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'Real mental shift': Rugby Pod sees no way back for George and co
Jim Hamilton believes the international careers of Jamie George and the Vunipola brothers are more than likely over after Eddie Jones opted not to select them in his latest England squad despite their much-improved club form in recent weeks with Saracens. All three were major parts of the English pack that didn’t deliver in last spring’s Guinness Six Nations, the 2020 champions slipping to an embarrassing fifth-place finish.
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That outcome left the Australian mulling over the future of his squad and after blooding multiple players new to Test level in the summer series, Jones has decided that the Saracens trio – two of whom (George and Mako Vunipola) travelled with the Lions in summer – are no longer worthy of a place in the England squad.
It’s a gutsy stance by Jones to exclude a trio who have 157 England caps between them, especially as the soon-to-be 31-year-old George, the 30-year-old Mako Vunipola and the soon-to-be 29-year-old Billy had played their part in the opening weeks of the Premiership season in helping Saracens into third spot with three wins in four outings.
Club boss Mark McCall suggested to RugbyPass in recent weeks that Billy Vunipola was as fit as he had ever been. However, with this improved current form unable to catapult them back into the selection picture, ex-Scotland lock Hamilton, a former teammate of the trio of forwards at Saracens, fears the omission likely spells the end of their international careers unless there are injuries or Jones somewhere along the line has a now unexpected change of heart.
Speaking on the latest edition of The Rugby Pod, Hamilton said: “Just on the Saracens players, they have been hard done by off the back of playing a season in the Championship, being picked when they weren’t on form, went on a British and Irish Lions tour not on form – they have been judged on a time when they weren’t playing well and probably at that point shouldn’t have been picked and now they are not in the mix (when they are on form).
"I have been a huge Farrell supporter and still am, but…"
– Clive Woodward has stuck the boot in on the England skipper ahead of the November Test matches #England https://t.co/epwId9SByy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2021
“I don’t think there is any way back. I can’t see with the way that they are playing now there is a way they can get back in unless there is an injury, unless Eddie flips its again. He’s so hard to read, isn’t he? Jamie George has been one of the leading hookers in the world for the last three or four years, unquestionably, and then he has had a quiet season, has gone on the Lions tour, hardly played, and then he has been dropped out of the squad having not playing any rugby, so what are you judging him on? In that sense, it is a big call.
“Billy? I understand you have got Dombrandt, who is absolutely carving up but unproven at international level. Sam Simmonds, who looks great. Can he step up to Test rugby? I don’t know. Maybe it’s just one of them, their time is up, that’s it and that is Eddie’s prerogative.”
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Show co-host Andy Goode, the ex-English out-half, reckoned the change in Jones’ approach regarding who is in his squad hinted a big shift in how England will look to play next month against Tonga, Australia and South Africa. “The big thing for me is around how England have played the last 18 months. Since they got to the World Cup final they have regressed in terms of how they attack.
“Think of all the games they have played since then, they finished fifth in the Six Nations, played a long, boring kicking game. I’m excited that now hopefully Eddie Jones has had a real mental shift on how he sees the game played. He talked last year about ‘we are going through this defensive phase’
“There was a lot of other teams not in this defensive phase playing in a different way but that was Eddie’s way at the time, but with the likes of Raffi Quirke, (Adam) Radwan and a lot of other young guys, they haven’t got the fear of anything, they just want the ball in hand and to play quick.
“When Freddie Steward and Max Malins get the ball, they look to attack. They haven’t got this kicking mentality in them, they have got this attacking mentality. Marcus Smith, imagine him at ten being able to pull the strings with a forward pack that is dominating on the front foot? That is why I am quite excited about it.”
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The @Saracens head honcho Neil Golding sat down for his first exclusive media interview with @jimhamilton4 to chat salary cap, player development and their journey back from a dark place.
Have a listen: https://t.co/ecZBZsAhrC pic.twitter.com/2nXpXtv1qH
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) October 14, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments