Ok, I'm guessing he's on the totalrl one then.

He's another one who doesn't rate sundry Australian players like Tate & Co in comparison to England's wonderful array of star players. Like others of a similar mindset, he is perplexed when England get their @rses handed to them by all those very ordinary and average Australian players he'd not been rating very highly.

Still... if it makes them feel better.

Glass half full and all that.

Can always blame the ref, the southern hemisphere rule interpretations, the ball, McNamara... anything but the England players who weren't ever good enough in the first place.

The sum of any Australian team is usually much greater than it's parts.

This.

As always

That’s a reasonable point – but 3 of that spine of 4 all play for one club with some decent players around them and they didn’t get to the Grand Final this year so are clearly beatable

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Smith, Inglis, Cronk, Thurston and Slater are all considered the best in their position in the World (Inglis wherever he is played)
Not sure what your point is only SBW from the Kiwis is up there, which English players beside TGWITW Hall is up there?

The only way England will beat Australia on Saturday is if the Kangaroos have bought Gareth Hocks alarm clock and don't turn up.

Yep, I wouldn't fancy our forwards in the Queensbury Rules stakes against the likes of Gallen and Bird.
They'll be more than up for mixing it if required.

We have to hope our forwards totally dominate. I can't see it though - our pack is weaker than it has been in recent years. If possession is 50:50 they'll destroy us via their stand-off and especially centres.

Fair point, we are not going to bully them into submission, but I think our only real chance of winning is by dragging it down into being a scrap. We wont compete in an open game, so we need to make it scrappy.

The games there for Australia to lose.

It's not going to be so much of what England can bring, more of what Australia can be bothered bringing.

I'd love it not to be the case, but I can't see it.

I like your thinking. If nothing else it would create media attention and really put the game in the spotlight. All publicity is good publicity, after all.

Somebody has to put the biff on in the opening minutes for the good of the game! My money is on one of the Burgii to get in a fight with Fifita at some point - particularly if England get hammered on the scoreboard.

Looking at the team sheets it doesnt look too good.
Ive genually believed England could win in the past, in the days we had Scully, Farrell, Long, Cunningham etc.. but now im not not convinced at all.
Not even sure they will make the semi finals.