You do realise the St.George Cross is part of England's national flag?

Yes I do.
Do all National teams around the World make their sporting kit from their Flag?
Not really.

But that would have been the obvious move if Tomkins had not gone off injured.

Still got the same concerns as last week with the side.

Sinfield lacks pace at 6

Widdop is wasted on the bench

We simply don't need 2 backrowers on the bench

Carvell has to be in IMO.

Battering Wales won't tell us anything. I kind of hope we struggle now so these things happen in time for Wembley. We need them to.

Sinfield at 6? Seriously, after so many failed attempts as an international-class half over the years? After a chink of light as a possible international 9 in rotation with Roby? With a decent NRL regular number 6 left sitting on the bench? Resulting in a weak bench, when we need weight on there?

Seriously?

Unbelievable. What is the point of all this analysis mumbo jumbo and stupid jargon coaches seem to talk in these days, if McNamara is just going to pull numbered balls out of a bag and call it a team sheet.

Drop Tomkins. He's out of form and is clearly focused on other things.

Widdop to fullback

Agree about Carvell. Dont think he could have done much more this season to warrant a place. Sinfield is in the team to do a job, the job of a modern day half back to kick and to organise. Chase is in the team to take on the line and ask the questions, so Sinfields lack of pace is irrelevant really as he isnt playing the steretypical 6 role. I do think that this is to the detriment of Chase though, who was clearly trying to hard to make things happen on Friday.

Two changes to the team need to be made Widdop swapped with Sinfield and another prop on the bench in place of Wilkin or Buchanan.

WE NEED A RECOGNISED SCRUM HALF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Mcnamara's problem, he doesn't change things until it's too late. Yes we did OK against France and we'll probably be comofortable against Wales and then we'll come up in a real test match. Ellis, Westwood & Heighington can probably all play 80 minutes,maybe Heighington will need rotating. So why have we two back-rowers on the bench, both of whom didn't do anything of note against france. Also two of our 3 props are over 33 years of age, so why is the form prop not included.

Sinfield has to play for the full 80, not just flitter in and out like against France, he had moments of brulliance, then went quiet. Chase needs to stop trying so hard.

I just can't see how Wilkin & JJB are going to change a game.

On another note...




Couldn't disagree more, i think this years shirts look immense.

England finally get a consistent NRL stand off who could be part of the setup for the next decade, but instead choose to start a converted loose forward in Kevin Sinfield. Gareth Widdop is twice the player Kevin Sinfield/Rangi Chase are!

One prop on the bench? Gaz Carvell not used?

It's so frustrating because we actually do have a decent side IMO. Swap Widdop for Sinfield, swap JJB for Gaz Carvell and we have a real shot.

Chase > Widdop
but
Widdop > Sinfield, by a substantial margin.

1 Billy Slater
2 Akuila Uate
3 Willie Tonga
4 Chris Lawrence
5 Darius Boyd
6 Darren Lockyer ©
7 Johnathan Thurston
8 Paul Gallen
9 Cameron Smith
10 Matt Scott
11 Luke Lewis
12 Sam Thaiday
13 Anthony Watmough

Interchange
14 Cooper Cronk
15 Keith Galloway
16 David Shillington
17 Tony Williams
18 Beau Scott
19 Greg Inglis
20 Corey Parker

Is this backline as fearsome as some in the past? Still very good, but one we could get at imo.

No Carvell, and Sinfield still at 6, McNamara is gonna step on a huge McBanana skin soon if this is genuinely what he sees his best team to be. And even if it isnt, and hes still experimenting with this team because he thinks we will walk over Wales, then hes an even bigger fool, because the game after Wales we play Australia and by then we need a team that has a bit of experience playing together (what little you can at international level).

Back on the matter of Carvell for a moment, what does the lad really have to do?? Hes been the best prop behind Graham ALL season pretty much.