at least does impose himself.

Sam Tomkins seemed a little dispondent after being dropped after the game last night also,Talk about shattering somebody's confidence in 1 go Mr.Smith.

Richard Myler is a great prospect. I have watched him play for about 2-3 years now I know he can produce top quality displays. However I wouldn't pick him for against Australia because he isn't on form and lets be honest it would be to much of a risk. Where is Rob Burrow anyway? He would be my choice for 7 against the Aussies.

As for the centres Shenton isn't the best we have but I think he would be better defensivly than Eastmond especially being up against Inglis (I think). Keep Eastmond on the bench. I would also give Tomkins the nod ahead of McGuire, I didn't really see anything special from McGuire last night.

Forwards were ok last night, but the whole team will have to step up, especially the backs, to even have a chance to run the Aussies close.

Myler was quite all night, and i cant see any other players that shone in the first half, although it was slightly better in second half if england play that way against the Aussies, England wont score a try...

All my initial fears were confirmed last night by that England performance.

In the first half Kane Bentley (exactly who?) ran rings around our side from the dummy half position and completely outplayed a very poor Scott Moore. Cameron Smith will have a field day against us next week. Their forwards were far more aggressive from the off or at least certainly matched us in the department where we are meant to be the 'strongest' at. On the back of this they scored two very good tries and seemed to easily unlock the England defence on our own line. They were composed and didn't force a pass, had quick play the balls, a good kicking game and built some pressure on the back of the hard work from their forwards. England were totally blown away and it was only a Thomas Bosc slip that spared us the embarrassment of being scoreless at half time.

Second half the lack of Super League players and effectively part time players on the bench for the French meant that their forwards ran out of steam as we all expected. England were able to make ground more easily on the back of some tired French forwards and Richie Myler managed to get on the score sheet after being anonymous in the first half. How the hell do we expect this kid to control the game against Australia (arguably the best side in the world) when he can't control against France (arguably the weakest team in the competition). As the French forwards tired their discipline got worse and England were able to post some points and show the difference in standards of the two sides & run out quite comfortable winners in the end and I think the score line does not do the justice to the hard work of the French who gave a poor England side a very good run for their money. The Aussies and the kiwis wont have it all their own way on French soil.

So back to England. Well for me the one massive point for me that needs addressing is our atrocious discipline. That (kiwi?) referee picked us to pieces in regards to our discipline and if we keep giving world class players in the Australia and New Zealand sides free possession to attack our line then we will be punished far greater than what the French side did.

I thought Scott Moore was anonymous throughout the whole game and was very poor. I thought James Roby definitely steadied the ship a lot more. Scott Moore needs a kick up the or replacing because he was found out this week and will be picked apart next week against the Aussies. Matt Diskin maybe? move Kevin Sinfield to hooker? Something Tony Smith will have to think about.

Ben Westwood was another anonymous player. Gave away possession and didn't make any hard yards. A poor performance and didn't justify Tony Smith's selection of him. Against the Aussies we are going to need every player for the bench to have a positive influence on the side and Westwood should be dropped for Gareth Carvell IMO.

Richie Myler didn't impress. At full steam in the first half (before the French forwards got tired) the French dominated England, built pressure far better and had an all round better kicking game which caused us a lot of problems. It was only when the French forwards got tired (again due to the level their bench plays at each week) that Myler was able to have an impact on the game. He wont have that against the Aussies and I feel he will be picked apart in defence. Against Wigan this year he has had to move onto the wing due to Gareth Hock simply running right over him. He will get smashed next week and needs dropping. At least Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tomkins are a lot more stronger in defence that Myler. The french (Oliver Elima) ran at Danny McGuire all night and kept him very quiet. Anthony Watmough I imagine will be doing the same. Something must change.

Overall not impressive from England and Tony Smith's selection of certain players were not justified from the performances given. Once again we dropped too much ball, gave away too many penalties, couldn't take our chances and looked incoherent and completely out of position in attack whilst looking very vulnerable in defence. If the French had a stronger bench I dare say they would have won.

what happened to the French anthem? Thought the singer did well to improvise but you could see her shaking her head in disbelief at the incompitence! Just an omen for the amateur first half by England I guess?

Hahahahaman. what hiding that was..