for Brian Ashton.
With the two young lads, Toby Flood & Shane Geraghty, doing so well at number 10 on Sunday in England’s 26-18 victory over France at Twickenham the new England coach had some tough choices to make first being which of three to pick at stand-off when Jonny is back.
It’s been made slightly easier as he only has two to pick from for the final round of the 6 Nations with Wilkinson still ruled out injured.
Personally I’d have stuck with starting Flood, then bring Geraghty on as an impact player and would have tried Jonny at centre, which would have been open after Tindall’s injury. Though I would have done this had Tindall not been out, didn’t think he had that great a game, the basic skills of running straight and off loading the ball seem to pass him by for most of the game, took his try well but that was it.
You’d certainly not lose anything defence wise with Wilkinson in there, and his kicking from hand is far superior, though would that be required as much with Ashton’s belief about keeping possession, which lead to Geraghty’s break and Tindall’s touchdown.
All round a better performance, especially from the new forward pack who were head and shoulders above the Ireland game. Corey looks more comfortable at lock than lumbering round in the back row, which was full of guys with a bit more mobility.
Best moment of the weekend though was of course the Taff’s whinging about the ref blowing for time after they kicked to touch, as if it would make any difference – the best team won and with a try from a player who could have been sent off.
Oh and the Irish jumping about with their plate, funny when England were winning Triple Crown after Triple Crown there was no cheap tatty QVC plate but then most times the Grand Slam had been won so the TC was an afterthought or the GS had been lost and the TC was no consolation.
And that sums up the Irish, yet again they choked when the GS was on offer but when they were told this by the likes of Brian Moore they used it as motivation to beat England and that’s why the big ones pass them by, beating a depleted rebuilding England is all that matters. Instead of thinking yes we screwed this up we have to focus on every game they just look at the old enemy with a chip on each shoulder.
Now just need the Azzurri to win their third in a row the Jock’s to bore the French to death and England to condemn Wales to nil points for the title…