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They’re England caps, you can’t just dish them out for free - Goode Questions Jones’ Squad
Former England fly half Andy Goode has questioned Eddie Jones’ decision to take a number of young, inexperienced players in his 31-man squad to tour Argentina in the summer ahead of top Premiership performers like Christian Wade and Semesa Rokoduguni.
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Speaking on The Rugby Pod, the flyhalf, who won 17 caps for his country, said it was commendable to look to the future but that England caps are special and shouldn’t be dished out to youngsters who haven’t earned them ahead of those playing well in the top flight of English rugby.
“A development tour is great but this isn’t a development tour. It is two fully fledged international games and boys are going to get caps that, in my opinion, don’t deserve them on form ahead of other guys who are playing exceptionally well in the Premiership,” said Goode.
“Looking long term is great but they’re England caps, you can’t just dish them out for free without players having grafted and earned the right to get them.”
Jones has picked 15 uncapped players for the two tests on June 10 and 17. The squad has 537 caps in total between them with James Haskell, Chris Robshaw, Dylan Hartley, Danny Care, Matt Mullan, Tom Wood, Mike Brown, George Ford and Joe Launchbury accounting for 487 of them.
The selection of 19-year-old London Irish winger ahead of Christian Wade and Semesa Rokoduguni, who have scored 16 and 10 tries respectively in the Premiership so far this season, particularly rankled Goode.
“He’s picked Joe Cokanasiga, the London Irish winger, and he hasn’t played a Premiership game,” he said.
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“A lot of people will say that Eddie Jones is brilliant for looking to the future but Christian Wade and Semesa Rokoduguni, who are the two top try scorers in the Premiership, haven’t got a sniff of the England tour.
“Cokanasiga is a big unit and a young kid and he will be a very good player but Wade is tearing up trees in the Premiership, as is Rokodoguni.
“With Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell on the Lions tour, they have got to be the next two cabs off the rank on form.”
Former Scotland second row and ex-England U21 international Jim Hamilton was also shocked that his Saracens team-mate had been overlooked in favour of Tom and Ben Curry of Sale Sharks, who have made just five Premiership starts between them.
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“Jackson Wray is in Saracens’ starting line-up and has been one of our best players but England are picking the Curry brothers. They’re very good players and I can see what they’re doing but still,” he added.
The Rugby Pod is a weekly rugby union podcast, featuring Goode and Hamilton, that provides fans with news, views, interviews, analysis, transfer rumours and lots more. Download The Episode here
England’s 31-man squad for Argentina tour
Forwards
Will Collier (Harlequins, uncapped), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 3 caps), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 1 cap), Dylan Hartley – captain (Northampton Saints, 84 caps), James Haskell (Wasps, 75 caps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 5 caps), Nathan Hughes (Wasps, 8 caps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens, uncapped), Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 42 caps), Matt Mullan (Wasps, 15 caps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 55 caps), Sam Underhill (Ospreys/Bath Rugby, uncapped), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 50 caps).
Backs
Mike Brown – vice-captain (Harlequins, 60 caps), Danny Care – vice captain (Harlequins, 71 caps), Joe Cokanasiga (London Irish, uncapped), Nathan Earle (Saracens, uncapped), George Ford – vice captain (Bath Rugby, 35 caps), Piers Francis (Auckland Blues/Northampton Saints, uncapped), Sam James (Sale Sharks, uncapped), Alex Lozowski (Saracens, uncapped), Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints, uncapped), Joe Marchant (Harlequins, uncapped), Jack Maunder (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 25 caps), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps), Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks, uncapped).
Unavailable for selection due to injury: Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Sam Jones (Wasps)
England’s two-Test tour to Argentina
Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan, 10 June, kick-off 12.15pm (BST)
Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez, Santa Fe, 17 June,kick-off 12.15pm (BST)
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments